The Kindergarten years from age 3-6 years are characterized in Steiner Waldorf education as being the years when an ethos of 'goodness' should prevail, where children’s good actions and good thoughts can be encouraged. They are also the years when children are sensory beings, where they absorb like sponges all elements, both good and bad, in their environment. The elements they absorb at this time, play an important role in how the children develop in the future.

Our kindergarten children learn through play, time in nature, rich literary influences through stories, singing and circle time and hands-on skills in the constant care of compassionate and experienced teachers. Childhood education at Inodai Waldorf is enriched and unrushed.

Our experiential Kindergarten program places great emphasis on providing good examples for the children to imitate, along with a beautiful ambience for them to absorb. The rooms are aesthetically designed with simple wooden furniture.

Open-ended toys and natural objects such as pine cones, wooden blocks, hand-made dolls, traditional clothes, horses and soft cotton fabrics are used by the children during play time. These simple, natural materials and handcrafted toys allow the children to build imaginative scenarios and maximize their creative capacities. Children experience stories, puppet show, painting, drawing, balancing activities, beading, cooking and handwork, opening up a world of imagination. Here the children's senses have a rest from the stimulation-overload found in the world outside.

Children participate in outdoor play, seasonal crafts, festivals and outdoor visits to the beach and park that support self-regulation, physical development, and healthy social interaction, laying a strong foundation for academic success. Emphasis is placed on the development of requisite skills and capacities that promote readiness for first grade.

Each of our four Kindergarten classrooms is a mixed class of Nursery, Junior and Senior Kindergartners. Your child will stay in the same Kindergarten classroom with the same teachers for the duration of their Kindergarten journey of 3 years. The students will experience the same program, but with different expectations from their teachers. The senior Kindergarten child will serve as mentors and helpers in class and are often given different layers of activities from their younger peers. The children are able to both learn and teach one another in a structured and secure, unhurried day.

The maximum capacity for each class is 25 students, with 1 full-time Kindergarten teacher, an assistant teacher and a helper.

To qualify for Nursery, Junior or Senior Kindergarten, the child should have completed 3, 4 or 5 years respectively by May 31st.

Early childhood assessment takes a formative approach. We primarily rely on observation to understand each child's unique progress. Teachers carefully observe and document children's interactions, play, and social development. Parent-teacher discussions provide an opportunity for dialogue and reflection.