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Movement at AWS

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Ever known a math wiz who can’t jump rope? A childhood rich in varied play and movement leads to emotional and physiological readiness for learning, balance and resilience in later life.

Jeff Tunkey, author, researcher, and Aurora Waldorf School Founding Teacher

Parents and teachers know that children need (and love!) to move. Lots of movement throughout the day means that when students are at their desks, they can focus their full attention on the task at hand.

At Aurora Waldorf School, movement is integrated with every lesson, whether it’s a daily gym or eurythmy class, African dance, rhythmic times-table practice, or just outdoor play.

Our students start moving in pre-K and kindergarten, with old-fashioned imaginative games and daily outside recess, including hikes to the creek, which continue through the lower grades.

Gymnastics, cross-country skiing, sports, and fitness activities, not to mention our annual all-school Circus, are some of the ways AWS helps students build skills. Eurythmy, an art of movement to music and speech, increases spatial awareness and helps develop physical grace and coordination.

A highlight is a multi-school Olympics pentathlon, hosted by AWS’s fifth grade, featuring javelin, wrestling, long jump, running, and discus. Team sports like volleyball, soccer, basketball, and track give our students a firm foundation for high school sports, and many of our graduates excel at varsity-level athletics.

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Resources

  • National Institute for Play - The National Institute for Play unlocks the human potential through play in all life stages, using science to discover all that play has to teach us about transforming our world.
  • Spacial Dynamics - Through movement techniques and activities, Spacial Dynamics gives you the experience of the healthy, harmonious balance between your body and the surrounding space.