"Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought."
—Albert Einstein
(World-Renowned Physicist)
Spring 2024
Every 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 Spring, we focus on creativity!
We’ll help kids develop creative mindsets and strategies that they can use throughout their lives to invent new things, solve problems, express their ideas and feelings, and to nurture relationships. And, we’ll do it all through enriching, outdoor play!
Our Focus
Creativity is the ability to imagine original ideas or solutions to problems and make them happen. Creative thinking is a critical skill; not only for artists or musicians, but also for kids as a way of thinking about—and being in—the world.
It is through being creative that a person is able to get their senses, sensibility and spirit working together. Simply put, creativity enables us to live a full life.
Learn More: Why Creativity Is Just As Important As Literacy
What Is Creativity?
Why, you ask? For one, it is through being creative that a person is able to get senses, sensibility and spirit working together. Simply put, without creativity, I don't think our kids will live a full life.
On a more practical level, it's also the means by which humans of all ages make an impact on the world and other people around them. A lot of heavy stuff is going to go down in our kids' lifetime, and their generation will need to imagine and implement solutions to big and very complicated problems. Although our kids are still far from public office or the boardroom, today's political and business leaders worldwide are already pointing to creativity as the most important leadership quality for the future.
As a society, we’ve long known that 90 percent of brain development happens in the first five years, so as parents, caregivers and teachers, we all need to use this magic window wisely. Just by simply giving children the time, space and opportunities (LOTS of them) to practice, they will learn to think and act creatively.
Learn More: How to Maintain Your Child's Natural Creative Genius
Why Is Creativity Important?
Rooted in Play Outdoor Learning uses the much-loved and expertly designed Tinkergarten curriculum to inspire lots of outdoor, hands-on, playful learning.
We'll help kids develop creative mindsets and strategies they can use throughout their lives to invent new things, solve problems, express their ideas and feelings, and to nurture relationships. We’ll do it all through enriching, outdoor play!
Our lessons follow a steady progression and are organized into three units:
Building Blocks: We focus on the Three B's—the three core processes that we use when we are creative.
Creative Thinking: We use pretending to explore divergent thinking and discover many possible solutions to problems.
Creative Expression: We explore how we can express ideas and feelings through art, music, and movement — a great tie-in to the Summer 2024 Sensory series!.
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!
What Can You Expect This Spring?
Want to check out the Spring Curriculum Overview?
All classes are play and nature centered. designed thoughtfully and encourage families to spend more time together outside, with the intention of helping kids develop the critical skills they’ll need as they grow.
Every class is offered to children (~18 months to 8 years old) accompanied by a parent or caregiver, and follows the much-loved Tinkergarten curriculum. Classes meet once per week for 60-75 minutes, in all-weather (as per safety guidelines).
Enrollment includes a weekly book list, story podcast recommendations, parent/caregiver resources, activity ideas to try at home and more. There’s always intentional time and space for adults to reflect and connect, too!
Spring 2024 classes will meet at beautiful Crestwood Park, and begin the third week of April. I will also be offering a week of free trial classes for new and returning families, during the first week of April, too.
