"This is such a beautiful program. The combination of unstructured play in nature with the thoughtful Waldorf-inspired daily rhythm have been so wonderful for my son. Couldn't recommend this program or the teachers more highly!"
"My son has been attending classes with Robbin for 2 years now. We started with a Parent/Child nature walk in Prospect Park when my son was just shy of 2yo. And since last Fall my son has been in the Urban Forest Kinder drop-off school. We are so happy that our son is in this class. He loves it and has learned and grown so much. He has been building his confidence interacting with his peers and daring to climb trees. He has developed from being quite reticent and hesitant to being courageous, speaking up for himself and joining in more rambunctious play. He loves both of his teachers and they have fostered real kindness between the children. They sing all day long and perform puppet plays. Living in the city, I love that he can get some good quality time, not just outdoors in a paved playground, but in nature, building fairy houses, climbing trees, rolling down hills, jumping in piles of leaves, "cooking" in a mud kitchen, blowing giant bubbles and experiencing the change of seasons. This is what early childhood should be about, but rarely is these days."
Robbin began her undergraduate career at Brandeis University with a concentration in literature. After her sophomore year, she took a break from her studies, and traveled overseas to Israel, first studying Hebrew and living and working on a kibbutz, and then moving to Jerusalem where she continued to study literature and theatre arts at Hebrew University, and completed her BA with high honors. When she returned to the United States, she became licensed as a massage therapist, and certified as an infant massage instructor, and completed a level II reiki training. She subsequently received a master's degree in Waldorf education (grades 1 - 8) from Sunbridge College, and then completed a 13-month certification in teaching children under the age of 3. She worked as a teacher in the Music Together program for 11 years, created her own infant massage program for parents in 1998, (and continues to teach it independently) and was lead teacher in the parent-child program at Brooklyn Waldorf School for 10 years. She also led and further developed the bridge program for pre-nursery children for four years at the Brooklyn Waldorf School. Robbin's work as a teacher is very much informed by her work as a healer, and she strives to create an environment for her students that is calm, grounded and warm.
As a fun fact, Robbin loves to spend her free time dancing with others in sacred circle dances, or in an ecstatic 5 Rhythms dance class.
An education that sees the developing child as a spiritual being, and seeks to foster the growth of each child into their highest truth as a human being.
For more information on the efficacy and neuroscience of the Waldorf approach, please visit the link, below:
Young children learn well in an environment that allows them the freedom to follow their own curiosity, and at the pace that suits them best. Play fosters imagination, self-regulation, cooperation, and develops the executive functioning that is so crucial for future learning in the classroom and beyond. When children play freely, they develop a healthy self-esteem in their abilities, gained through their own initiative, hard work and willingness to take a risk.
Children learn best how to play and socialize from their peers, and from the age of three, they have the capacity to play imaginatively -- alone and with other children. Little ones look to the older children as models, and older children get to shine in their mastery of the skills the little ones emulate.
Parents are invited to help us with communication, and organization of parent meetings and other events. We will also need help when we move indoors in the coldest months of the year to craft toys and supplies for the classroom. More on this to come...
Each program is run a bit differently, but each has a "breathing" flow and dependable routine, or rhythm. The day begins with a circle to greet each other and welcome the day, then there is time for exploration and play, followed by a snack. After resting, we gather again for circle time: moving, singing, and listening to a story. And then we return to our "work" -- exploring, building, playing -- before a final circle to say goodbye to our friends, until next time!
If you have and questions, Contact us!