Rhythm is a vital part of the Waldorf kindergarten classroom experience. Healthy external rhythms promote healthy internal rhythms during these critical years of physical growth and brain development. In Rudolf Steiner's view, the human body completely reforms/renews itself every seven years and this early childhood phase is the time when a child's formative forces were meant to be focused on incarnating into her body and for healthy growth of the body. Children's play is rhythmic in a Waldorf classroom with the morning unfolding in the same way each day, one activity flowing into the next in such a way that the children know what to expect. This provides comfort and security to them, eliminating much need for discipline which typically arises out of a child's sense of uncertainty and fear of "what's coming next." Telling them what's coming next is not nearly as comforting as singing a familiar song that is always sung as tidying up begins. The song and the expectation it evokes allows their whole body to respond positively as they know that tidying up is an activity that then leads to washing up for snack and snack time leads to outdoor play, for example.
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Children naturally fall into such a rhythmic flow so transitioning from one activity to the next just becomes part of their way of being. It is natural because it is similar to the rhythm of their bodies - breathing and circulation. Typical days in a Waldorf kindergarten usually flow from an "in breath" to an "out breath," back to an "in breath," etc. For example, coming together for morning circle time is an "in breath," followed by an "out breath" of indoor free play time, followed by an "in breath" of coming together for snack time, followed by an "out breath" of going outside for outdoor playtime, followed by an "in breath" of coming together inside once again for storytime. Because the rhythm of the day mimicks the bodily rhythms of breathing and circulation, it strongly provides a sense of comfort to young children who are learning to be in their bodies.

In addition to the rhythm of the day, there are other rhythms, such as weekly rhythms. Young children don't yet really understand what Monday, Tuesday, etc. means. In the Waldorf kindergarten, they do know Painting Day, Woodworking Day, Bread Making Day, etc. The week is also set on a rhythmic schedule with certain activities always falling on the same day of the week, again for the same reason as the daily schedule: bringing a sense of comfort and security to the young children as they know what each day brings and how the days of the week will unfold. In today's fast-paced, chaotic world, this is needed more than ever.

There is also a yearly rhythm in which the changing of the seasons is in the forefront of kindergarten activities. Morning circle songs and games, and other activities change with the seasons, and many seasonal festivals are celebrated to also mark this yearly rhythm. This connection to the rhythms of nature as she changes her appearance through the seasons of the year provides for young children a strong connection to nature, fostering a love and appreciation for the natural world.

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