A Most Wonderful Waldorf Toy and Art Store

 
Welcome to our shop, Waldorf on Etsy. 
 
Come spend time with us, browse our aisles, daydream and enter into a world of imagination. Make sure to bring the little ones.

Our shop is filled with handcrafted toys and other items, inspired by Waldorf schools, and created from natural materials by crafters and artists from all over the world. 
 
Our shop exists online as the Waldorf on Etsy team.

We are Waldorf parents, Waldorf teachers, homeschoolers, Waldorf alumni.  We are inspired by the beautiful, natural toys that are the tradition in Waldorf schools. 

We come from the mountains of California, the farms of New England, towns in the Midwest, as well as Australia, Kenya, the British Isles, Chile, France . . . We have more than 250 members from across the globe.

Our individual shops offer a plethora of toys that will inspire a child’s imagination, as well as other Waldorf inspired art and items.
 
 We have sweet, huggable Waldorf dolls in every style imaginable and huggable creatures as well. Our shops include lovely items for the nature table, like needle-felted animals, fairies and gnomes. 
 
Spend hours storytelling with finger puppets, peg dolls and fairy tale dolls. Our favorite materials are wool, wood, silk and cotton.

Some of our shops include wearables like crafting aprons, birthday crowns, and flower hairclips and headbands. 

We have soft and natural playthings for babies and Waldorf fairies and toys that teach children about nature, the seasons, the weather and the world.

We are like so many parents who take a natural approach to parenting; most of us started out by making toys for our own children.

 Please take some time to explore our individual shops and see how Waldorf has inspired and united us.

Thank you for visiting please come again!

Waldorf Toys that Promote Learning, Naturally

Open-ended play is a most important part of learning in the Waldorf kindergarten.

Waldorf Playsilk Children can turn a blue silk into a river, a green silk into a grassy field, a yellow silk becomes a cape.

Felted Acorns

Natural materials like felted acorns can become food or even currency.

 Waldorf Doll

Simple Waldorf dolls allow children to nurture; and felted or wooden animals feed a child’s imagination.

Stacking Toy

There are also simple, Waldorf toys that can teach children more specific lessons, such as the fire, water, air, earth stacking toys from Simple Gift Toys.

Matching Game

A wooden memory game from Petals and Sunshine can help build cognitive skills. 

 Waldorf Math Gnomes

Math gnomes from LaLutine make first grade learning so much more fun.

Gaia's Garden Game

Older children can learn about permaculture with Gaia’s Garden cooperative board game from Living Earth Games.

Visit the Waldorf on Etsy Team shops for more toys and learning games.

Yelena

Today we welcome Yelena Beskrovni, owner and artist of the Waldorf on Etsy shop, Yelena's Anthroposophical Toys.

About Myself

 Mother and Baby Fox

I studied pedagogy in Ukraine, but in those days I was yet to hear anything about Waldorf.  However, even then I felt that there must be a better method to bring up children than the modern factory-like grade system.  One day I heard about anthroposophy and I was instantly hooked.

 

 Waldorf Fairy Tale Horse

Later I moved to Israel and brought with me the love for Waldorf education and the desire to help children benefit from its teachings.  I started working in a non-Waldorf kingergarten.  At first the management was skeptical about Waldorf, but when they saw that children were becoming much more open, trusting and caring, they warmed up to anthroposophy and Waldorf ideas. 

How Did I Start Making Toys?

 

 Hoop Tower Game

I've always wanted to make toys.  I took lessons and discovered just how wonderful the process of making one really is.  I believe that every doll I make has its own soul - the pose it takes while I make it, the way its head is turned, all make it unique. 

What Is Special About My Toys?

 Handmade Giraffe Toy

I make my dolls only from natural materials.  I use high quality merino wool (and occasionally mohair) and only natural dyes. It's very important to me not to expose the children to any harmful materials or mass-manufactured elements.

Handmade Dolphin Toy

In addition to the toys in my shop I also make toys for the kindergarten I work in.  I love to see how the children play with them, use them to enrich their fantasy and learn about the world.  My toys are durable, stable and washable - they must be because every day  I see how the children enjoy chewing and bending the toys when they play.  It gives me great pleasure to know that my toys help children in addition to being fun to play with. 

 Squirrel With Mushroom

 Come visit my shop

Thank you, Yelena Beskrovni

Yelena's Anthroposophical Toys

An Introduction to Play Silks

 Summer Sky Play Silk

Introducing Play Silks

By Brenda Massei of Pail & Pie

 Waldorf play silks are simple, beautiful toys that need no instruction manual for children yet often bring a puzzled look upon first introduction to adults.  Explaining the joy of play silks to an adult takes longer than showing them, but here are a few reasons parents will enjoy them too.

