The importance of outdoor play
Outdoor classroom
At Tinkergarten, the outdoors is our classroom! After all, children can’t bounce off the walls if we take them away! We define outside as earth, sky and other species—so very accessible to people in all settings!
Nature is at the core of what we do! Other creatures are our teachers, mud and sticks our tools, sky and grass and trees our walls. Every lesson deepens kids’ connection to nature!
The best classroom
Nature provides an amazing learning environment! We activate every single sense when we step outside, including our hidden senses like the pressure in our muscles in joints (proprioceptive sense) and our balance (vestibular sense)—engaged when we climb or spin or even walk over uneven ground. It’s stimulating and calming at the same time, helping littles to engage and focus.
Accessible to everyone
You can find nature wherever you go, even on a balcony or a small patch of grass. Plus, families can bring nature inside their own spaces by collecting nature treasures and using them in play in their homes. Sunlight and fresh air can come through a window as well as fill a forest clearing, and nature sounds are everywhere!
Increases overall wellness
Being outside has so many health benefits—for children as well as adults! Studies have shown that time spent in nature can reduce stress and anxiety, increase joy, reduce time spent sick, boosts the immune system, increases circulation, improves sleep patterns and builds resilience. And we don’t have to spend hours and hours per day outside to get those benefits!