Steiner Dolls Why The Difference? There are so many different types of dolls available to choose from. However, there is one type of doll that is different from any other ~ and there is a reason why. Connie Grawert explains the characteristics of Steiner (aka Waldorf) dolls and why they are wonderful companions for children You or someone you know dolls are of any interest or value for the children whose doll is a part of who that may send their child children of today at all. child is. She says: “Through the doll the to a Steiner kindergarten, preschool, child finds its own self.” A special doll family day care, play group or other ARE DOLLS RELEVANT can be imbued with a spark of the child’s early childhood setting inspired by TODAY? soul; it can be a second “I”; faithful Rudolf Steiner’s educational approach. If For centuries children have played friend and playmate who accepts the you have been in one of these settings, with dolls. Museums around the world child unconditionally or is the culprit you probably noticed the dolls tucked exhibit the remnants of dolls; drawings when something is broken or lost. carefully into a doll’s bed surrounded and paintings show children cradling a Eventually that part of the child which by household toys, such as little plates doll; stories speak of children playing has been embedded in the doll will free and cups. You may have noticed that with dolls. The Concise Oxford Dictionary itself and the child will be ready to put the dolls look quite different to dolls one tells us that “a doll is a small model or the doll away. The child will generally buys from toy stores and wondered why representation of a human figure used communicate this in some way, but until they are so different. as a child’s toy”. The key words are that time dolls play an important part in In a Steiner kindergarten the dolls ‘representation (image), human and toy’. the life of the child. are hand made out of fabric and shaped A doll is a child’s toy that represents The child develops a relationship to into form with sheep’s wool stuffing. the Human Being; it is an image of the the dolls that he or she plays with. The The hair is usually woollen yarn sewed Human Being. In her book, The Genius child becomes the mother or father onto the head, and eyes and of the doll, the sister or ‘The dolls that a child plays with take brother, the friend or foe, mouth are indicated by a on different personalities and roles: family few stitches. Some dolls the doctor or nurse, member, friend or companion. The doll can be the teacher and so on. have arms and legs and are beautifully dressed; bossy, frightened, friendly, “naughty”, sick or Children will often take strong; the possibilities are infinite ’ other dolls for younger comfort in their doll when children may have head and trunk, and they are feeling upset or insecure the lower body disappears into a soft of Play, Sally Jenkinson observes that in an unfamiliar place. They may sleep sleeping sack. From school to school the through the medium of the doll children with their doll and take it with them on dolls vary in size and the way they are can rehearse events, recapture their fears outings. made, but essentially they are simple, and worries, take risks and indulge in In play children develop a sense of well-made and hand-crafted with behaviours outside their usual scope in identity in role play with dolls. These natural materials. a safe way in which they have ultimate experiences are vital for all children. These handmade dolls can be created control. The dolls that a child plays with Play is initiated and directed by the to have skin tone, hair colour, clothing take on different personalities and roles: child; boys or girls guide the play in a or significant features of people and family member, friend or companion. way that is meaningful and relevant for cultures around the world, providing The doll can be bossy, frightened, them. For this reason, the benefit of dollchildren with opportunities to include friendly, ‘naughty’, sick or strong; the play is universal and not limited to girls. these imaginatively in their play and possibilities are infinite. daily activities. In her book, Children at Play: PLASTIC DOLL, SOFT DOLL: You may think these dolls are ‘old Preparation for Life, Heidi Britz- DOES IT MATTER? fashioned’ and some may wonder if Crecelius tells many wonderful stories of While doll manufacturers have 42 | www.nurtureparentingmagazine.com.au focused on ‘authentic’ attributes such as drinking, crying and wetting the nappy, one can also focus on ‘authentic’/ natural materials such as fabric, wool and cotton for the doll. Children are very tactile; touch is an important part of sensing and experiencing the world. A doll made of soft cotton, stuffed with wool fleece, with strands of woollen hair and durable cotton clothes appeals to the touch (and smell) of the child. The softness of the doll brings out ‘softness’ in the child to cuddle, comfort and look after the doll. The soft doll has a living warmth from the use of ‘living’ materials from plants (cotton) and animals (sheep or others with fur), flexibility/responsiveness and durability, whereas the plastic doll feels cold, hard, rigid, synthetic and unresponsive – anything but ‘authentic’ or representative of humanness. It goes without saying that the marketplace of business profits is happy to promote violence and early sexuality in the toys it sells for children. Some dolls follow fashionable images with makeup, clothes and body that emphasise sexuality. Many of the baby dolls have either no hair or scratchy synthetic hair. Dolls intended for boys often emphasise violence and fighting with exaggerated muscular bodies. In Steiner early childhood settings there are always soft dolls for the children to play with. In order to stimulate the imagination of the child, these dolls have only an indication for features such as eyes and mouth. In this way the child is able to transform the doll using his or her imagination, so that the doll can be happy or sad, sick or tired, as the play scenario unfolds. The child must be able to use their own imagination to create the play, rather than the toy dictating the course of play because of the