 Autumn Play Silk

Play Silks are Natural. 

Play silks are dyed squares of 100% silk. The feel of the scarf is light, fluid, and soft. Natural toys are less harmful to our environment and our children. 
 
  Silk Streamer Ring

Play Silks are Open Ended. 

Like many Waldorf toys, play silks are open ended. Children use their imaginations with silks. Silks become an easy backdrop for play because they are so basic. They can be used as capes, vehicles, animals, or whatever the child needs at that moment of play.  Simply holding onto a silk while running is enjoyable.

Play Silks Support The Child's Ability of Expression.

Play silks allow a child to dive into any play they enjoy and wish to play at that moment. The silks are not limiting but instead support multiple types of imaginative play. Silks are the ultimate reusable toy.  They can be the main focus of  play or a special ingredient.

Spring Grass Play Silk

Play Silks are Not Commercial.

Silks offer a commercial free option to the many store shelves full of television and movie marketed items. Children don't have to feel compelled to collect silks or use them in a manner compatible to a plot line. Play silks are free from any marketing and therefore are free to become a child's own. 

Spring Palette Play Silk Set

Play Silks are Beautiful.

Toys that are lovely to touch and beautiful to behold generate a reverence for life. Children exposed to such beauty can learn to appreciate simple, natural elegance.  

Rose Waldorf Play Silk

Play Silks for Kids

My seven year old son thinks they make great forts! Do you have play silks for your children? What do they use them for?  Leave a comment and share your ideas.

 

 Big Rainbow Play Silk

Beneath the Rowan Tree

Today we welcome Lori from the Waldorf on Etsy Team shop, Beneath the Rowan Tree

Waldorf Play Silks

Beneath the Rowan Tree is a family team of myself (Lori), my husband Andy and our inspiring, exasperating 7 year old Rowan. We share our home with two young terrors/ dogs: Archie the Sheltie and Murray the Four Pound Fury (Papillon).

Waldorf Four Season Nature Peg Dolls

 Andy works in our family print shop, I work full time out of the home and together we homeschool our daughter... gathering where our house is a mess, our dogs are nuts, my hands are dye stained and we are all happy creating, telling stories and doing what we love here in our small town, in our little home by the lake!

Waldorf Felted Wool Birthday Crown

We focus on handmade natural toys in the Waldorf tradition.  Our toys are simple, child-led, open-ended to inspire imagination.  We bring quality and experience to all we create and look forward to working with you to provide wonder full play experiences for your little ones!

 

 Set of Patterns for Waldorf Wool Animal Ball

 Our blog is hopping! at http://beneaththerowantree.com

 You'll be able to connect with us and find free tutorials, patterns and play ideas as well as lots more.
Like us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/beneaththerowantree 

Yoga Silk Ribbon Charm Bracelet

We are located in Northern Ontario, Canada, so please allow extra time for our items to get to you, especially if you are planning for special occasions. 

Sunrise Fairy Garland Play Silk

 

 

The Indigo Forest

Today we welcome Kellie from the Waldorf on Etsy shop,  The Indigo Forest to our blog!

 

Rainbow Waldorf Gnomes

 I have always been crafty. I was brought up around incredibly gifted parents, so I suppose you could say it's in my blood. It was actually at the urging of my mother that I should start a shop. I thought it was a great idea, but didn't have a real starting point. I didn't have a clue what I would sell. I started brainstorming.

Lovely Lavender Beeswax Wood Polish 

 I figured it was good to go with what my passions were. I am very much into the natural world. I love working with natural materials. I started thinking that wool might be a good place to start. I started experimenting with wool and discovered that I loved it! 

 

Rainbow Wool Geodes

  Soon, woodwork and my mother's leather work followed and the shop really starting taking shape. I also work in the subjects that I am passionate about, such as breastfeeding! I am a big supporter of breastfeeding, birth, and attachment parenting.

Breastfeeding Doll

I also have an interest in Waldorf education and am inspired by the many beautiful Waldorf toys/items out there, which has led me to create some of my own Waldorf inspired items. 

 

Rustic Rainbow Acorn Set

The Indigo Forest has been a labor of love for over two years now and I hope to keep it up for many more years to come. It has been a dream come true for me to be able to stay at home with my little ones and create.  

  Wooden Pull Car

Double Sided Cherry Maple Pull Car

The constant support from so many different people, including my own family, is what keeps me going and I am so grateful.

Wool Play Ball

To see more items from The Indigo Forest visit Kellie on Etsy.  You can also connect with The Indigo Forest on Facebook as well as follow Kellie's two great blogs:    

The Indigo Forest Blog

 Happy Turtle Family

  

Dream Land Wood Peg

 AND HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY EVERYONE!