What Waldorf Toys Do You REALLY Need?

Everyone, of course, is going to have a different answer to this question!!!

It is a question I get asked all the time as my oldest girls are teenagers (13, 14, 15) and I have a two year old boy, which means that I'm setting up the play space all over again, with the added benefit of experience. I know which toys have longevity and I know which brands were, in fact, worth the money.

If you have a young child, check out the Online Curriculum Project: Early Childhood page on my site which is full of online links to helpful information.

If you are building up your library, here is my Preschool booklist with 12 essential books.

Here are my thoughts on essential play things (both toys and toymaking supplies) and the vendors I've liked over the years:

play kitchen
I like Elves and Angels

with little pots and pans and lots of homemade play kitchen foods
(wood, wool felt, knitted and crocheted)

and a pan balance
I like the one from Nova Natural

playsilks in LOTS of colors and sizes
you can dye your own but I like Beneath the Rowan Tree on Etsy

a Waldorf doll
I like Bamboletta

a doll buggy or stroller
I like the ones at Nova Natural

puppets
I like the animal hand puppets at Moulin Roty: La Grande Famille

a doorway puppet theatre or a play stand
I like the playstands at Elves and Angels

wooden animals and a stable
I like the little wooden animals from Holztiger
and I like the stable from Bella Luna Toys

blocks (natural cherry tree blocks as well as stained rainbow blocks)
I like Grimm's Spiel und Holz for both

felt gnomes, which you can make yourself

handwork supplies: wool felt, wool roving, wool batting for stuffing, wool yarn for finger knitting and for making toys and doll clothes

a bunch of baskets!
fill baskets with glass gems, pinecones, shells, etc

a bookcase filled with picture books

an area to be a nature table

art supplies: clay, block beeswax crayons, modeling beeswax

plus watercolor paints in the primary colors, a brush, watercolor paper, a painting board, and a set of glass painting jars

an art easel

rainbow broom
from Camden Rose

Here are my thoughts on bonus items:

Wiwiurka indoor wooden play structures - Etsy

board games

a light table
I like the ones from Jonti-Craft

a swing
we loved our dragon tire swing

a water pump

a digging pit

a block & tackle set up in a tree
I like the one from Nova Natural

This post contains affiliate links to the materials I actually use for homeschooling. I hope you find them helpful. Thank you for your support!