Schools, kindergartens and nurseries have been closed in many countries around the world, and one third of the people on the planet are confined at their homes practising “social distancing”. The lives of many children and adolescents have changed in a radical way, beginning with the children in China starting in January and now experienced by many others.
On this page,you can find articles and resources for parents and educators living and working with children from birth to seven during this health crisis.
General reflections about the novel Corona Virus situation and social questions
- Thoughts and feelings are realities – Clara Aerts
- Different ways of thinking about “building inmunity”– Dr. Adam Blanning
- Promoting health – from the Association of Anthroposophical Doctors in Germany)
- Corona Pandemic – Aspects and Perspectives – Matthias Girke and Georg Soldner, Medical Section at the Goetheanum, Dornach.
- The Loneliness of Social Distancing – Jane E. Brody, New York Times, 24 March 2020
- Settle Your Turbulent Mind – Bandana Basu, class teacher, Shishyaa Waldorf School, India
- Responses to Covid 19 – Steiner Education Aotearoa in New Zealand
Suggestions for Waldorf Kindergartens and Schools
Schools in Time of Corona – Some Suggestions – Christof Wiechert
Bringing the Love to the Parents Home through the Teachers Working From Home Rhythm – Kenny Dewi, Edith Van der Meer
The Pedagogical Law in a Time of Screens – Slides show by Eugene Schwarz
Suggestions for parents
- Is the World a Good Place? Suggestions from the Kindergarten for you at Home – Philipp Reubke
- In Difficult Times: How Do I Find and Create Goodness for My Children? Susan Weber
- How to Be a Quiet Adult: Five Tips to Encourage Child-Directed Play – from the Website screenfreeparenting.com
- Home With Kids? It’s OK to do Nothing – Nermeen Dashoush
- Caring for children in our homes – ideas for activities with small children at home, from the Mt. Barker Waldorf School Kindergarten, Australia.
- A special five-part audio series with Kim John Payne (simplicityparenting.com)
- “Preparing” – How to speak to our kids and how to stay centered so our kids can co-regulate with us.
- “Signaling Security via Decluttering” – When the world feels like it is in chaos and closing in, creating a decluttered space is like soul Arnica.
- “Wrapping Warm Rhythm Around Our Children” – When so much is changing and shifting, how do we strengthen predictability and the feeling that all is well in our family’s world?
- Dialing Back Schedules in Preparation and Decisions Afterwards – How to walk children and teens off their busy lives in preparing for the cancellations of school and after school activities, and the opportunity it offers when life gets back to normal.
- “Filtering Adult Information is More Important Now Than Before” – With so much scary information out there, how can we keep our kids informed in the right way for their age?
For the children
- The Little Gnome Who Had to stay Home – story by Susan Perrow
- “10 Little Fishies” – A Hand Washing Poem/Song for Little Children – Susan Perrow
Letter from Kindergarten Teachers