Waldorf Inspired Activities for Kids Under 4

Watching your child laugh and learn through imaginative play is one of the most rewarding experiences of parenting.  As parents, however, we know how challenging it can be at times to keep that smile on their faces for long.  Toddlers’ minds are rapidly developing, constantly taking in new information, and they require lots of new stimuli to feed that curiosity.  So what do you do when your child becomes bored of their toys and their everyday surroundings or activities?  It’s not practical or affordable to constantly be buying new toys to entertain them.  How do we combat their restlessness?  Well, you encourage them to play in a new way.  That may mean looking at an everyday, household object and repurposing it into something new, or perhaps it means finding new things to play with in nature.  Here are just a few ideas of some Waldorf inspired activities that may be just what you need to spark some joy!

Cardboard Box Creations

You could create your own little world if you had enough cardboard boxes. All you need are boxes, a box cutter (or a good pair of scissors!), tape, and whatever you have lying around the house to decorate. The fun really just goes on and on with this activity. After you’ve completed your creation, you can decorate it with paint, stamps, stickers, ribbon, glitter, yarn, or whatever you have on hand!  You could make a cardboard city complete with tiny cardboard houses, stores, and cars. If you have a really big box or a lot of small ones, you could make a toddler-sized house or car. Let them pick what color their house and car will be. For the kiddos that are a little older, you could create your own board game. You’ll be surprised to see the places their imagination can take them with just a cardboard box!

Making Jewelry

Most toddlers are fascinated with bracelets and necklaces, so why not let them make some of their own? For younger children, you can use cereal, pasta, or candy. Older kids can use beads and charms to make something they can wear. Not only is this a fun idea, but it also helps with their pincer grasp and gross motor skills. For older kids, it could become a lifelong hobby. You could even use colorful string to create braided friendship bracelets or anklets. Any way you do it, this is an excellent activity for hand-eye coordination and strategic thinking.

Spend Time Outside

Walking and exploring the outdoors can be therapeutic for little ones. Make sure to dress for the weather, so your fun isn’t interrupted. All seasons offer different opportunities for play.  During the spring you can collect flowers and make a beautiful bouquet!  During the summer, find a nearby stream or pond and try skipping rocks!  In the fall, kids have a blast jumping into piles of raked leaves.  Come winter time, build a bonfire and make smores while you gaze at the evening stars. Best of all, these activities require little to no prepwork. Keep in mind that sometimes a simple walk can be just as relaxing and calming for you as it is for your little one.

Finger Painting

Now, this one can be messy, but it’s worth the fun! You can minimize the mess with a little bit of prepwork: Lay out newspaper and paint on a table, set up a tarp with some small easels, or you could even paint outside using nature as your paintbrush. Help your child turn rocks into the animals they see out in nature: ladybugs, bumblebees, spiders, lizards, squirrels, and so much more. If you’re worried about your little one eating paint, you can make your own edible paints. Make a whole day of it, creating your own homemade paints together and then encouraging your little one to create their own masterpiece.

Build a Fort

This is probably one of the best activities for little ones. I’ve yet to meet a kid who didn’t love a play fort. Build a big sheet fort with clip chips and clothespins. Make it a castle fort and tell a story while you play–kings, queens, and knights, gather your props and you’re ready for a medieval time. If the kids want to play on their own, they can utilize couch cushions.  They even have cushion blocks made especially for kids to build and climb on. Get them started by showing them the possibilities, and then watch their creative minds work!

Cut & Paste

Remember making paper snowflakes in grade school?  You start by folding up a piece of paper over and over until it’s a small square.  Then you cut whatever design you like and unfold to see your masterpiece!  It was always a surprise to see your unique creation!  In addition to paper snowflakes, you can make a chain of people holding hands–just fold a piece of paper accordion style, and cut out the shape of a person. You can make a chain by cutting strips of paper and taping or gluing the ends together and interlocking them so that they link–see how big you can make your chain!  Just be sure that whatever craft you decide on, your kids are using safety scissors with a blunted end.  Maybe you help your child start their very own scrapbook that they can continue to come back to for months or years to come, adding more pictures to it after holidays, birthdays, and other family gatherings.  When they’re older, they’ll enjoy flipping through the pages and looking back on those memories they made. 

Children have this incredible ability to find joy in the simplest of things.  They don’t require the newest, fanciest, or most expensive toy on the shelf to bring a smile to their face. Us adults would be much better off if we could see the world from their perspective.  These activities are just the beginning.  I encourage you to look around your home, neighborhood, or local park and see what possibilities lie there.  Keep it simple, get creative, and have some fun!