Nature play Tinkergarten Way
About
We are a nature exploration program where kids learn through play. Each season we focus on one of the 8 core skills children need to thrive. We provide programs for children 1.5 - 6 years old, using the Tinkergarten curriculum designed by experts in early childhood and environmental education. All classes are outdoors, and Nature is our greatest teacher.
What do we offer?
Spring enrollment is open!
This spring, we will focus on developing EMPATHY. Learn more about empathy and how it contributes to our well-being here.
Throughout the series, we’ll learn to recognize our own emotions, understand the feelings of others, and take action to care for ourselves and others.
Families meet once per week in a local park for an hour class. After the class families are welcome to stay for a tea party and more free play. The program is designed for children 1.5-6 years old and their caregivers.
When: Tuesdays at 10:30 am, April 22 - June 17
Where: Confluence Park, Issaquah
Winter Tuition for 9 classes (price gets prorated after classes start):
$200 for a first child
$100 for a second child
$ 400 for a family with three or more children participating in the class
FLEX-pass - join any 4 classes of the winter or spring season for $110
Don't see a class that works for your schedule? Fill out a class interest form and we will be in touch with you. Or, look for other Tinkergarten teachers in your area
Past Classes
Summer series :"Camp Tinkergarten"
This summer, we’ll fill the season with joyful, hands-on group play, with lessons designed to boost kids’ communication skills! With our “Camp Tinkergarten” theme, every lesson captures kids’ imagination, connects kids to nature, and boosts their social communication skills. To kids? It’s pure fun!
Families meet once per week in a local park for one hour class. After the class families are welcome to stay for a tea party, a snack (brought by families), and more free play. The program is designed for children 1.5-8 years old and their caregivers.
Spring season
This Spring, we focus on creativity—the ability to imagine original ideas or solutions to problems and bring them to life.
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 nurture relationships. We’ll do it all through enriching, outdoor play!
Families meet once per week in a local park for an hour class. After the class families are welcome to stay for a tea party, a snack (brought by families), and more free play. The program is designed for children 1.5-8 years old and their caregivers.
Fall season
This fall, the central theme of our classes will be wellness - a combination of physical, mental, and emotional health. It includes irresistible play activities that help kids develop strong bodies, minds, and hearts!
Families meet once per week in a local park for one hour class. After the class families are welcome to stay for a tea party, a snack (brought by families), and more free play. The program is designed for children 1.5-8 years old and their caregivers.
Forest school
I also teach an outdoor play-based program for children 3-7 years old at Suncather Forest School on Cougar Mountain. In our small class (8 students per 2 teachers), each child gets individual attention. We spend our days playing in a creek, caring for chickens and bunnies, gardening, and exploring a forest. I use a blend of emerging and Tinkergarten curriculum and follow children's interests in their explorations and play.
About me
I am a certified Forest School teacher and Tinkergarten leader since 2019.
I grew up and spent the first 27 years of my life in Siberia, enjoying its pristine beauty and wilderness. As a child, I used to go backpacking with my parents, sister, and friends in the summer. Tree climbing, stargazing, and building huts of branches are some of my most precious and heartwarming childhood memories. Later I spent many summers biking and kayaking in the Altai Mountains.
After moving to Pacific Northwest, I fell in love with its beauty. I love to hike and bike with my husband and our two daughters, play with kids and create adventures for them. I believe that every child has a right to experience nature, fall in love with it, and enjoy the outdoor exploration.