Early Childhood

Four-Seasons, Nature Inspired Waldorf Early Childhood Program

The Waldorf School of DuPage is nested in five acres of wooded land and gardens that allows our students and families of our community to enjoy and live in the mood of the four seasons. As Waldorf educators, we believe that Nature's Beauty and Wonder should be experienced by every child throughout the year. Our child-centered and nature-inspired curriculum nurtures each individual while fostering a connected community.

Through gentle rhythm, movement, open-ended play, and multi-sensory experiences in the natural world, we meet the modern child’s developmental needs in deep and meaningful ways. Our Spanish Language Enrichment program exposes children to bilingualism, enhancing cognitive growth and building collaborative abilities. Indoor and outdoor play, artistic work (such as painting, drawing, modeling and crafting), storytelling, nursery rhymes, singing, games, domestic arts, and imaginative adventures in nature give children a solid footing for academics. Our holistic approach to education supports the healthy and balanced threefold body-heart-mind development as a foundation for lifelong learning.

Our school’s enlivening seasonal festivals are an intrinsic part of our Early Childhood Curriculum all year round, nurturing a strong sense of community from the very beginning. We promote family involvement by encouraging parents to celebrate their children's birthdays at our school, and sharing their family traditions, which makes our program a multicultural, inclusive and memorable educational experience for all.

Early Childhood Offerings

Application for Admission

We would love to invite you to apply to our school if you feel like a holistic, play-based approach to learning is a good fit for your student and your family. If you have questions about any of the steps below, please be in touch with wsd.admissions@waldorfdupage.org.

1. Submit an application: It is strongly recommended to apply by July 15 for Fall 2024. (later applications will be considered on a space-available basis). This will allow enough time to review your application, make arrangements to get health and vaccination records, and consider your family for financial aid ahead of August 1.

2. Schedule a classroom visit: If you applied during the school year, your student will be invited to join our class for a day so the teacher can observe the student and assess if/how we can best support your student once they enroll. If you’re applying over the summer, you’ll be invited to join our play date on Thursday, August 1 so the teacher can assess your student(s) at that time.

3. Sign the enrollment contract: Once we understand your students academic needs/level and your family’s financial status, we will issue an enrollment contract for the upcoming year. If you agree to the contract, you’ll sign it and we will move forward with formal enrollment.

4. Enroll: Submit required documents such as immunization records, notes from support professionals (speech, physical therapy, occupational therapy, 504, IEP, etc), health physicals, etc. Note that all required documents must be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the first day of class.

Early Childhood Tuition

Half Days:

3 half days | $2,300 - $7,500 | Supply Fee: $390

5 half days | $3,000 - $10,100 | Supply Fee: $500

Full Days:

3 full days | $2,900 - $10,950 | Supply Fee: $390

5 full days | $4,000 - $13,500 | Supply Fee: $500

Financial Support

We feel strongly that a Waldorf education provides and strong foundation for life-long learning, strong critical thinking skills, and a deep sense of empathy. We strive to grant access to every child and family that desires this educational path.

The Family Individualized Tuition (FIT) model is built to ensure that we can continue to welcome an ever-wider array of individuals. No two families are identical, so we have a variable tuition model to assess each family’s financial picture to determine a tuition that works best for you to join our community.

FIT takes into consideration a family’s financial picture such as sibling enrollment, child or elderly care, and other extenuating circumstances as they relate to employment income or family expenses. Once you’ve applied and been considered for admission, you will be invited to fill out the financial aid application.

WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT AND SHARE MORE WITH YOU

If you would like to learn more about our Early Childhood offerings please contact our Admissions Team at wsd.admissions@waldorfdupage.org or call (630) 836-9400.