Cooking together with Waldorf Books

Waldorf education is all about fostering artistic creativity in children. Children have vivid imaginations that are all too easily stunted with the use of battery-operated toys and junk food. I incorporate a lot of the Waldorf teaching skills into our lives. I was intrigued when I learned about some Waldorf Cook books sold at Steiner Books . Each one is filled with fun and easy recipes to make healthy snacks and meals for your children. All Waldorf classrooms spend some of their day making breads, soups and snacks. These not only teach children to eat healthy, but also teach them measurements, listening and following directions. The Waldorf diet is full of fruits, vegetables and grains. We had a ball trying some of these delicious recipes.

The Waldorf Kindergarten Snack Book has recipes from Waldorf schools all over the country. We made a delicious vegetable soup and some honey-wheat rolls to go with it.

The Waldorf Book of Breads got me baking with my little helper. We decided to make hot cross buns in honor of Easter. It was pretty simple and my little one had a ball kneading the dough and measuring ingredients. We also are super excited to have found a recipe for rolls that we once enjoyed at a Waldorf outing.

The Waldorf Book of Soups is chock full of nourishing and healthy soups for your little ones. It is a great way to add vegetables and grains to your and your children's diets. We made a Tomato Chick Pea soup that was so delicious, we found ourselves going back for seconds and even packing it for lunch the next day.

I love the whimsical drawings that accompany the recipes in these books, and my daughter loves sharing the time with me. Cooking together is a great way to bond and keep little fingers busy. The fact that is sneaks some learning in there is just the cherry on top.

Moonchild

I remember my first homemade doll. My grandmother made her for me, and to this day, she is still with me. My daughter now play with her and I cannot even express how much that means to me. My baby doll was simple with yarn pigtails and a little coy grin. My grandmother loved knitting her clothing and making her dresses. I have searched high and low for the perfect baby doll for my daughter to start her own tradition. I was on Etsy when I found Moonchild Dolls. Creator of Moonchild Studio, Berrie has been making Waldorf style dolls for years, and she is a true artist. I was overjoyed to find beautifully handcrafted dolls and clothing that were unlike anything I had ever seen. Each doll by Moonchild is unique, and you can even choose skin tone, hair, eye color etc. You feel like you are really part of the process.

Product Baby (or toddler) recently had her 3rd birthday and I decided it was high time to start the handmade doll tradition. Moonchild Dolls made her the perfect baby (Product Toddler promptly named her Ellie. Ellie came in an adorable, reversible sleep sack that is so bright and fun. She was wearing a lap front tee and even has a little diaper. Because she is such a wonderful size (15") and has a delightful realistic weight to her, my daughter feels like she has her own real baby. The simple expression allows my child to determine what mood she want Ellie to be in. I know she will have this doll forever, and I hope someday, my daughter can pass this baby on.

Moonchild Dolls are simply fantastic. They are unique, and so special, just like your children!

Evi Dolls...Dolls With Real Heart

Evi Dolls are beautifully handcrafted Waldorf style dolls made in Brazil by the Atelier de Bonecas. It began in 1988 as a business to teach handicrafts to single moms and poor families. They could make the dolls at home and still take care of their children. Soon people with disabilities who were not able to meet demands of the job market were included in the endeavor. As Evi Dolls became more popular worldwide, the disabled were not getting the care they needed, so the Associacao Benificente Parsifal was founded in 1991 dedicated exclusively to children and adults with special needs. The women are paid fair wages and are helped by the Atelier to secure their stability for them and their families.
The Evi Dolls are so simple, yet they speak so much to the heart of a child. Their simple expressions allow your child to make up their own feelings and stories about the doll. They are made of natural fibers and are soft and cuddly enough to become a bedtime comfort item for your child.

We have a few Evi Dolls. and I could not be happier. There are dolls for both boys and girls. The little gnomes and fairies and elves allow imagination to run wild. Nova Natural is the wholesaler that brings these dolls and so many other wonderful brands to us (Kinderkram, Grimm, Spiel & Holz). I love the Sachet Dolls (pic above) because they are filled with lavendar and quartz sand and are a nice toy to lay on your child's pillow before bedtime to impart the relaxing scent. Perhaps my favorite from the dolls is the set of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. . Snow White and her dwarf friends can all stand on their own, and the set offers a break from the over-marketed Disney versions. Your child can play with natural materials and make up a fairytale of their own. My child also uses the elves for learning her colors and for a counting tool. There is not better way to bring an imaginative toy into your and your child's life, while helping to give respect and work to mothers.