When tea becomes ritual, it takes place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things. - Muriel Barbery
As a kid, it was butternut donuts for breakfast on my birthday, and staying up late one night a year to watch A Christmas Story when it was on TV. Now, as a parent to three kids, it's making pancakes on the weekends and doing what each one of them enjoy most, from a lavender scented bath to a song to circles traced on their back, as I help them get ready for sleep at night.
Research shows that family traditions correlate to a range of outcomes for kids, and even for parents. Psychologists have been researching the impact of family rituals for over 50 years, and their findings link family rituals to increases in children’s happiness, emotional well-being, sense of identity, and even success in school. Not all families face the same challenges, but evidence shows that, even when families deal with significant stresses, the creating and nurturing of traditions are linked to better outcomes for kids. At Tinkergarten, we are all about rituals. The ritual of coming together each week (in person or through the magic of a screen), the earning of a season's badge, the ritual of the circle, the song, and the closing celebration.
One of our favorite set of rituals are those that help us add a little extra cozy to the chilly months. First, an important part of loving being out in the cold is how amazing it feels to get cozy while you're out and when you come back inside. Plus, just knowing that you can create a little cozy in the midst of all that cold is empowering for humans at any age.
Some Ways to Spark Cozy Rituals
Here’s a peek at this week’s suggestions for not only getting your time outdoors together, but finding comfort, coziness, and magic with some added winter rituals:
Time Out for Tea
In ‘Time Out for Tea,’ add a break for warm tea into a walk or hike. The ritual helps to create a moment of quiet and warmth that you can share alongside the active exploration.
A Wish Tree
In 'A Wish Tree For Me,’ kids have the opportunity to make thoughtful wishes--for themselves, people they love, the world--and then hang those wishes on their own special trees.
Coming Back Inside
‘Coming In Is Part of Being #OutdoorsAll4’ is all about the deliciousness of coming back into warmth after you’ve been outside in the cold.
Community Can Amplify the Impact of Rituals
Sharing your ideas and time spent on rituals with others, whether in your family, friend group, school community, local community, or a virtual community like our Tinkergarten learning community and OutdoorsAll4 community, can give you and kids a boost. What a powerful thing it is to see the rituals that you value as a family or a classroom community echoed and shared with others.
Thank you for the Photographs!
Sarah Maxwell, Eugene, OR | @greatjoyshouts
Huge thanks to Sarah and Theo for sharing their wishes and tea time with us!
