Imagine a place where kids are free to play and explore without adult intervention or judgement. Near the meadow a group of children are playing tag while the others are pulling soil samples from the pond and examining them under a microscope. There are a few children pulling weeds in the garden bed fussing at their peers for eating all the tomatoes and carrots they've pulled for the soup the teacher is cooking inside. A few children have grabbed books from a basket and are taking turns reading stories under the trees and acting them out with puppets on the outdoor stage. A parent volunteer has collected a small group of kids to practice finger knitting while they discuss the odd weather patterns they've been experiencing this month and there's a small boy laying on the grass looking up at the clouds wondering about the cosmos. 

Sound too good to be true? This is the vision for Epoch: A Waldorf Inspired Nature School in Bozeman Montana that sits of 5.5 acres of mountain west acreage featuring trees, trails, boulders, and creeks. Epoch is exactly what the Waldorf community of Bozeman has wanted for years! A Waldorf school for the grades that follows Steiner's work, allows for parental freedom, doesn't require pesky masks or harmful vaccinations, and welcomes the children each day to wonder and explore as they learn to think rather than learn to memorize and regurgitate information on a standardized test written by politicians and policy makers. 

Epoch will feature a first/second grade class of students with a certified teacher who knows and studies anthroposophy and deeply respects the work of Rudolf Steiner and his vision for education and protecting childhood. The site will also be opened after school hours for homeschool students and other members of the community for enrichment and...gasp...play!

In time, we will offer parenting worskhops, wellness, new mom support groups, sacred journeys for indivudals and couples, a Waldorf toy store, festivals, camps, and toddler playgroups. If you would like to stay current on the progress of Bozeman's new Waldorf school for the grades- sign up for the newsletter.

Should you wish to make a donation, we are set up as a nonprofit entity. Click "donate" on Epoch main page. Thank you for your support. We look forward to seeing you soon. 

-Chelsea Vail
Founder, Epoch Bozeman
Waldorf Inspired Nature Realm

This is one of those, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you" stories...

Several years ago, my father mentioned a small college town in the mountain west that was expected to be the next "boom town" He'd told me to check it out as it may be a nice place to raise a family. Every summer we'd try to schedule a family trip to Bozeman, but my sisters and I were growing our families and it never seemed to be the right time. 

Then, I randomly ran into my middle school crush on a solo trip to San Diego. Our paths crossed unexpectedly and we hadn't seen each other in twenty-five years! He was in town for work, but was from...Bozeman. We stayed in touch and did the long distance thing for about a year before he joined me and my twin boys in Austin, Texas. The boys were at the Austin Waldorf School at the time, a place where I thought they'd be K-12th grades as I was so passionate about Waldorf education and becoming more and more involved in the Waldorf community. 

For personal reasons, we needed to leave Austin and fast! We decided if Bozeman and Austin had a baby- it would be Bend, Oregon. We loved Bend and we're here now, but Oregon (although filled with natural beauty and enchanting sites) has horrible politics. Trying to escape the leftists nightmare? Avoid the west coast! Friends and family wondered why we didn't go straight to Bozeman and the answer was simple- there is no Waldorf school.

I cried to Justin almost daily about knowing Bend wasn't a fit, him wanting to return to Bozeman and me feeling intense mom  guilt about not being able to provide a Waldorf education for them. What to do, what to do...

Then, as if by magic, the universe started dropping tiny little pebbles in front of me that led me to Bozeman and started yelling at me "start a Waldorf school".  I remembered a message I received once from a total stranger telling me that he channels the energy of Rudolf Steiner when he meditates and that Steiner told him to let me know I was doing good work in the Waldorf community and not to stop. "Should I start a school?", I wondered.

I began searching for properties in Bozeman out of curiosity and the first property I clicked on was a 19030s log cabin on 5.5 acres with a creek. It had a separate house on the property with a workshop as well. I wondered if that could be a classroom...

The Waldorf early childhood program reached out and connected me with their board members with whom I met in Bozeman the same day I toured that property. They told me they'd been manifesting new energy to Bozeman to help make a Waldorf school for the grades a possibility and they'd been hoping for an east Bozeman location. Hmm...this I couldn't ignore. We put an offer in on the house the next day. 

Since then, I've had COUNTLESS members of Waldorf community, homeschool moms, Bozeman families, and teachers from all over offer encouragement, resources, and support to bring this long-awaited vision into fruition. 

Fall 2022, Bozeman Montana will have a Waldorf inspired school for the grades beginning with 1st/2nd grade. Also, on the property, I'll be hosting toddler playgroups, homeschool student meetups. a parenting workshops, new mom support groups, and eventually a Waldorf toy store!

Please click on EPOCH link above and express interest by filling out the RSVP form to the right. Subscribe to the newsletter and follow the journey on my podcast and youtube!

We're looking forward to welcoming you all at Epoch Bozeman soon! -Chelsea

Books for parents:
You are Your Child's First Teacher, Rahima Baldwin Dancy
Simplicity Parenting,, Kim John Payne
Seven Times the Sun: Guiding Your Child Through the Rhythms of the Day, by Shea Darian
Making a Family Home, Shannon Honeybloom
Lifeways: Working with Family Questions, Hawthorne Press
Beyond the Rainbow Bridge by Barbara Patterson and Pamela Bradley
The Four Temperments, y Rudolf Steiner
Knowledge of Higher Worlds, by Rudolf Steiner
Toymaking with Children, by Freya Jaffke
Children at Play: Ising Waldorf Principles to Foster Child Development by Heidi Britz-Crecelius

Best Authors for Childrens Books (Waldorf)
Elsa Beskow
Jan Brett
Gerda Muller
Astrid Lindgren
Sybill Von Olfers

Websites to Peruse:
Waldorfinthehome.com
Waldorfish.com
littleacornlearning.com
joyfultoddlers.com
waldorfearlychildhoood.com

Toys for Creative Play:
Palumba.com
weirdollsandcrafts.com
Junipertreepuppets.com
Honeybeetoys.com
achildsdream.com
BellaLunaToys.com
​Sarahssilks.com
Junimoon.com
Novanatural.com

Many parents come to find Waldorf when they're seeking something "alternative" to public education. They know they don't want public school since, lets be honest, its gone down the shitter since the eighties (if not earlier than that). You think Montessori seems too rigid, structured, fear based, or even, dare I say it- COLD!

