Fun Freetime: Tinkergarten Hour of Daylight Ideas (and Free Class)

Tinkergarten, a movement that is making outdoor play a part of families’ everyday lifestyle, has announced their new campaign, “Spring Forward”. Starting on March 8th, Daylight Saving Day, and continuing through March 31st, Tinkergarten  will be offering over 1,600 complimentary classes across the nation.  

Studies have revealed that kids today spend 35% to 50% less time outdoors as compared to their parents , giving them the distinction of being an “indoor nation” generation. At the same time, kids 8- to 12-year-old use just under five hours’ worth of entertainment screen media per day. Early childhood research shows that time for outdoor play is critical to the cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being of children. With daylight saving around the corner, what better way to use that extra hour of sunlight than to spend it outdoors. 

Tinkergarten enables kids to become creative, confident, and self-directed people who can thrive in a dynamic world and make a positive, lasting impact. Tinkergarten helps children build skills that they need most to succeed in our ever changing world, and yet they are the same skills that are increasingly lost as children spend more and more time indoors. 

“The research is clear: two hours a week outside is all you need to start seeing wellness and learning benefits,” said co-founder, Meghan Fitzgerald. “We believe in the power of outdoor play; it’s the foundation on which our program is built.”

“It’s important for the development of our children that we balance our indoor time and time with technology,” said co-founder, Brian Fitzgerald. “Spring Forward is the perfect excuse to offer families a chance to take advantage of their extra hour of daylight and experience Tinkergarten.”

Families can find information about free classes in their area at tinkergarten.com/springforward, in addition to tips on how to help their children manage the transition to daylight saving time. 

Need suggestions on what you can do with that extra hour of daylight? Tinkergarten has put together three fun ways to make the most out of that hour of daylight: 

• Not-a-Sheet: Grab an old bed sheet, head outdoors and use your imagination to turn that sheet into an endless number of new things. As you transform that sheet into a raging river, a fort, a sled, or a parachute, you’ll support communication, the use of multiple senses and creativity, too!
• Spreading Smiles: With the power of a washable marker and the abundance of nature treasures to be found all around us, you can create tiny, smiley “friends.” Take a minute to carefully hide them all around your yard, park or neighborhood, wondering together who might find them and how they will feel when they see them. This random act of kindness is a sweet way to promote empathy in all of us!
• Faces for the Tree - Start by plop- ping a ball of mud onto a tree. Then look for natural treasures that you can press into the mud to form whimsical faces. Acorn caps become eyes, leaves turn into ears, and a marvelous personality emerges as you add more features to your face. The bonus is that playing with mud activates the senses and satisfies children’s natural drive to connect and transform materials.

For more information on classes and tips on how to manage the disruption of daylight saving time, visit tinkergarten.com/springforward. 

Join the conversation and share experiences on Instagram and Twitter tagging @tinkergarten and #springforward, as well as joining the #OutdoorsAll4 Facebook Group to share ideas and celebrate outdoor play all four seasons 

About Tinkergarten

Tinkergarten is on a mission to elevate childhood by growing a technology-enabled network of leaders that bring families together in a natural place in their community for classes where kids learn through play. Each class becomes a tight-knit group of children and adults who learn together through well-designed, outdoor play-based activities. Expert-designed classes and activities help kids ages 6 months to 8 years develop core life skills while enjoying healthy, fun, engaging experiences in the physical freedom of local green spaces. Learn more at Tinkergarten.com and on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook.