Kindergarten with serious outdoor time/space?

Singing Stones in Walnut Creek is AMAZING and people come from all over the Bay Area to attend it. I can't really recommend it highly enough. It is on seven acres, has an organic garden, the kids spend TONS of time outside and even every other Friday in an off-campus nature spot (that varies). 

They are a Waldorf school and they are extremely nurturing and, at this young age, have no focus on traditional "academics." And if you are daunted by the price they have an "accessible-to-all" philosophy and will work with you (seriously, they give me about 75% off of tuition because I'm a single mom and that's what I can afford). If you'd like to speak to me about it PM me your phone number and I'd be happy to. Good luck!!

The Berkeley School is nice

Have you looked at the East Bay Waldorf school in El Sobrante?  My two little ones are there in Kindergarten and they spend a lot of time outdoors.  They have rain coats, rain pants and rain boots in case it rains.  On Fridays, they go on a long hike and other days, they spend in the school garden or at various other places on their large property - even a frog pond.  My kids love it there!  http://www.eastbaywaldorf.org/

East Bay Waldorf — kids spend a ton of time outdoors.

You might want to consider Walden Center & School in Berkeley.  My son came there from a preschool where he also had a lot of freedom to choose his activities and spent most of the time outside.  The children at Walden, especially in kindergarten, spend a lot of time outside and have a pretty long noon recess.  The school grounds have several smaller play areas (one right next to the kindergarten room) as well as a larger field and sandbox.  They also move around a lot inside the kindergarten classroom and between the various classroom buildings.  It definitely was an adjustment for my son, but I felt good about the amount of time he spent outdoors and in unstructured play with his classmates.

My daughter attends Berkeley Rose Waldorf School. She is in first grade right now, but completed kindergarten there last year. The kindergarten class experience was wonderful for her. It is a play based class with daily time outdoors and lots of play in the classroom as well. The class has a daily structure but with ample time to play.  I recall the teacher saying in the morning: "Alright children, now it is time to work and play." The school believes children's work is playing and that learning comes through playing. There are no work sheets or desks to sit at in the classroom. Instead the children sit around a group table with the teacher when an activity requires a table/desk--i.e. lunch, snack, artwork, or handwork. The children learn through songs, art (drawing and painting), stories, play, sewing, other handwork, and cooking. Play often includes putting on puppet shows for the other children, playing in and under the little classroom loft that mimics a treehouse with wooden toys, blocks, puppets, dolls, and silk scarves. This all encourages the development of the imagination in children at this age. Learning takes place in an organic way in that instead of sitting at a desk and working, they learn through doing daily living tasks and playing. For example, every week each child brings a vegetable to chop on soup day and it all goes into the pot with broth for a snack that morning. On other days they bake bread, grind grain into flour and do other simple age-appropriate cooking related activities. They also help with setting the table and cleanup after snack and lunch. The morning starts out with jump rope on the back patio. The exercise seemed to enliven our daughter and got her ready for the day but also incorporated counting songs and taught her about rhythm by learning to jump to the songs and the movement of the rope. They take a daily walk to the park for play outdoors and have a little garden that they work in at the back of the school. They learned simple sewing and woodworking by making some little felt objects and a wooden sailboat. They also learned some simple spanish counting songs during the class. 

I highly recommend a visit to the school. I believe there is an open house on January 20th where you can see the classroom and meet the teacher Ruth Alden. Ruth is gentle, loving, and attentive. There is also a Winter Faire this December 9th that is a great way to see the whole school and have some fun holiday activities and meet others in the school community--which is the other wonderful thing about the school. It has a great group of parents and teachers who open, friendly, and warm. We were new to the Bay area and California two years ago and without this community I think it would have taken us a lot longer to feel at home in a new state. 

Check out the school's website for more information at: Berkeleyrose.org. My daughter could not be happier at this school. I hope you will make a visit and see what the school is all about. Please don't hesitate to write back if you have more specific questions about the school or kindergarten. 

Sincerely,

Bekah Shields, first grade parent at Berkeley Rose Waldorf School

Hello, 

You should take a tour and check out Crestmont Elementary School to see if it would be a good fit for your son! They focus on hands on learning outside of the classroom both on and off campus. Our daughter has thrived there both academically and socially! 

I highly recommend checking out East Bay Waldorf. Their early childhood program is wonderful, very experienced teachers and an absolutely stunning environment. The campus is on 11 acres and it’s right next to wildcat canyon park. My son spent 2 years in kindergarten there and I couldn’t have been happier. He was allowed to be a child, to be in his body outdoors running, climbing, exploring. This is also balanced with indoor time to hear stories, paint, craft, play, cook, sing, the list goes on. 

Berkeley Rose Waldorf School is truly a wonderful school for anyone looking to let their children be children for as long as it is possible. My daughter absolutely loves going to school, and I couldn't be any happier! In kindergarten her job was to play; through her play she learned so much and is now thriving in the grades. The teachers at the school are AMAZING, they are passionate and give so much of themselves. Best of luck!

Hello,

I totally understand.  I felt the same way when my son was in pre-school.  

Both my children attend Berkeley Rose School.  It's a Waldorf school in Berkeley and the children spend TONS of time outside, especially in Kindergarten.  They do not do academics in Waldorf Kindergardens.  They focus on play, purposeful work, socializing, fine and gross motor development, gardening, cooking, climbing, songs, stories and did I emphasize play!  I would really recommend you going to see the Kindergarten classroom at Berkeley Rose School.  The children are relaxed and happy (parents too!).  

I second  the recommendation for Crestmont School in the Richmond Hills. I had the same concerns for my son when he was 4,  I couldn't imagine him ever being happy at a "traditional" school sitting at a desk doing worksheets. The thought of kindergarten was completely stressful for me and I  had fantasies of homeschooling. He was accustomed to being outside most of the day playing in the sand or running around the yard barefoot at his very play based preschool. Fast forward 1 year and my active, curious son is absolutely thriving in kindergarten and loves his school, his teachers and his friends. Although they do have centers for a portion of the day, the lessons are meaningful, fun, hands-on and creative. The most important lesson taught is that learning is fun. The kindergarten teacher whom the kids affectionately call Mama Kay is AMAZING and the class size of 16 means tons of individual attention. The kindergarteners have a large sandbox, dramatic play area and loft which are often available during choice time. The teachers understand that young bodies need to move and there are frequent breaks to let off steam. All learning styles are respected.There is a long recess and lunch and ample space for active play. Plus the kids have PE, movement, or gardening daily as well as monthly fieldtrips and walking trips to the local park. We are so happy to have found this amazing community. I encourage you to come check it out. Also, keep in mind that a lot can change between the ages of 4 and 5 and your son may be ready for a bit more structure next year.