The La Siembra nursery is located in Chile, in the O’Higgins region, which borders the capital, Santiago de Chile, and is characterised by large-scale mining and industrial agriculture. Here, very few people have access to Waldorf education and anthroposophy. Although it is predominantly a rural area, most people live in an urban environment with few opportunities to connect with nature and with their own regional culture. The families who come to La Siembra are looking for a form of education and support that makes sense to them. Here they find a place where their children can experience a deep connection with nature – and at the same time a space for personal growth for themselves as adults.

The kindergarten was founded eleven years ago and welcomes children aged between two and seven. Most of them continue their education in the second seven-year cycle at La Siembra School. The nursery team consists of three kindergarten teachers, two assistants, an educational tutor, a eurythmy teacher and myself, with me supporting the team as a doctor. Currently, 30 children attend our nursery.

A distinctive feature of La Siembra is its creation of an environment that combines the warmth, rhythm and structure of indoor activities with the opportunity to experience and explore nature, and to develop the basic senses – the sense of touch, the sense of movement, the sense of balance and the sense of life. The garden offers a wealth of sensory and motor experiences that facilitate movement and independent exploration.

My own childhood experiences in the depths of the Andes – crossing rivers, roaming the mountains – as well as my study of children’s needs at their various stages of development have led me to the conviction that direct and continuous experience of nature is what children need for healthy development in today’s world.

For this reason, the kindergarten’s outdoor area has been designed and maintained as a spacious, wild and woodland-like space. Versatile and full of nooks and crannies, with trees for the children to climb, and fruit they can harvest. They also have the opportunity to water the plants, play with water and, in doing so, discover their own strength and personal abilities.

Every Monday, accompanied by the nursery teachers and some volunteer parents, the children go for a walk across neighbouring plots, covering several kilometres amongst apple and plum trees, as well as past grazing horses. This connects them to their mountainous environment, and through them, this door also opens for their families, who increasingly appreciate this way of living and learning.

We have thus observed that spending their early years in close contact with nature enables the children to truly get to know it. This instils in them a sense of trust in their surroundings. And from this, a spirit of courage and resilience can continue to develop.

María Paz Dörr Bulnes