Finding Your Waldorf Inspired Rhythm

“Rhythm” is a term used often in Waldorf environments. It refers to the predictable, steady routine followed in Waldorf classrooms and homes. I’ve seen it referred to as “a Waldorf teacher’s secret weapon” and I could not agree more. If you’d like to learn the power of setting a rhythm at home, whether you follow a waldorf philosophy or not, you’ve stumbled upon the right place.

A perpetual calendar is an excellent tool to help children learn about the flow of time and keep centered in their days.

Children (adults, as well) thrive when life is guided through meaningful, steady patterns. A predictable routine provides them the comfort to explore freely and feel secure. So, what does this rhythm look like in action? Well, it looks like your everyday life. The trick is to include gentle reminders of what to expect and keep things as consistent as possible.

There is no one size fits all “schedule” to follow. Observe your family’s days and take note of anchor points that happen organically - things like meals, waking and bedtimes, activities. Find the moments that naturally bring joy and peace to the family and home. Then you have an idea of a general routine and you can work with this to ground your days.

Structure the day through “in breath” activities followed by “out breath” activities. Imagine this flow like your steady breathing patterns. In breath refers to times of more focused, thoughtful, inward turned activity, whereas an out breath refers to more active, explorative, outwardly engaging activities. The idea is to balance moments of calm with moments to release energy.

For young children, an in breath could be something like circle time, listening to stories, sharing in a tea time, crafting, purposeful work or the like. As they get older, in breath activities are a great time for main lessons. These are activities that guide their focus to their inner world. A parent or caretaker is an active participant during these times, guiding activities and providing the connective tissue.

Out breath activities could be free play, a nature walk in the warm sun, playing and socializing with friends or siblings - things that help them stretch those legs, get their hearts and bodies moving, and notice the wonder in the world outside of themselves. Parents remain as a more background presence, allowing the children to engage freely, and at their own pace.

This sort of daily rhythm remains consistent as children age, though the activities change as they mature. But each day follows the same steady and natural flow, like inhales and exhales.

Colors of the Day

Beginning in early childhood, establishing a weekly rhythm gives structure to your days. But knowing the names of the days isn’t exactly important information for a 3 year old, so Waldorf uses colors to represent the days of the week.

Monday is violet, representing the moon. The grain of the day is rice.

Tuesday is red, representing Mars. The grain is barley.

Wednesday is yellow, representing Mercury, with millet for the grain.

Thursday is orange, representing Jupiter. Rye is the grain.

Friday is green, representing Venus. The grain is oats.

Saturday is blue, representing Saturn, with corn as the grain.

Sunday is white to represent the Sun. Wheat is the grain.

A weekly rhythm is also established by consistently doing similar activities on specific days. For example, on Monday, violet day, maybe you and your children practice painting. Tuesday, red day, is for baking, and so on. This gives children a basis for learning what to expect. Maybe you spend your weekends taking things slow, with everyone at home much more. So they come to expect that after a fun two days together, the week begins when painting day arrives and there is chili with rice for dinner.

Simple things that can help maintain your rhythm:

The smallest things can have a big impact on the transitional periods of the day. Simply lighting a candle at meal time and saying a verse together puts us in a more grounded headspace and helps our minds change gears. Singing a song to let them know you’re about to go from one activity to the next is also a great tool. Use the same tool during the same transitions each day to help them learn what to expect.

Calendars or charts written up with your daily routine (or pictures drawn for the younger crowd) help children understand the day to day activities and often help them feel excited because they know exactly what comes next. Plus, it helps you keep focused on what you’re doing too!

Verse cards with different verses you use throughout the day are great to keep on hand as well. Having things written out not only helps us memorize them, but also is another way to encourage children to read when they are ready.

A perpetual weekly calendar like the Grapat Seven Moons Weekly Calendar is a fun and beautiful way to help children keep track of their days. It has seven cups that hold seven nins, each in a different color of the day plus a plate to hold them on. Children love to put yesterday’s nins back in their cup and take out today’s nin. This small moment also provides a perfect time to go over what your daily plan is with them - “it’s yellow day! Do you remember what we do on yellow days? That’s right, we work with modeling wax!”

Begin setting your rhythm slowly. Take baby steps to ease into it. This is a lifelong process so there’s no need to expect perfection from yourself overnight. Take one small change or new idea at a time and just keep building.

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