If only I could go back in time about four years.
When I became a mom in 2018, I knew nothing about Waldorf education. It was a couple of years before I heard about it, and more time after that until I understood the philosophy behind toys.
If you search online for Waldorf toys, you’ll find all types of really expensive objects made from wood and wool and silk. Traditionally, Waldorf toys are made of natural materials. They are also meant to be handmade, so having Waldorf toys doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money. You can make them instead.
Waldorf toys should be made of natural materials and also be beautiful so a child, in their inner being, will learn to seek and enjoy what is good and beautiful in life — the higher things.
Since I didn’t know about this concept until my daughter was four, a LOT of time has been spent collecting plastic toys that are decidedly not beautiful. I long to donate practically the whole lot of them and start making toys to replace them. Since my daughter is old enough to know when toys are missing, I’ve been trying to work with her to declutter, but she wants all of them.
All of this is to say that we are very flexible about Waldorf when it comes to toys. A lot of homeschool families take what works for them from many different education philosophies, and that is perfectly fine.
I still wish I could go back in time and be more selective about the toys we brought into our home. So if any of you know how to encourage a four-year-old to pare down their toys without causing emotional trauma, please let me know!