Waldorf Early Childhood Conference
April 24-25, 2026 For educators, parents and friends of Waldorf Education.
Meeting the Needs of the Young Child of Today:
the Waldorf Approach after 100 Years
with Stephen Spitalny
11 Workshops- See Below
RSCC and WECAN Spring Conference 24th and 25th April, 2026
It has been 100 years since the first Steiner/Waldorf early childhood program began. Is it still relevant?
Does it meet the needs of modern families?
This conference offers deepening of ideas, practical practices, and support and colleagueship for the participants.
Keynote Speaker:
Stephen Spitalny has been a Waldorf kindergarten teacher in California for nearly 40 years. He is an author of three books on young children, travels widely offering workshops and courses throughout the world. Stephen is a former member of the Board of WECAN, as well as former editor of Gateways. He has written numerous articles for Gateways and a variety of other publications. www.chamakanda.com
Workshops
- Connecting with Young Children:
What to do when the children don’t do what you want them to do! We will focus on understanding the 5 principles that make possible a truly supportive connection with young children. The 5 keys include; imitation, the will, neurological development, life forces and the development of the experience of self. You will go away with a new perspective and better practices for connection.
With Stephen Spitalny
Stephen Spitalny has been a Waldorf kindergarten teacher in California for nearly 40 years. He is an author of three books on young children, travels widely offering workshops and courses throughout the world. Stephen is a former member of the Board of WECAN, as well as former editor of Gateways. He has written numerous articles for Gateways and a variety of other publications. www.chamakanda.com
- Wet Felted Butterflies
Learn the craft of wet felting as a hands-on activity for the classroom. Using a simple process of wool fleece, warm water, soap, and gentle agitation, we will felt a wooden egg and then transform it into a butterfly. Participants will create their own butterfly while gaining practical experience with a project that can be easily adapted for work with children. No experience is necessary—all materials are included.
With Heather Church
Heather has had a broad career within the Waldorf world starting as a Kindergarten teacher at the Huronia Waldorf School in Barrie and then Toronto Waldorf School, co-creating My Child Myself for parent education and community, to serving in pedagogical lead roles. Heather is now the Co-Director of WECAN and serves on their Board.
- Mood of the Fifth/Lyre ensemble
Join us as we explore and celebrate the music of early childhood. We will find our way to an understanding of what exactly is the “mood of the fifth” and how this differs from the pentatonic and diatonic scale systems. How might we adapt an existing song to become more in keeping with the mood of the fifth? We will tune up our instruments and work towards playing some music together, including singing, listening and playing “by ear”, reading printed sheet music, and improvisation to perhaps form ourselves into a lyre ensemble! Please bring your own pentatonic lyre if you have one.
With Anita Mayerhofer
Anita’s connection with music and caregiving has been lifelong; filled with musical studies that included piano, violin, and many vocal group activities. Anita is an RECE at Star Seedlings Waldorf Family and Childcare Centre in Guelph, Ontario. Inspired by her activities with young children, Anita strives to cultivate joy on a daily basis through shared musical experiences.
4) Children and their Art: What is revealed to us.
In this workshop we will explore children’s art making processes of drawing and painting. Their markings express a language of symbols and essential elements that are universal through the child’s stages of growth and development. Through learning to decipher this expression we can gain insight into their inner world and development.
With Rihanna Rutledge
5) The Journey From the Head to The Heart: The Inner Path of the Waldorf Teacher
Drawing on Steiner’s understanding that education arises from who the teacher is, not merely what they know, we will reflect on practices of inner stillness, presence, patience, gratitude, and imagination. In a time of rapid technological change, this gathering invites teachers to reconnect with the deeply human capacities no machine can replace and how the teacher’s own inner striving becomes the atmosphere in which the child grows—and how guiding the child’s development begins with our own becoming.
With Yasmeen Mamdami
Yasmeen Mamdani, has been an educator for over 25 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. She began her career in Waldorf education as a class teacher in 2000 after receiving her Waldorf teacher certification at the Rudolf Steiner Centre Toronto. After completing the H.E.A.R.T. certification in 2010, she continued her training in therapeutic education support. Yasmeen is a certified Orton-Gillingham practitioner and offers support to students who are struggling with reading acquisition and overall reading fluency. Yasmeen has been a member of the Rudolf Steiner Centre teaching faculty since 2015
6) Regulation through movement: Screen Free
Modern children’s nervous systems are taxed now more than ever before. Exposure to screens significantly contributes to this, along with a lack of outdoor time, free play, or opportunities for self directed movement. While screens play a significant role in modern living, with the right tools and strategies, there are ways to minimize the negative effects and short-term deficits in executive functioning skills like memory, attention, and self-regulation. This workshop will bring tools to help support children in new ways.
