Mud on our Boots: Dispatch from a Rainy Winter
2023 began with an unrelenting succession of storms in Northern California. Here at Marin Waldorf School, we were ready for it! Rushing creeks and wet weather are an invitation to explore for our curious kindergartners, who hike into the open space near school, rain or shine. (More often rain in 2023.) As you can see in the pictures from our hike days below, many of us like a little bit of mud on our boots!
For young children, there's so much to learn from time spent outdoors. Guided by curiosity and confident that their raingear will keep them warm and dry, preschool and kindergartners learn about the world through observation, experience, and play!
And at MWS we know that play, particularly outdoors, is an important entry into the world of math, science, and creativity. Current research supports that. In an interview with Ed Source, Gennie Gorback, president of the California Kindergarten Association, explains, “Children learn high-level, intangible concepts such as the laws of gravity, conservation of liquids/mass, mathematical concepts such as more vs. less, all through hands-on, interactive play.”
On campus, our youngest students spend ample time outdoors. Gardening, which is an integral part of our grades program, begins in kindergarten, where a small garden plot is planted and cared for by the Hollyhock and Morning Glory classrooms.
Want to learn more? We encourage you to read about our multidisciplinary approach to math education in early childhood here.