Tinkergarten: A Class for Creative Outdoor Play
Last week I brought my son to a Tinkergarten free trial class. The location was a bit of a drive for us, but I was curious about a class that focuses on outdoor play and using nature to boost a child's empathy, problem solving, and creativity.
Before the start of the class, I received an email telling what to wear (clothes you don't mind getting dirty and rain boots) and to bring a snack. I popped my son in said style of outfit and we headed out.
The class was in a state park, which provided a beautiful backdrop. When we arrived, the other students were assembled by the teacher at the center of an open field by the side of a little lake. A red covered bridge crossed a stream that ran a few yards from the lake. It really couldn't have been more picturesque.
The teacher greeted us as we approached and handed me a little metal bucket for my son. She said that our job was to wander around the area and to collect "nature treasures." We ambled around the field and onto the tiny beach by the lake while picking up stones, sticks, and yellow dandelions.
After a while, the teacher called everyone back to her. She had all of the kids sit on a tarp while she read Stone Soup (one of my childhood favorites). Next, she pulled out a big cooking pot and announced that they would be making stone soup. She informed the children that they would need to use their imaginations as they again took their pails and searched the area for "ingredients" for their own soup. Pine cones were carrots, sticks were celery, and, of course, stones came into play.
After collecting all of the ingredients, the children, parents, and teacher headed back to the big pot. They added their ingredients one at a time. A few kids went to get water from the lake to add to the "soup." The students took turns mixing the soup. At the end of class, everyone had a snack brought from home.
All in all, it was very cute and everyone seemed to really enjoy the activity.
I have to say that my son did enjoy collecting sticks and putting his hands in the sand and dirt, but I do think he was a little too young for this class.
I'm glad we went to the trial class because now I know that I would sign him up in a year or two, but also that I wouldn't spend the money on it at his current age (He's nineteen months old and we can collect sticks and rocks at the park for free). The class is marketed for children 18 months to five-years-old, however, the kids who were a bit older seemed to get much more out of it. I would recommend this class for children ages 3-5.
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