Waldorf Games Handbook for the Early Years - (Hawthorn Press Early Years) by Kim John Payne & Cory Waletzko & Valerie Baadh Garrett (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

142 Action, Finger, Circle, Clapping, Beanbag, Chasing, Water, Tumbling, Story, and Singing Games

Waldorf Games Handbook for the Early Years is a handy guide to playing games with young children. This classic game book offers a handy resource for parents, teachers, forest school educators, and play leaders. The games are tried and tested and draw on worldwide Steiner and Waldorf-inspired education, in which the "work" of children is their play. Child development is explored and how this is aided by a rich treasury of games--action, finger, circle, clapping, beanbag, chasing, water, tumbling, story, and singing games. Includes both traditional favorites and new games created to engage with challenging behavior.

Each game is clearly and simply described, with diagrams and drawings showing how to play. The games weave rhythms, movement, songs, stories, and pictures and invite children into worlds of vibrant wonder.

These games help children feel at ease in their bodies, build relationships and enjoy playing.

Review Quotes

"Reminds us of the beauty and power of living song and movement. Nourishes children and adults alike as they share the music together."
--Joan Almon, Alliance for Childhood

"What a delightful collection! The wide range of games are described so clearly that it's easy to fund something to play with a lucky child or group of children. And then you'll want to play something else, juts because it so much fun to play and sing."
--Rahima Baldwin Dancy, author, You are Your Child's First Teacher

"Provides parents, nursery caregivers, and teachers with a valuable resource of enjoyable games for preparing children for life."
--Sally Goddard Blythe, author, The Well-Balanced Child

"A child must learn to live within a house of her own making,
To tour worlds she has never seen, without her home forsaking.
But what bridges realms within, without others have no name?
The answer is a shared delight, and is a child's game."
--Jaimen McMillan, Spacial Dynamics Institute

About the Author

Valerie Baadh Garrett is a movement artist, educator, and therapist working with people of all ages. She worked in Waldorf Education, Spacial Dynamics, and Agile Aging, also teacher training in the USA and China. Kim John Payne M.Ed. is a leading Waldorf educator in the USA, UK, and Australia. Payne travels to speak to 10,000-20,000 parents and teachers a year in North America and worldwide. A former movement teacher, he was a school counselor and worked as a family counselor therapist. He researched a drug free approach to attention deficit disorder. His Social Inclusion Approach for breaking the patterns of bullying has been implemented in hundreds of schools. A father of two, he lives in Massachusetts with his wife Catherine. Cory Waletzko was a professional dancer, actor, and musician before becoming a movement and games educator at Upper Valley Waldorf School in Quechee, Vermont. As a Spacial Dynamics Institute graduate and adjunct faculty member at Antioch University, she has trained trainers in Movement Education and mentored games and movement educators. She works with social inclusion in public and private schools across North America.