Stuffed Animals In Waldorf Education
In 1919 the very first Waldorf School was established in Germany. It was intended to be a school that allowed for creative thinking and discovery through learning. This method has become a worldwide education phenomenon. The philosophy is simple; let children learn in creative ways so that they are more well rounded, socially aware human beings when they grow up.
This has sparked a kind of toy phenomenon around the world. If you look on any major toy or crafting website on the internet you will find sections of toys dedicated to the Waldorf method. These toys are simplistic, colorful, and educational. You will often find the toys are made from wood and painted in rainbow colors. They are simple shapes and simple forms that the child can play with.
The idea behind the simplicity of the toys is that the child can take it and do with it as he or she pleases. To us, it might just be an arc in a rainbow but to them perhaps it is a boat, or the wings of a dragon. The ability to turn a simple object into another using just your imagination is precisely what the Waldorf method strives for.
So you might be wondering how beanie boos or other stuffed dog and cat toys fit into this equation. Well, it is simple. While the toys used in Waldorf Schools are simplistic, they are also educational. Toys like stuffed cats are for the emotional side of teaching. Being kind to a stuffed toy or learning to share is a great way to make the children of this educational methodology a more socially aware group of people. Having a friend to help you use your imagination makes you all that much stronger. Remember for example Calvin and Hobbes and all of the adventures that they got up to in the comic strip. You must recall that Hobbes was merely a stuffed cat and it was Calvin's imagination that brought him to life. These are the same principles that the educational system of Rudolph Steiner (the founder of Waldorf Education) was founded!
If you are interested in teaching your child in the Waldorf style, it is important to have the right tools, the right knowledge, and of course, the right toys. A stuffed dog or cat will go far in your attempts to teach your child to be a more well-rounded person with a creative and intelligent imagination.
This has sparked a kind of toy phenomenon around the world. If you look on any major toy or crafting website on the internet you will find sections of toys dedicated to the Waldorf method. These toys are simplistic, colorful, and educational. You will often find the toys are made from wood and painted in rainbow colors. They are simple shapes and simple forms that the child can play with.
The idea behind the simplicity of the toys is that the child can take it and do with it as he or she pleases. To us, it might just be an arc in a rainbow but to them perhaps it is a boat, or the wings of a dragon. The ability to turn a simple object into another using just your imagination is precisely what the Waldorf method strives for.
So you might be wondering how beanie boos or other stuffed dog and cat toys fit into this equation. Well, it is simple. While the toys used in Waldorf Schools are simplistic, they are also educational. Toys like stuffed cats are for the emotional side of teaching. Being kind to a stuffed toy or learning to share is a great way to make the children of this educational methodology a more socially aware group of people. Having a friend to help you use your imagination makes you all that much stronger. Remember for example Calvin and Hobbes and all of the adventures that they got up to in the comic strip. You must recall that Hobbes was merely a stuffed cat and it was Calvin's imagination that brought him to life. These are the same principles that the educational system of Rudolph Steiner (the founder of Waldorf Education) was founded!
If you are interested in teaching your child in the Waldorf style, it is important to have the right tools, the right knowledge, and of course, the right toys. A stuffed dog or cat will go far in your attempts to teach your child to be a more well-rounded person with a creative and intelligent imagination.
