“An hour of play reveals more than a year of conversation.”
—H. Addington Bruce
“Proverbs for Parents”
TINKERGARTEN | SUMMER 2025
Our Focus
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 summer, we'll focus on Communication—the symphony of skills kids activate in order to receive information from others, process that information, and express back their ideas.
Using a fun and whimsical camp theme, each lesson will focus on boosting a different aspect of kids’ emerging communication skills.
What are Communication Skills?
Communication encompasses a group of smaller skills we activate to receive communication from others, process and express back out our ideas. In other words, communication is the ability to listen, understand, speak, read and write and more. In order to communicate effectively, kids must learn to understand what they want to get across, then decide on how to convey their messages, working to coordinate the mind and body to do so. They also need to learn to anticipate how the message will be received by another person(s). This is rather elegant and requires a symphony of physical, cognitive and social capabilities. The more children can practice, the better!
Keep Learning: How Playtime Can Boost Kids’ Communication Skills
Why does it matter?
On a very practical level, kids need to be able to express questions and ideas in order to learn. Kids who communicate effectively can test ideas, seek help and let their formal and informal teachers in the world know what they understand and where they need support. Kids will also need strong and nuanced communication skills in order to work well in peer groups and manage relationships with authority figures, critical parts of life in classrooms and beyond. Later in life, they will need these skills to form close relationships, advocate for themselves within communities and be effective in the workplace.
Keep Learning: Knowing When to Talk Isn’t Child’s Play
What Can You Expect This Season?
Rooted in Play Outdoor Learning uses the much-loved and expertly designed Tinkergarten curriculum to inspire lots of outdoor, hands-on, playful learning. Tinkergarten also produces a season map, to give kids and their grown-ups a way to picture the learning journey each season. Season maps are intended to help kids visualize the progression of lessons, units and experiences that weave together to make impactful learning. We always get lots of inspiration from our featured creatures, too!
Each lesson this summer will gently highlight a different aspect of communication. Throughout the series, we'll attune to important class rituals to help kids strengthen their communication skills. We'll also teach our special summer Camping With Our Friends song to support kids with active listening and non-verbal communication.
Lessons follow a steady progression and are broken down into 2 sessions this summer:
Session 1 | Play Centers
Lesson 1 – Mud Play
Lesson 2 — Water Park
Lesson 3 — Nature Art
Session 2 | Camp Sampler
Lesson 4 — Band Camp
Lesson 5 — Critter Camp
Lesson 6 — Space Camp
Bonus / Make-Up Lesson — Bubble Joy!
OTHER INFO & CLASS OPTIONS
WHO CAN JOIN?
The Tinkergarten curriculum is designed for children 18 months to 8 years old, with caring adult, however, siblings and children younger or older are welcome to enroll.*
*If you have a child or children 6 - 18M, consider the Nature Babies program!
LOCATION & OFFERINGS
Classes will meet at beautiful Crestwood Park in Cottonwood Heights, UT. The weekly summer series will kick-off the third week of June, and is split into two flexible mini-sessions to fit right into your busy summer schedule! Each session includes 3 weeks of playful learning plus a bonus/makeup class the third week of August. Families can enroll in one or both sessions — whatever works best for your summer plans!
Weekly Class
Wed at 10:30AM
Session 1: Jun 18-Jul 2
Session 2: Jul 23-Aug 6
Fri at 10:30AM
Session 1: Jun 20-Jul 4
Session 2: Jul 25-Aug 8
The weekly class meets once per week for ~75 minutes and in all-weather (as per national temperature and AQI safety guidelines).
Monthly Class
Sun at 10AM (Jun 1, July 6 & Aug 3)
The monthly class meets once per month for ~75 minutes and in all-weather (as per national temperature and AQI safety guidelines).
*Class dates and times are subject to change, due to uncontrollable circumstances (i.e. unsafe weather, illness, etc). A free makeup/bonus class for the weekly and monthly classes will be held the third week of August.
Flex Packs and Drop-Ins
Flex Class Packs will not be offered this summer, due to the segmented lesson structure. However, there will be a weekly drop-in option, once classes meet minimum enrollment!
Trial Classes
Trial classes will be offered throughout the season (lessons 1-5), to give interested families a chance to try out the program and have an in-class experience. Trial classes are exclusively offered to new families, who have never attended a class before. Registration will open two weeks before the first class or once the class meets minimum enrollment requirements. If a class is at max capacity, then trials will not be offered for that class this season.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
3 In-Person Lessons (+1 bonus or make-up class)
Open-Ended Play Invitations
Engaging Nature-Based Activities
Music & Movement
Animal/Creature Education
Tea & Storytime
Skill Certificate
*Enrollment also includes a emailed weekly book list, kids podcast episode or music playlist suggestions, parent/caregiver resources, and hands-on 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!
COST:
Weekly Class: $84 for 3 sessions or $168 for 6 sessions
Drop-In: $30 per class.
Monthly Class: $84 (+tax) for 3 total sessions
*The make-up/bonus class is an additional, free class, and not included in the total cost. Sibling discounts are automatic and already included the shown pricing—no code is needed.
*Save 10% with code EARLYBIRD10 when you enroll by May 9th!
