“In order for children to learn, they need to be able to pay attention. In order to pay attention, we must let them move.”
—Angela Hanscom
(Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Author and Founder of TimberNook)
Fall 2024
Our Featured Skill
Each season at Rooted In Play Outdoor Learning, we focus on helping children develop one of 8 core skills they need to become curious, capable learners who can contribute to their world. This fall, our lessons will help kids develop focus.
The curriculum is designed to help kids hone the symphony of skills we use to direct, shift and sustain our attention—all through playful exploration of nature!
What Is Focus?
Focus is so often mistaken for the ability to sit still. But it shouldn’t be, because focus is all about learning to control your own attention, emotions, and behavior. It’s an active, messy (and marvelous) process — just like all good learning.
As kids accumulate interests, knowledge and skills, they may focus for longer—building a fairy house, reading or writing stories, or practicing a favorite sport. Other times, they’re bouncing around and never seem to settle.
It is precisely as your kids are bouncing around that they are learning to focus. They need to move in and out of play, to discover their interests, and to experience dysregulation in order to increase their stamina, to learn how to self-regulate, and to learn when and how to direct and shift their focus.
Learn more: What Are Executive Function Skills and Why Should We All Want to Know?
Why Is Focus Important?
Focus and self control are critical, foundational skills. Really, they represent a symphony of skills we need to direct, shift and sustain our attention. They are the building blocks we need to form a larger set of executive functions that enable us to manage our attention, emotions, and behavior. Without the ability to direct and shift our attention, we can’t effectively take in and process information, collaborate, reflect, evaluate our options and act in service of goals. And this couldn’t be more true in our world that has become increasingly distracting.
Learn More: Why We Focus on Focus at Tinkergarten
What Can You Expect This Fall?
Rooted In Play Outdoor Learning follows the much-loved and expertly designed Tinkergarten curriculum to inspire lots of outdoor, hands-on, playful learning.
Throughout the fall series, we’ll leverage the inherently captivating natural world to teach kids building blocks of focus, including: how to feel grounded in the moment; how to zoom in and zoom out; how to wonder; and how to follow our interests.
Our lessons follow a steady progression and are organized into three units:
“Our Treasures” unit (lessons 1-3), we zoom in on the natural treasures within our outdoor spaces.
“Our Spaces” unit (lessons 4-6), we zoom out to notice what is happening and changing in our biomes—up, down and all around us.
“Our Focus Tools” unit (lessons 7-9), we zoom inwards on the “tools” and strategies we can use to support ourselves as we focus.
Also, each season, Tinkergarten produces a season map to give kids and their grown-ups a way to picture the learning journey. This map is intended to help kids visualize the progression of lessons, units and experiences that weave together to make impactful learning. We’ll also get lots of inspiration from our weekly featured creatures, too!
Want to check out the Fall Curriculum Overview?
Class Info & Dates
Who: Classes are designed to engage children ~18 months to 8 years old, with caring adult, however, children younger and older are welcome to enroll. This class series will meet once per week for ~75 minutes, in all-weather (as per national temperature and AQI safety guidelines).
Where & When: This Fall, classes will be held at beautiful Crestwood Park (Cottonwood Heights) and another location in Salt Lake County (TBD). The series will begin mid-September, and meet for a total of 9 weeks.
Trial Classes: Trial classes will be offered during the season, to give new families a chance to try out and experience the program. Registration will open once class have met minimum enrollment.
What’s Included with Enrollment:
9 in-person classes
Open-ended play invitations and engaging nature-based activities
Animal/creature education
Music and movement
Storytime
Iron-on skill badge or skill certificate
Enrollment also includes a weekly book list, a kids podcast episode or music playlist, parent/caregiver resources, activity ideas to try at home. Enrollees receive a discount code for friends to use on a trial class, and early access to any upcoming classes, pop-up activities, events and more!
*Flex packs will become available once classes have met minimum enrollment requirements.
Enrollment opens Tuesday, July 23rd!