You describe yourself as spiritual, not religious, you tend to choose a homeopathic remedy over pills, and you were playing outside in the dirt with your child while the other moms were pushing their babies in strollers through the mall. 

But, what is Waldorf? How do I do it right? What do I need to buy to be Waldorf? You're not alone! (by the way, nothing you buy makes you "Waldorf", its who you are)

In a nutshell, Waldorf is a 100 yr old philosophy of education and human development based on the work of Austrian scientist, Rudolf Steiner. Its founded on the belief that we are spiritual beings having a human experience and that each child has a unique gift to give to the world and is capable of multiple intelligences. Art is integrated throughout the curriculum and beautiful, natural materials are used for play, creativity, and the classroom environment. The goal is the merging of the hand, heart, and head, also known as thinking, willing, doing. We have twelve senses (not 5) and they're not merely physical senses, but also include perception, intuition, and feeling senses that can't be explained tangibly. 

EVERY new Waldorf parent does the same thing when embarking on their journey, they go to Facebook and ask other Waldorf moms, "How do I learn more?"

Here are helpful resources for you:
Podcast: Waldorfy, Whole Heart: Crunchy Parenting, Waldorfish

Parent Resources:
Read Heaven on Earth, You are Your Childs First Teacher, Simplicity Parenting, The Hurried Child, and Knowledge of Higher Worlds or Seven Times the Sun, Beyond the Rainbow Bridge

(NOTE: Reading Steiner's lectures are a kick-in-the-dick and can be a bit discouraging if you start there, but don't avoid it forever. Try when you're ready)

Toys and Materials: Bella Luna Toys, Palumba, Nova Natural, Honeybee Toys, Sarahs Silks, Grimms, Etsy

There's no such thing as half-ass Waldorf. You cant do a little "montessori and Waldorf" because they're polar opposite. You can't truly see, and experience, the benefits without fully immersing yourself into the wonderful world of Waldorf. 

Subscribe to my podcast on apple and click "join the tribe" on the homepage of this website for exclusive members only content each month!

Be well!

I love that scene in the Grinch movie where all of the people of Whoville are running amuck shopping, decorating, eating, singing, and damn near knocking each other over when they hear about a discount nearby. Cindy Lou Who looks up at her father and says, "Isn't this a little much?" 

Can you relate?

I have never wanted Christmas to be about the presents and I've always tried to extend the hoy of the season and the magic through experiences over material things (and greed). The greed and the "gimme gimme gimme" mentality can be avoided if you make a conscious effort each season. Here are my tips:

#1: No Christmas Lists
I have never told my kids to write a Christmas list for Santa or tell Santa what they want. Te operative word here being "want". They have; however, written letters to Santa that include drawings, greetings and stories. Instead, we say things like, "that's something Santa may keep in mind for you this year" when they're browsing a toy store or "I wonder what the elves are making in the shop to surprise you with"

#2: Santa has never been "real"
I explained Santa as the sprit of Christmas. The magic of the season in our mind and in our hearts represented by a man in a red suit with a white beard. "Oh how we love when Santa surprises us with magic and joy each Christmas" and so on, but I've never tried to convince them he's a real physical being. The north pole, the reindeer, the elves are always discussed in the same voice as when we discuss the light fairies entering the room from our prism outside, or the water fairy that escaped the bathtub and made a mess on the floor. Its all in fun and sparks imagination, but never in deceit. 

#3: Santa Bag over commercial boxes
I have one request from gift givers in my home and its too unbox the gift and wrap it in a plain box, bag, or tie a giant bow around it. I seek to create separation from the toy bought commercial goods and the thoughtful gifts given by friends, family and "Santa" (ie the spirit of Christmas

#4: Focus on Experiences
Christmas in our home starts with decorating the tree and the home together. We often have Christmas music playing, popcorn and hot cocoa and we delight in the unboxing of all the fun things we've collected over the years. We visit the library and check out books about Snow, penguins, polar bears, winter, moons, and Christmas! The best books are those by Elsa Beskow, Jan Brett and Astrid Lindgren. 

We make a paper chain of red and green to count down the days, but I would like to move towards having an advent spiral in the home next year and an advent ring on the table with candles. 

We make note of special events at school, or in the community, and around our home on the calendar to include tree lighting, caroling, Christmas parties, train rides, Christmas markets, parades, and shows and make reservations to attend. 

Part of the joy of the season is the anticipation of the upcoming event, the planning, but most importantly the nostalgia experienced each year through the sights and sounds of the most magical time of the year. 

My children will be spoiled by gifts by others in their life and I won't have much control over the gluttony of gifts or treats experienced when they're away from me, but I know in my heart of hearts, that my boys will always know Christmas with mom was magic and never about the presents as much as it was about imagination, joy, compassion, and togetherness!

Tis the season to find joy together, 
Chelsea