In this thoughtful book, Freya Jaffke describes festival celebrations in relation to child development in the first seven years. She considers in detail the main festivals throughout the year--Easter, Pentecost, St. John's, back-to-school, harvest, Michaelmas, lantern time, birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and carnival.

Drawing on many examples, she shows how we can celebrate festivals in a meaningful way with children, both at home and in kindergarten. Every festival is prefaced with a deeper contemplation for adults before considering preparations with...

A compilation of Rudolf Steiner's words on the subject of children's play, now in a second revised edition. This new edition of an essential resource for early childhood educators includes wisdom on the inner attitude of the teacher, imitation, the nature and meaning of children's play, toys and play materials, and creating the right environment for the child.

Rhythm and repetition, example and imitation, are pillars on which early learning is based. Freya Jaffke applies these simple principles in ways that are refreshingly sensible and practical. She describes children's play and provides well-tried advice on this important stage of development at which young children love to imitate the work of adults.
Practical topics are covered, such as planning the day, festivals, rhythms, spontaneous and planned play, stages of development, creating a protective environment, and hyperactive and inactive children. Parents and educators faced with the...