“From the beginning, children demonstrate that they have a voice, know how to listen and want to be listened to by others.” – Carlina Rinaldi
Tinkergarten with Magnolia Outdoor starts this week in Aiken, SC! We’ll kick off our summer series with a lesson all about mud! We’ll take inspiration from recipe cards to explore and make different varieties of mud. And, we can all communicate our feelings and observations about each type of mud in multiple ways!
Want to learn more about how you can support your child in developing the symphony of skills they need to communicate? Check out this article by Tinkergarten founder Meghan Fitzgerald.
Can't join us for class, but want to learn with us from afar? Make some mud with your wee ones this week! In class, we'll dig up some dirt in our green space, add different amounts of water, and explore all the consistencies of mud we can create together. We'll practice making mud balls, attaching mud to nature treasures, and wondering what each type of mud feels like.
Designed With Learning In Mind
The rhythms we keep in Tinkergarten classes are also specially designed to help children develop their communication skills. This week, we'll focus on our Welcome and Transition Time as well as American Sign Language.
Welcome and Transition
We use words and movement to greet explorers in every class. Some examples:
Physical gestures (waves, high fives, smiles)
Words ("Welcome!" or "Time for Tinkergarten"
Use first names
Hand a bucket to each explorer and invite them to gather nature treasures
These greeting rituals help us communicate:
Explorers are seen and valued
This is a special space and a special experience
I am so pleased you are here!
American Sign Language
We use ASL throughout our classes to communicate and engage explorers at all levels. Some signs we learn include:
Yes/No/I don't know
Thank you
the sign for each featured creature
as well as other signs explorers are interested in or that arise organically in class
Humans use different languages. ASL is a language used by people in or connected to the Deaf community. We use a few ASL words to communicate our ideas. In children's development, large motor skills develop more quickly than spoken language. Using ASL is also another way to help your child communicate when they might not have the words just yet.
Join Us for Class!
This summer, our classes are all about communication--the symphony of skills kids activate in order to receive communication from others, process that communication, and express back out their ideas. To make it extra joyful, we frame all of our lessons around a fun Camp Tinkergarten theme.
Want to join in? Find a class that works for your schedule and register here!
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