As we come to the end of our first term together in Karri Kindergarten, our group of twelve K6 and four K5 children have formed a class who work and play together, help each other and the teachers, and work through disagreements, upsets and challenges.  Five year old children are at the peak of creative play and are involved in the growth process of play, rather than the final product.  They may spend lots of time talking about and setting the stage for play without actually playing it out.  Play is thought-out, and children will look around for suitable props `to play out their ideas.

Sometimes teachers and parents hear from six year olds “I’m bored”.  This usually indicates that the child is in the midst of the “six year old change”.  Previously the toys in the environment were the main stimulus for play, but now the inner world inspires play and she can choose which toys she needs.  “I’m bored“ means the child has not yet worked out how to use this inner capacity, and doesn’t know what to do with his new feelings and awareness.  When we see this in the kindergarten, we involve them in our work, for example helping to cut fruit, or sanding wooden toys.  In this way they are able to experience the individuality of an adult engaged in purposeful work.  The result of this is that imaginative pictures begin to arise within the child.  One day he will run off with a new idea and be able to play again.  It is important to let children go through this process, whether it takes days, weeks or months.

Children at this age are more dextrous than before, their formative forces concentrate in their limbs and they can learn to finger knit.  The K6 children are divided into two groups and each has a dedicated handwork session once a week.  They are also free to work on their handwork projects during self-directed inside play.  The stitched placemats are almost all completed now and many five-finger-knitted scarves are nearing completion.  French-knitted beanies are next.  The simple toys and crafts we offer in our kindergarten, as in Steiner kindergartens everywhere, engage both the developing dexterity and the imaginations of five to seven year olds. 

Some children do tend to look for more technical playthings.  Although we don’t offer such toys usually, the children often create them from simple objects they find in the room.  For example, a bus from chairs placed on the low table, or a fishing boat from the same table turned upside down.  Our small group of boys has recently begun placing the wooden planks on top of the curtained play frames and love to sit atop (with a rule of sitting only and two at a time!).  Children at this age enjoy being up high! 

Children may also begin asking more philosophical and technical questions so we might think they are looking for scientific answers.  However they can easily be overwhelmed by too early an intellectual approach when really it is their imaginative life they needs to be nurtured.  In order to understand these concepts, we must first be able to picture them. A creative, imaginative answer, or even a questioning... ”well, what could it be, I wonder?” feeds this need.

As parents and teachers it is so important to allow children to develop at their own pace, unhindered by academic information pouring in to them from all sides. 

The child is the creator of play in a Steiner school.  Images created during circle time and story time, and images from their own life experiences serve as inspiration for this play.  If there are rich images, they can create satisfying and appropriate play.  When problems arise during playtime the children are given the opportunity to resolve them through interactive processes which develop faculties such as problem-solving and negotiation they will need for later life.  

Warm wishes,  

Denise