Fall Wellness 2023

We are all feeling fall in the air this morning, and some of us are more excited than others. I'm in the excited group; I sat on the porch early this AM with my book, coffee, a dog + a blanket. It was pure bliss and a great respite from the muggy/rain/heat/humidity we've had.

I've been planning our fall classes for a few weeks now. If you've been with me since Fall 2022, you may have realized we're revisiting Wellness this year. If there are questions or thoughts like "why are we doing this again?" "My explorer already did wellness, they will be bored."

Below you will find some thoughts from Tinkergarten about the many benefits repetition offers our explorers and us. Keep in mind how much they've grown in less than a year not only physically but socially and emotionally as well.

1. Why We Are Doing This: We have a moral imperative to really make a difference in kids' wellness. Educators, physicians, psychologists, caregivers, and even the CDC has referred to kids' wellness as "the crisis of our times." This season will be different for each explorer revisiting it in two main ways:

The curriculum has been adjusted.

Kids naturally adjust considerably in a whole year, especially at Tinkergarten ages!

2. Fresh Curriculum (and even a Fresh Badge!): The entire focus of three lessons has been adjusted, and the experience has been updated for nearly all of them. There will be new twists, focus, and printable materials to use in class and to send home.

3. A Year In the Life of An Explorer: We must remember that kids are at very different developmental stages one year later and will approach any activity in a different way with different potential growth outcomes. Further, kids love (and need) the chance to spiral and revisit, especially experiences they loved!

4. Fall is a Time of Tradition: The last three lessons of Fall season, no matter the skill, focus on gratitude, lantern making, and feasting. It has always been this way at Tinkergarten and families look forward to it each season!

Regardless of whether you took class with us last Fall season, I hope you'll join us and explore the benefits of a wellness series; truly my favorite I have taught thus far.