For children ages 2 3/4 to 4 1/2, we offer a half-day Nursery program from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with children attending either our two-day program (Thursday/Friday) or three day program (Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday). Aftercare is currently available M/T/W until 3:00 pm and will be offered M-F starting in September 2013.
As their horizons expand, young children find delight in each day’s new attractions. Daily and weekly routines, alternating between times of activity and rest, indoors and out, carry them joyfully through the day. Learning takes place in the Nursery Program through imitation and example rather than through instruction. Honoring the need of the preschool aged child to find security in the familiarity of the home setting, this program offers a social experience in the Waldorf tradition of a beautiful homelike environment. Going to nursery class becomes a joyful visit with little friends happily joining together in real domestic work activities like baking bread and preparing soup, or washing and ironing, as well as singing, painting and free imaginative play. Puppet shows, stories, seasonal songs and nursery rhymes nurture the child's sense of wonder and imagination. Our Eurythmy teacher visits each program weekly, offering a holistic movement activity that supports the young child's development.
Outdoor play (in all kinds of weather!) is an integral part of our day. We spend two hours outdoors each day, as well as take a daily walk, allowing the children opportunities for sensory integration, development of movement capacities, and connection with nature. The children begin their morning outdoors in the beautiful walled garden of the Swedenborgian Church, located at 2107 Lyon Street. We then walk to either the Presidio or a nearby grassy hill lined with small trees for climbing. There, the children climb and run, roll and jump, dig and build, and enjoy a special kind of social and imaginative play that is nurtured in an outdoor setting. We also enjoy field trips to Crissy Field and to our Grade School play yard.
For more information about joining the Nursery Program please visit our Nursery Program admissions page.
