Joyful Beginnings Hummingbirds: April 13 - 17, 2026
Dear Joyful Beginnings Hummingbirds Families,
Last week was a sweet return as the children rediscovered the joy of the forest and their friendships after the break. The warm temperatures were softened by the suddenly full green forest foliage, offering a canopy of shade over our outdoor classroom.
A highlight of the week emerged through the children’s imaginative play. A simple flat board, which since the beginning of the year had been propped on one side with a stump to form a ramp, was moved and laid flat upon the ground. Suddenly, it became a canoe, with children paddling away on either side using rakes.
In our indoor and outdoor environments, we intentionally offer open-ended materials such as boards, ropes, stumps, and tools rather than fixed-purpose toys like slides or balance bikes. From a Waldorf perspective, these simple, undefined materials nourish the child’s capacity for imagination, creativity, and initiative. Without a prescribed use, the child must bring their own inner pictures to life. A board can become a bridge, a table, a house, or, as we saw, a canoe. This kind of play strengthens flexible thinking, collaboration, and a deep sense of agency, as the children become active creators rather than passive users of their environment.
The children have also quickly taken to our new late spring circle, fingerplays, and story, with fuller participation in singing and movement than at any earlier point in the year. There is a growing confidence and joy in their engagement.
A class favorite fingerplay this week has been:
Two little butterflies
Sitting on a shoe,One named Jay,One named Blue.Fly away, Jay,Fly away, Blue,Come back, Jay,
Come back, Blue.
Two little butterfliesSitting on a cloud,One named soft,One named loud.Fly away, soft,Fly away, loud,Come back, soft,Come back, loud.
Two little butterfliesSitting on a stick,One named slow,One named quick…
As the children imitate the teacher, moving their bodies and adjusting their voices to match the qualities of the words, they are experiencing language in a living, embodied way. The element of contrast (soft/loud, slow/quick, etc.) is deeply satisfying to the young child as it meets their natural sense of polarity. Rather than learning vocabulary abstractly, they feel these qualities through movement and gesture. This strengthens not only language development but also coordination and listening skills.
This week, the children will begin a special seasonal project: hammering fresh flowers into cotton tea towels to create unique wildflower prints. This experience will be richly sensory, offering the opportunity to notice and identify different flowers, feel the texture of petals, smell their fragrances, arrange them with care on their cloth, and, of course, hammer!
Announcements & Reminders:
Hope Blooms is this Friday, April 24 at 6:00 PM! We can’t wait to see parents and guests there (adults only, please). This is an important evening for our school and a chance to come together as a community. Join us for dinner, drinks, music, and our live paddle raise for class projects (in person only). Tickets are still available and needed to participate in bidding both in person and online.
April 24: Annual Auction Fundraiser (Half Day)
April 25: Community Work Day
April 28 - 30: Grades 4-6 Waldorf Southeast Pentathlon
May 7: Eighth Grade Project Presentations, 2:35 pm
May 15: Grades Spring Assembly 9:15 am (All families welcome!)
Warmly,
Ki Alycia