way dragonflytoys.com.au keeping the magic of childhood alive.. natural + ethically made toys, clothing, arts + crafts for babies + children www.nurtureparentingmagazine.com.au | 43 store: dragonfly toys at organic feast 10 william street east maitland nsw India with her two Steiner dolls Henry babywearing his Steiner doll Taj with his Steiner Pixie it is constructed. Taking the example of the crying doll that cries whenever it is turned or pressed in a certain way, one can see how the play is pre-determined (not to mention that crying is experienced as a mechanical, entertaining feature of the doll). If the child has a soft, simple doll, the child can take the play in any direction. Another feature of the dolls in Steiner settings is that they are all hand-made. Not only do educators and parents make the dolls that the children play with, but there are a number of initiatives in South America (e.g. Q’ewar Project in Peru and Evi Project in Brazil) and Asia (e.g. Dolls4Tibet) where whole communities are involved in making these types of dolls. Animal husbandry for wool, spinning, dyeing, sewing and the actual making of the dolls from the materials produced, provides an income for struggling third-world communities. (Refer to websites such as OXFAM.) The children have an innate sense of admiration and care for something that has been carefully and lovingly made by hand. It is as if they sense the effort and care that has gone into the making, especially when adults set the example by showing care for these handmade dolls. The dolls made of fabric are durable and can be cleaned, repaired and maintained. In the preschool where I taught, 2 of our dolls were 20 years old. They were regularly played with in a group with 20 children attending on a daily basis. The children and I occasionally gently washed the dolls with a damp soapy cloth. During holiday periods I mended Issy with her Steiner doll the hair and clothes or sewed new ones. Every few years a seam could be opened and stuffing renewed. This was a great learning experience for the children: toys can be cared for, maintained and repaired, rather than thrown away or replaced - an important lesson in our consumer society. If parents are interested in learning to make dolls they can look for a Steiner school or centre in their area where there is generally a craft group or people who can teach dollmaking. There are also stores, markets and websites where these dolls might be bought. In the Bibliography are listed 2 books which will help with doll-making, but to get started a workshop is invaluable. References 1. Britz-Crecelius, H. (1986) Children at Play: Preparation for Life, Floris Books, Edinburgh 2. Jenkinson, S. (2001) The Genius of Play: Celebrating the Spirit of Childhood, Hawthorn Press, Stroud, Gloucestershire 3. Jaffke, F. (1988) Toymaking with Children, Floris Books, Edinburgh 4. Reinckens, S (1989) Making Dolls, Floris Books, Edinburgh Connie Grawert has been teaching in Steiner early childhood education for many years. She is currently a consultant and provides support for Steiner Early Childhood teachers and carers. WINTERWOOD SUPPLIES ALL YOU NEED TO MAkE A WALDORf/STEINER DOLL. SkIN TONE fAbRICS, PURE WOOL FLEECE STUFFINg, MAkINg WALDORf DOLLS bOOk, HANDMADE DOLLS, fAIR TRADE DOLLS, TOYS, CRAfT kITS, PATTERNS, DOLL MAkINg WORkShOPS AND CRAfT WORkShOPS ON OffER. SPECIALISTS IN 100% PURE NEW WOOL FELT. 9 COLMAN RD WARRANWOOD VIC 3134 P. 03 9879 0426 F. 03 9879 0427 [email protected] MON—SAT 9.30—3PM WINTERWOODTOYS.COM.AU AFTER HOURS BY APPT. ESTABLISHED SINCE 1998 Indoor Grand Adventure As the temperatures go down does your child still long for excitement? Staying indoors is no reason to get the winter doldrums. Even small children miss going outside and running and playing. This activity will help your family find a grand adventure in your own living room! Ask your child whether he or she wishes to visit a cliff-y beach, a bright coloured rainforest, an ancient castle, or a faraway desert sand dune today. Chances are, at first, the child will look at you like you are off your rocker! But you can explain that you are going to create a beautiful adventure together! Supplies: • Gather all of your fluffy blankets, some kitchen or dining room chairs and floor pillows. • Grab some fancy clothes and/or your best pretend clothes. • Make a healthy snack or tea that matches your chosen adventure. • Some happy music • Set mood lighting • Your best imagination • Be ready to play! What Now: Using your child’s imagination, help him or her drape blankets over chairs, couches and shelves to transform the room into the chosen wonderland. After the wonderland castle, beach, rainforest or desert dune is built ask your child to tell a story about the adventure you are on. Pretend you are characters in a play and your child is the star and the director. Have your child tell you what you would do, what you would say, how you would act if you were really in the imaginary place. Follow your child’s lead as his or her ideas take flight! Ask your child to tell you about what you would be able to see, smell, touch and hear in the place you chose. If he or she needs help filling in the details you can add them. By creating the space through words you can transport yourselves to your dream place and forget all about winter! Spending quality time together can come in many different shapes and sizes. Kids thrive when we devote our uninterrupted attention to them and even more so when we allow them to direct our shared play. We can learn more about their inner worlds and we show them that we really care about what they think! Seeing adventures through their eyes can also bring a light and innocence back to our own life which can be missing when we, ourselves, have to deal with the adult world. In other words we all win! Here’s hoping the laughter in your home is boisterous, the stars in your living room are numerous, and the love in your heart overflows! Emily Filmore has written a number of books focusing on bonding with your child. You can save 20% off these books if you purchase from www.withmychild.com/nurture www.nurtureparentingmagazine.com.au | 45
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