Frequently asked questions

An Advent garden is celebrated from November 30th and coincides with the beginning of Advent. The Advent garden is designed to welcome the winter solstice. At this time of the year, the Waldorf Kindergarten respectfully invites children to walk through the green spiral with candles in the "garden".

Weaving, crocheting, wool felting and other crafts are elements of the Waldorf Kindergarten´s program. Finger crocheting, weaving, wool felting provide many benefits: hand-eye coordination, development of mathematical skills (counting); understanding and following the process from concept to completion; improving the ability to focus on a project.

The entire environment of the kindergarten - indoor and outdoor - encourages and supports uncluttered and natural creativity of a child. Unfinished toys, fairy tales, free play educate, preserve the senses and stimulate the imagination. Artistic activities (watercolour paiting, modeling in wax and clay, drawing, playing music) inspire children to discover and to be creative. The elements of eurythmy help them to discover the possibilities of the body and to feel people around them.

Loving interest in each child and acceptance of each child.
The ability to play a free creative game with simple tools. Such a game is like a job for a small child. This provides child with the opportunity to understand the impressions received.
Understanding that a small child learns through imitation, movement and by receiving various sensory impressions. Natural need of a child is to explore physical and social environment actively. The environment must provide security, boundaries and structure, but at the same time it must allow risk and challenges.
Not virtual, but real experiences help child to build a healthy relationship with the world.
Artistic activities – fairy tales, playing music, rhythmic games, drawing and painting, sculpting - stimulate the development of imagination and creativity.
Meaningful work—cooking, baking, gardening, crafts, and housework—provides opportunities to develop human abilities. This emphasizes the importance of experiencing the process rather than learning it.
The familiar rhythm of the day, week, year fosters feelings of security, consistency and fullness of life. Calendar and other holidays are celebrated according to the customs of the nation.

Vydūnas (1868-1953) responded to the ideas of theosophy and anthroposophy in Lithuania. The first groups of the Waldorf Kindergarten began to operate after the restoration of independence in 1992. The Lithuanian Waldorf Pedagogy Center was established in 1993, the first Waldorf schools were established in 1995 (Vilnius Waldorf School, Kaunas Waldorf School, Kazlų Rūda Elma Secondary School). Waldorf pedagogy is carried out according to formal (primary, basic and secondary) and/or informal (pre-school, pre-primary, and other non-formal) education programs and is based on the unique (non-traditional) education concept approved by the Ministry of Education, Sports and Science of the Republic of Lithuania (https://www.smm.lt/uploads/documents/papildomas_meniu1/ugdymas/netradicinis_ugdymas/nu_koncepcija.pdf), the concept of Waldorf pedagogy in Lithuania (http://www.valdorfoiniciatyvos.lt/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Valdorfo-pedagogikos-koncepcija-Lietuvoje.pdf), Waldorf educational programs. Currently, there are more than 20 Waldorf institutions, schools, kindergartens or groups in Lithuania https://valdorfoasociacija.wordpress.com/pradzia/organizacijos-nariai/), (http://www.valdorfoiniciatyvos.lt/apie-mus/)

The pioneer of the pedagogy - Austrian philosopher, writer, teacher, social reformer, architect and esotericist Rudolf Steiner (1861−1925), who edited and published Goethe's natural science writings, promoted theosophy, created the philosophy of anthroposophy, and in 1919 founded the first Waldorf school on the basis of anthroposophy. Rudolf Steiner was philosopher and literary scholar, educator, pioneer of Waldorf pedagogy, writer and playwright, pioneer of the new movement art "eurythmy", pioneer of a new spiritual movement anthroposophy, founder of anthroposophical medicine, initiator of biodynamic farming, architect and artist. He stated: ”The child forms his own personality not only by what we say to him, but also by our inner attitude, by the quality of our inner thinking and our inner feelings... We need no other method than to become a person worthy of a child's imitation...”

