Handwork at Mountain Phoenix!

Handwork at Mountain Phoenix!

How Handwork WORKS in Waldorf Education

Sitting in class circles or at school desks with friends on either side, let the collaboration, conversation and handwork begin. Handwork has been an integral part of the Waldorf curriculum since the late 20th century and is deeply rooted in whole child development principles which help our students to later become resourceful adults. 

In a Waldorf classroom, handwork activities typically include molding beeswax, threading a needle, finger knitting and crocheting. These tasks may seem simple, but the importance of these actions are often overlooked and stretch far beyond teaching practical skills. 

Finger knitting at Mountain Phoenix

Did You Know?

Knitting and crochet support memory and focus!

 

"These activities require attention, concentration, & memory recall. Following directions, following patterns, counting stitches, and coordinating hand movements all contribute to cognitive exercise."

 

- JoAnn Hammond, MPCS Handwork Teacher, Grades 1-3

Through each handwork session, a child’s imagination and placidity are initiated while fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and dexterity are refined. Beloved tasks such as finger knitting or molding beeswax engage the senses of our younger children and offer perspective from a tactile lens. As our children grow, so does the challenge and sophistication of each handwork project. Our older children are called to engage patience, critical thinking and will as they thread needles, crochet or sew a tunic for their Medieval Games. 

As the children move through the grades, handwork mirrors their experiences in their morning lessons; for example, crocheting and math or botany and plant-dyeing. Working with their hands offers our children a valuable gift of appreciating the process as much as the end result as each movement or task results in an expression of creativity and accomplishment. Joy Wegs, Program Director for Early Childhood at Mountain Phoenix Community School adds, “By offering an experience of guided handwork in Waldorf curriculum we are fostering whole body connectivity and fueling the will through engagement and meaningful outcomes. Discovering that our hands can create is not only a wonderful gift, it is a very practical skill.”

Winter Wonderland Logo

Join on February 21st! Tickets ON SALE now!

Skip to content