Waldorf Early Childhood Courses at WCI

Waldorf Early Childhood Educator Training Auditing

November 9th to 15th, 2025

We are opening some of our Waldorf Early Childhood Educator Training courses to auditors. Courses are open to Waldorf educators and those interested in anthroposophy. Course participants will join our teacher training program and are asked to pay an auditing fee of $25 per class and in some cases a materials fee. Auditors must commit to, and pay for, all classes within a course.
(Please note that auditors are asked to be quiet participants—present as observers only—unless asked by instructors to contribute.)

November, 2025 Auditors Schedule (pdf)

All courses are in-person at the Vancouver Waldorf School
2725 St Christophers Road, North Vancouver, BC
All prices are Canadian dollars.

Care of the Environment with Consciousness

with Astrid Lackner
(2 classes; $50)

This session will take up the question of the adult’s role in penetrating the environment of the young child with a care-filled sense of purpose. How does this affect the well-being and involvement of the children? How do we nourish body, soul and spirit in the Early Childhood setting?

Child Observation

with Ruth Ker
(1 class; $25)

This course concentrates on objective observation. Learning to see accurately what is in front of us can help educators to avail themselves to fresh inspirations and intuitions. This leads to the possibility of new imaginations for supporting the child in their ongoing development.

Clay Modeling

with Herb Walsh
(5 classes + $20 materials fee; $145)

Clay in its flexibility and softness is an ideal material to explore the metamorphosis of form.

Every day the miracles of nature surround us—sometimes quietly, as flowers turn to seed; other times with horrendous power as hurricanes tear through our world. This course will explore through a study of water phenomena some design principles connected to metamorphosis.

Festivals I

with Ruth Ker
(2 classes; $50)

These sessions will take up the theme of the underlying nature of the course of the year and the festivals that are associated with each season. The historical, theoretical and philosophical aspects of each festival will be covered.

What are festivals? Historical, cultural and social aspects | The cycle of the year | Celebrating festivals with young children

Please note that Festivals II will not be open to auditors.

The Importance of Play

with Debbie Laurin and Rose Maynard
(3 classes; $75)

This course will study the phenomenon of play in the development of the young child. How do we as teachers support this with an understanding of the work environment in the Early Childhood setting? How do we as adults support self-directed play? For a later assignment, students will be required to write observations of children playing to illustrate the three different stages of play development in early childhood.

Outdoor Programming

with Astrid Lackner
(1 class; $25)

This course will study the work and play of the young child and how it is supported in outdoor programming. How do we as teachers support this with an understanding of the fullness of environmental possibilities? How do we as adults support self-directed play and also assure that the Waldorf curriculum is honoured in its entirety? What about snack, circle, story and naptime in the outdoor setting?

Rhythm in the Life of the Young Child

with Debbie Laurin and Rose Maynard
(3 classes; $75)

All life is permeated by rhythm. In this course we will examine healthy rhythms for the young child and study their practical applications in the life of the young child at home and in the early childhood setting.

Rhythms in Life | Daily rhythm(s) in the life of the child. Practical applications in the early childhood setting | Weekly/monthly activities in the early childhood setting | The role of the teacher in carrying these rhythms

Role of the Will in the First Three Years

with Debbie Laurin
(2 classes; $50)

This course focuses on the forces behind movement as indicated by Rudolf Steiner. In the first three years the will stream from below and the formative forces from the head down, cranio-caudal development, brings about three important milestones in child development. We will focus on the first milestone: the acquisition of uprightness and the role of the WILL stream. New movement patterns and skills are acquired as the child gradually gains control of involuntary movement and becomes more directional. As the child randomly moves arms and legs and at the same time perceives her movement with her senses, the child becomes more and more conscious of her body and able to direct movement.

Spacial Dynamics I

with Jane Williams
(5 classes; $125)

Spacial Dynamics raises our consciousness about personal space, the dynamics of movement, movement streams, and the posture of the teacher. Creating a movement environment that promotes confidence in the participants, – by their becoming conscious of this space and the dynamic forces of the movements within it – is important to the teacher’s practice. The physical body learns to eventually follow and to ease into these movements. When the body moves into a dynamic space that has already been consciously created for it, the movement itself can be performed with less effort, greater effect, enhanced mental clarity, and less strain upon the body. Spacial Dynamics activities help people to learn and integrate the human being’s relationship to the dynamics of space.

Course Refund Policy (pdf)