Blog: Pasadena Waldorf School Hosts Medieval Games

Sixth grade students from nine Southern California Waldorf Schools compete in annual physical fitness event.

On Friday, April 19, Pasadena Waldorf School (PWS) 6^th graders welcomed fellow students from nine affiliated schools to compete in the 15^th Annual Medieval Games. 180 students faced challenges of focus, balance, strength, and endurance by storming the castle with javelins, dueling with pillows on balance beams, jousting wreaths with long poles, long-bow archery, and engaging in four-way tug-of-war.

While engaging in these Medieval-style activities, the students are encouraged to extoll the qualities of honesty, justice, nobility, prudence, courage, loyalty, gallantry, brotherhood/sisterhood, fortitude, and hope.  Throughout the school year, the 6^th graders have been encouraged to manifest these positive virtues in their daily interactions, stemming from a block of studies on Medieval history. As is typical in Waldorf education, the physical education component (also called Games Class in the lower school) ties into the studies of the main lesson. The Games class prepared students for the competition by engaging in teamwork and trust challenges as well as building balance and endurance skills.

Jennifer Gould, the PWS games teacher, emphasized the importance of the games for the sixth graders. “When the children enter sixth grade, they are at a point in their development where they are ready to move to a more directed place. The Medieval Games are all about having an objective and going for it.” This is exemplified in the archery or javelin throwing, where aiming for the target is paramount.

Participating in a safety and orientation course for archery was a mandatory pre-requisite for the Games and all PWS students practiced many forms of tug-of-war as well as javelin throwing, in which they take aim toward the ground.  The finale of the Medieval Games was a giant obstacle course, involving hay-sack jumping, monkey bars crossing, over and under obstacles, and culminating in the crossing through of the infamous Mudpit, which many chose to cross through multiple times. 

Pasadena Waldorf School, founded in 1979, is one of over 1,000 Waldorf schools worldwide with over 90 years of experience offering inspired education. Pasadena Waldorf High School, which opened this year, joins 40 other Waldorf high schools now operating in North America. Waldorf education is the fastest growing independent school movement in the world.