So very much to talk about!

The 3rd Waldkindergarten
I had the amazing opportunity to have and extended visit to yet another  Waldkindergarten.  I visited for three days and got to see the morning drop off routine and pick up and the extended time that some children get to stay.    The day begins at 8-8:30 for drop off, 8:30-12:30 for class, then 12:30-1:00 for pick up and extended day until 4:00 for the families who work.

 The Property
The property is 10 hectares (which is about 25 acres) and is positioned under the watchful eye of Hambach castle which dates back to Medieval times.  This is the view during the walk to our destination which was about a 30 minutes from the drop off point.  Keep in mind we were walking at the pace of 3-5 year olds.  Some children run ahead to meeting points where they play, and hang on trees as the other children make their way to the location.  All children know the meeting spot and are trusted to wait.

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The Location (TODAY)
This property has 5 different locations.  This location was very impressive! I thought I had seen it all and knew what to expect, but I was wrong. As soon as I saw it in the clearing I was thinking, Holy Moses! This is AWESOME!!! It had a teepee, several meeting areas, apple trees, a fire pit, a home made adobe oven, climbing logs... and this was just in the meadow area. 

In the the woods, there was a Bauwagon with a front porch, a play dining area, a kitchen constructed from logs, a rope swing and several fortresses (we would call them tree houses but the children had decided they were knights and these were fortresses.

This is the view of the meadow area from the front porch work space of the Bauwagon. The things that you see hanging are colorful strips of fabric hung in ROYGBIV order.

The Bauwagon serves as the meeting area and the work space where the children can use tools, or paint, or carve a design into a large rock using a hammer and chisel.

Making Swords & Sheilds
The children decided that they would "do battle" today and they would make their own swords and shields.  The Medieval theme has been running for quite some time and the more questions they have, the more the teachers are able to provide them with content and materials that will meet their needs.  In this case the children just started problem solving and figuring out what to do.  What the teachers did was supervise for safety and then create an arena where the battle would take place.  They roped off an area and two by two they would battle each other.  The best part was watching 8 small children (girls & boys) with swords and shields in tow as they screamed down the hill to the arena.  It was as intense as that scene from the movie Bravehart.

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Imagination and Autonomy
Below you can see the kitchen area, one of the fortresses (which the children designed and helped build) and a spiral meditation area.  This space had so many possibilities and some children liked to work in groups, others alone, the children were spread out and knew their boundaries.  I felt as though I was witnessing the development of independence, a love of inquiry and learning  sprouting from their imagination and autonomy.

 The distance of the town from Landau is  about 10 kilometers away in a town called Queichhambach.  Since it is a close, distance I rode my bike on a beautiful bike trail that went through four towns. Wine is an important industry in this region, therefore the entire path was full of breathtakingly scenic vineyards.  I must also mention a wicked work out- hmmmm, with all this exercise I think I may have been sent to an fitness camp without knowing it.

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Bonus Photo
There is so much more to say about this Waldkindergarten, but I must leave for now. But here is a bonus photo for today.  At the carnival, which is the cleanest, most impressive carnival I have ever seen, it has this ride, and OMG the clown is something you would find in your worst nightmares.  Oh, heck no! I am not riding that thing.