Waldorf education, also known as Steiner education, is a humanistic approach to education based on the educational philosophy of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, who developed it in the first half of the 20th century.

The overarching goal of Waldorf education is the development of free, morally responsible and spiritually aware children who are able to master the challenges of their time. Waldorf education emphasizes the role of imagination in learning, promotes a holistic view of the child and the world around them and attaches great importance to educators as advisors and mentors.

The Waldorf philosophy of toys is based on the belief that children should be able to use their imagination to play. This means that toys should not be too specific in their function, but rather open-ended so that children can use them in a variety of ways. The idea is that this type of game helps children develop their creativity and imagination.