Preparing for Easter the Waldorf Way
In many homes, Easter arrives in a flurry— bright baskets, sugar highs, giant bunny costumes and plastic grass. But within the Waldorf tradition, Easter is part of a quiet unfolding that mirrors the transformation happening all around us in early spring.
It’s not just a day but a season, honored as Lent in the religious context, and also seen in the austere late winter landscape on the verge of rebirth. For young children, the weeks leading up to Easter can be filled with meaningful, sensory-rich moments that speak to their inner life and their connection to the natural world.
Here are a few simple ways to prepare for Easter in a Waldorf-inspired home:
1. Grow Something Together
Sprouting wheatgrass in a shallow dish or planting lentils in a jar is a beautiful visual representation of the Easter impulse: life returning from the quiet of winter. Children love to watch the green tips grow day by day—and a little wheatgrass makes a lovely centerpiece on Easter morning.
2. Create a Nature Table That Reflects the Season
A spring nature table might begin with bare branches and small stones, then slowly transform with the addition of budding twigs, small animals, spring silks, and wool lambs or felted eggs. Let it grow gently alongside the season.
3. Use Natural Dyes for Egg Coloring
There’s a certain magic in using what’s already in your kitchen—onion skins, turmeric, red cabbage, beets—to color eggs. It becomes a sensory experience, a small alchemy, and an invitation to slow down and delight in the process.
4. Read Spring Books That Celebrate Wonder and Renewal
Here are a few of our springtime favorite books for young children:
Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Baby Animals by Garth Williams
I Am a Bunny by Richard Scarry
Spring by Gerda Muller (part of her wordless seasons series)
The Story of the Root Children by Sibylle von Olfers
Peter Rabbit and other Beatrix Potter tales
You can display these in a seasonal basket or include a special one in your child’s Easter celebration.
5. Create Simple Easter Baskets with Natural Treasures
Avoiding plastic and overstimulation doesn’t mean skimping on joy. A silk from Sarah’s Silks, a handmade felt animal, a wooden bunny, or a little tin of beeswax crayons makes for a beautiful, meaningful basket.
Shop Sarah’s Silks (affiliate Link)
Whether you celebrate with a simple egg hunt in the backyard or a candlelit breakfast with seasonal bread and stories, what matters most is the feeling: of warmth, awakening, and togetherness.
Let your family’s Easter rhythm be slow and soulful. The earth is waking—and so are we!
