Rooted and Rising: The Magic of 3rd Grade at Minnesota Waldorf School

There’s a special kind of shift that happens around age nine. Maybe you’ve noticed it—your child starts asking deeper questions, wondering how the world works, why people do what they do, or where things really come from. It’s not just curiosity; it’s a new kind of awareness. In Waldorf education, we call it the nine-year change and it’s one of the most profound developmental transitions of childhood.

At Minnesota Waldorf School, we acknowledge and embrace this shift.

Third grade is a year of grounding, of building, of learning how to live on the Earth, with the earth, and because of the earth. It’s when children learn how homes are made, how food is grown, how clothes are sewn. We lean into the practical—and the meaningful.

Students grow vegetables in our garden. They measure wood and swing hammers. They cook meals from scratch, sew by hand, and gain confidence in doing real, practical work. It’s incredibly empowering. At an age when children are starting to understand that they’re individuals—no longer so fused with their caregivers or the world around them—this kind of hands-on, purposeful learning gives them something solid to stand on.

And it’s not just about work. It’s about wonder.

In Farming and Gardening, students roll up their sleeves and get their hands in the soil. They plant, tend, harvest, and cook, learning not only where food comes from but what it means to care for something from start to finish. There’s something deeply grounding about this work, especially for a child who's beginning to see the world as bigger—and sometimes more uncertain—than it felt before.

In the Shelter block, students explore how people all over the world build homes with the materials available to them. They learn the basics of construction and often get to work with wood, tools, and real building techniques. There’s something profoundly empowering about building a structure with your own two hands—especially at an age when children are searching for stability and purpose. Each student will construct their own model of a shelter of their choice and together, the class will contribute a building project to MWS’s 8-acre campus. 

Then there’s Measurement and Practical Math, where math becomes tangible. Students measure for projects, bake using recipes, and use math in real-life ways that make sense to them. It’s not about memorizing equations—it’s about using numbers to do something intentional. This kind of learning sticks because it’s lived.

What I love about this year is that it meets children right where they are. There’s no pressure to grow up too fast and no rush toward abstraction before they’re ready. Instead, they’re offered real-world skills, meaningful stories, and a rhythm-filled day that helps them feel held, seen, and capable.

And the best part? They rise to meet it all. You can see the confidence building in them, week by week. You can hear it in their voices when they tell you about building a shelter or harvesting carrots. Third grade becomes a threshold—a doorway between early childhood and the next stage of becoming. And they walk through it, rooted and ready.

At Minnesota Waldorf School, third grade isn’t just another academic year. It’s a transformational journey—both inward and outward. And we’re here to guide them, step by step, as they grow into the next version of themselves.

Curious to see what this looks like in person? We’d love to welcome you for a visit. Come feel the magic for yourself.