What happens when we pit "authoritative" against what kids desperately need: agency?

At Tinkergarten, one of our favorite tools for learning and exploration is “forest putty.” What is forest putty you ask? Play dough you can (and do!) take outdoors!

Kids learn to identify the six basic human emotions and learn to read others' emotions by looking at their faces. How better to learn that than using nature treasures and mud and/or forest putty to create faces to show various emotions?

Easy ways to remind our grown up selves that, even though everything is telling us to over do it, simplicity is exactly what our kids (and we) need.

Free play is essential, but it is not the only type of play to benefit children and their development. In fact, a combination may just be what kids need to thrive.

A introductory presentation within a self-paced course designed to inspire and prepare teachers to teach nature play in their classrooms or communities.

A quick video course designed to help teachers overcome one of the key barriers to building in kid-led, playful learning outdoors: limited TIME.

Watch the video lecture component of the self-paced course designed to inspire and prepare Tinkergarten teachers to implement our Creativity curriculum in their classrooms and communities.

One of the most loved Tinkergarten activities of all time. Kids free their minds, hearts and creative energy as they free colors onto a giant canvas!

The night sky is not only full of bright stars, it is full of stories. In this lesson, we'll explore how we use stories to communicate big ideas. How? We’ll use a variety of sensory-stimulating, natural materials to turn ordinary cloth into a beautiful night sky full of our own stories.

Awaken kids’ sense of touch with a favorite messy play material—mud! Kids explore new textures and sensations as they each discover their own “just right” way to play with mud.

In this video lesson, we’ll use water, an ideal sensory learning tool, to help kids explore, discover, and center their minds.

Huskies can teach kids a lot about persistence and grit. Enjoy these simple ways to pretend and play like these amazing creatures.

What’s a super fun way to spark kids’ love of nature and skills like creativity and empathy? Throw the Earth a birthday party!

Talking about kindness can help, but building a habit of doing “kindnesses” can build all three types of empathy. Try these simple ways to get started.

Help kids boost their empathy—our human superpower, and the basis for the strong relationships that lead to a life worth living.

Leverage the universal power of potions and mixtures to help kids grow more aware of how emotions operate in themselves and others—a key component of empathy.

Making mixtures never gets old, and for good reason—it taps into universal play patterns and sparks all of our senses. Learn how to turn a jar, bowl or any container into serious learning.

Use a simple prop to open up the wide, wonderful world for discovery and awe!

It’s time to explore physics in playful ways! Use everyday objects to set up three simple scales, then invite kids to play, problem solve and discover complex concepts.