With Tammy Caldwell
Tammy has been an educator for over 30 years, with 26 of those as a Waldorf
Kindergarten Teacher at Mulberry Waldorf School in Kingston. Tammy also works with teachers in training through the Rudolf Steiner College, Canada and visits Waldorf Schools as a WECAN site visitor. Tammy enjoys singing in a community choir, and outdoor pursuits such as camping, canoeing, xc skiing and hiking.
7) Puppets in the Garden
Lets step outdoors and discover how natural spaces can spark storytelling. Through guided observation, we’ll explore textures, sounds, and hidden corners of the garden to inspire puppet characters and spontaneous story moments. The workshop introduces simple, playful ways to bring puppetry outside, using the landscape itself as a stage. By the end, participants may find that a story was already waiting in the garden, ready to be told.
Please come dressed for time outdoors.
With Diane Goldsmith
Dianne Goldsmith taught with the Toronto Board of Education for fifteen years. After the birth of her first son, she discovered the Toronto Waldorf School community. For many years she had a Waldorf-inspired home playgroup after which she joined the early childhood faculty at TWS, first as a kindergarten assistant, then as a lead teacher until her retirement in 2015. Currently she mentors EC teachers and teaches puppetry at Rudolf Steiner College Canada. She is a founding member of the Silk and Strings Marionette Troupe.
8) Lets Needle Felt a Picture
Needle felting is a dry felting art that uses special barbed needles to lock wool fibres together, sculpting them into dense, 3D or 2D designs shapes and designs. This technique requires no sewing or water, allowing participants to create a detailed picture of their own choosing. Please bring a post card, photo or picture of your favorite images. All materials will be provided and there will be time enough to finish your creation.
There is a $20 material fee for this workshop.
With Lili Golbous
Lili is the assistant morning teacher in Birchgrove, Kindergarten, at TWS. She has a masters degree in Architectural Engineering, and has taught Interior Design, high school and elementary school, and then realized that it’s Kindergarten where the learning of life happens! Lili is accomplished in handwork skills, loves puppetry and story telling and studying Rudolf Steiner’s works.
9) Honey Pot Spreader
Using rasps, files, gouges and sandpaper participants will shape and finish a spreader or spoon for honey, jam or dip. We will finish it off with some hand-made and food-grade beeswax and oil wood polish. While we work we can chat about ideas for incorporating some woodworking into the early childhood settings as well as how woodworking supports the adultès self-development in strengthening our will forces.
With Cathy Cole
Cathy has been around the HWS for a long time – first as a parent of two boys who completed K-8 in the early days, as a committee member of the group that undertook major fundraising efforts for the new school, and then for a while as a woodworking teacher in 2000. In 2022 Cathy returned to teach woodworking, and has been busy helping the children learn how to make wonderful spurtles, spoons, spreaders and bowls since then.
10) Levity and Living Pictures – How to Meet the Young Child
We will discover how being in the moment with the children and using imagery in our language moves the children, rather than resorting to giving directions and explanations. Also we will come to understand how pictorial language is the source of early literacy, and more.
With Karen Weyler
Karen Weyler is the Director of Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher Education at Rudolf Steiner College Canada and the Director of the Collegeès Star Seedlings Family and Childcare Centre in Guelph. Karenès 30 years of experience working with families and children includes as a Kindergarten teacher, Childcare Supervisor, home childcare operator, parent and child teacher and parenting coach.
11) Intertwining Willow with Children
Come and learn how to create an easy bird feeder, and other ways to bring weaving and natural crafting into your seasonal rhythm with children. We will learn about willow and other plant forms that can be used. All materials and tools will be provided.
With Marnie McCourty
Marnie has been a Waldorf Kindergarten Teacher at Trillium Waldorf school for nearly 19 years. On a recent sabbatical she took up the art of weaving and has been delighted to bring it to her teaching to make useful items and develop the childrenès skills.