St. Martin (celebrated on November 11), the patron of the poor and downtroddens, is remembered by lighting lanterns and taking them to the yard near the fire. This reminds us to share the light and warmth with people around us. The Lantern holiday also reminds us all that even though it is dark outside, it is always warm and bright inside. Inside meaning in the soul. The light of the soul is the true light of the lantern, it is important to protect it, to take care of it and to keep it turned on. During the lantern period children build "houses" for gnomes in the yard. In return, the gnomes show gratitude by leaving gifts for children.
According to Rudolf Steiner, St. Michael holiday is a celebration of liberation from fear, inner initiative and inner strength. The holiday shall encourage person‘s inner growth: free, active, courageous and strong will, the opposite of comfort, fear. St. Michael, a holiday of strong will, is celebrated on September 29 and is associated with the defeat of the dark dragon. Fairy tales about knights, queens, and dragons are told to children, courage is emphasized. During the celebration, games are played, children are "initiated" into knights, and apple pie is eaten at the end of the celebration.

Eurythmy is an art form that combines the means of expression of speech, music, and movement into a whole. Specific movements of the hands and the whole body, intertwining complex forms in space, express the sounds of speech, moods of the soul, and music. Eurythmy harmonizes the body and soul, develops hearing, a sense of melody and rhythm, the ability to move freely in space, teaches to express feelings through movement, fosters sensitivity, attention, dexterity, a sense of togetherness, activates person's vital energy and strengthens inner self. From kindergarten to high school eurythmy is taught as a separate program. Eurythmy teaches children to act skillfully and nimbly in the social environment, to feel the spirit of time. This art of movement has social integrative significance. Today, eurythmy is known as a branch of healing therapy, as a discipline of Waldorf pedagogy, and as a performing art.

All Waldorf schools around the world hold weekly meetings where teachers come together to learn, engage in artistic activities, discuss pedagogical issues and make decisions to build and strengthen collegiality and cooperation. These meetings strengthen and enrich the work of teachers for the sake of children and whole school.

In 2000 the Association of Support for Waldorf Pedagogy was established, uniting Vilnius Waldorf pedagogy and anthroposophical initiatives (http://www.valdorfoiniciatyvos.lt);
In 2013 Association of Lithuanian Waldorf Childhood Pedagogical Initiatives was established (https://valdorfoasociacija.wordpress.com/)
Association of Lithuanian Waldorf Schools was established in 2016. It aims to unite Lithuanian Waldorf schools, promote and coordinate their cooperation, represent their interests (http://lvmasociacija.lt/category/naujienos/)

Waldorf pedagogy emerged after the First World War, when social and economic chaos prevailed. With the collapse of old social orders, people concerned about Europe's future sought innovation. One of such person was Emil Molt, director of the Stuttgart Waldorf Astoria Cigarette Factory. He turned to Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the anthroposophical movement, who was seeking ways of social renewal, and asked him to help establish a school for the children of factory employees. Six months later, in September 1919, the first Waldorf school was opened. This school spread the name of "Waldorf pedagogy“.Next to this school, the first Waldorf kindergarten was established in Stuttgart in 1925 (the founder was E.M. Grunelius). Afterwards, several more similar schools and kindergartens were established in other German cities and abroad. During the rule of the National Socialists in Germany, these pedagogic institutions were banned, and after the war they were reopened, the numbers increased. This pedagogy was also banned in the territory of the former Soviet Union during the entire period of communist rule. The pedagogy spread during the collapse of the Soviet empire - in 1989 in Russia; in 1992 in Lithuania.

Waldorf pedagogy is education, which aims to integrate intellectual, practical and artistic development of a child holistically. Learning spreads from sensations, experience, phenomenon to analysis, regularities, systematization. The theory aims to be discovered, not presented. In the elementary level, less time is devoted to theory, more is learned through playing, experiencing, visualizing, drawing, acting, playing music, dancing. What was previously perceived by the senses, is deepened at a higher level. In this way the circumstances are created for independent, conscious reflection on the gained knowledge. It goes from education to self-education. Pedagogy is based on science and intuition, body and spirit are educated, without being tied to a specific religion. The fundamental provisions of education correspond to democratic and humanistic principles. In Waldorf pedagogy, the basis of education is interaction between the teacher and the child, reciprocity. Waldorf pedagogy teaches to be free. The main principle of this pedagogy is the principle of freedom.