Free Fall Outdoor Play Class in Cartwright Park, Mediapolis, Iowa on August 19 at 1:45pm

Tinkergarten classes follow a predictable structure designed to build a strong sense of community, connect participants to nature, and introduce lessons that support our 8 core skills. You can read more about them in this article or sign up for a free trial to see for yourself!

We understand that families, especially those with young explorers, have to miss live sessions of Tinkergarten from time to time. That's why we always provide a 7-10-minute pre-recorded Tinkergarten lesson featuring Tinkergarten's Chief Learning Officer. Watch a here. If you have to miss your live session, you can watch the recorded lesson from anywhere, anytime that works for you. So, even if you have to miss a live session you never have to miss Tinkergarten! 

Summer 2022 Flex Policy: As many families return to pre-pandemic summer schedules, we’re offering additional flexibility for families with existing scheduling conflicts. Families enrolled in the Summer 2022 season can request an account credit for up to two missed summer sessions. Read more about our In-Person program policies here. 

Our approach to safety in all of our in-person Tinkergarten programming is informed by CDC guidance, has been proven over many seasons, and aims to ensure that everyone has as engaged, joyful, and safe an experience as possible. Read about our safety approach here.

Join our on-demand Tinkergarten Anywhere program! All you need is a connected device to view the weekly video lessons which you can watch (and rewatch!) whenever you like. The lessons are led by Tinkergarten founder and Chief Learning Officer Meghan Fitzgerald, and you'll receive resources to continue the outdoor play all week long.

You can also nominate someone in your community who would make a great Tinkergarten Leader (or apply yourself!). Please note that we gradually expand our in-person classes each season, and will continue to expand our reach in seasons to come.

Each week, in addition the live session, families are given access to: at-home activities which build on the live lesson; a video read-aloud of a related book-of-the-week; a video version of the week's lesson from our Tinkergarten Anywhere series; and a "Just for Grown Ups" video or article designed to help parents and caregivers facilitate their kiddos’ play at home (and laugh a little, too).

Yes! Our mixed-aged classes are the perfect experience to enjoy with siblings. Siblings under 12 months of age may join at no cost. Siblings over one year should enroll in the class, and a 25% sibling discount is automatically applied at checkout.

Our current programs are designed for children ages 18 months to 8 years, and our mixed-age formats support all learners, from the youngest to oldest. Our open-ended learning tasks, universal design curriculum, and approach to supporting children allows each child to find the right challenge level in each lesson and enables kids to learn from their classmates, both those the same age and those of different ages. Read more about the powerful benefits of mixed-age learning on our blog. Leaders also take time to get to know each child and adapt our approach to best fit the child's interests, strengths and needs.

Yes! Families can apply for 50% or 100% off the cost of one child's full season fee in either format, In-Person or Tinkergarten Anywhere, via tinkergarten.com/grant *. The online application takes under 1 minute to complete and includes no ask for financial information—if a family takes the time to apply, they qualify for our support. We reserve 3% of all spots in our classes nationwide to award as grants and award them on a first-come-first-served basis. Once you apply, you should hear back from our team within one week. If a grant is still available when you apply, we will send you a code to apply the grant when you register. 

To apply or learn more, visit tinkergarten.com/grant today!

If you need any assistance or have questions, please write to us at support@tinkergarten.com. 

(*) For In-Person classes, if you receive a 100% grant and enroll a second child, your second child's tuition will be full price with subsequent children receiving the 25% sibling discount. 

Yes, all of Tinkergarten’s In-Person programs take place in delightful, outdoor settings. As part of the program, families receive coaching on both the gear and the mindset that make outdoor play fun, healthy and joyful all year long. 

In the rare case that weather conditions are unsafe at the time of your live session (e.g. lightning, too cold), your Leader will either reschedule your in-person class session or will welcome you to utilize the pre-recorded class content and resources while you play safely at home.

As is stated in our approach to health and safety, Tinkergarten does not require that attendees wear masks. We do recommend wearing face masks for people who are not vaccinated, over the age of two and are not otherwise exempted from wearing masks. In some cases, the location at which Tinkergarten class meets does require attendees to wear masks. Before your class starts, we will clearly communicate by email and on our My Tinkergarten (parent dashboard) if there is a mask requirement at your location.

Leaders set up the outdoor classroom each week, so families just need to bring water bottles and seasonally appropriate layers. Read more about how to dress for outdoor learning here. To help you plan, enrolled families can also download a Season Program Overview from their My Tinkergarten (parent dashboard). The Overview includes a preview of the learning you'll be doing each week!

We love to play in (nearly) all weather at Tinkergarten. But, in the case of unsafe weather, your Leader will update families at least 90 minutes prior to class by email and text message. Families will either be offered an alternative time to meet during the same season or will be welcome to utilize the prerecorded lesson content available in their My Tinkergarten (parent dashboard). If more than 2 sessions need to be canceled, families will be eligible for a refund for those additional sessions. Read all of our in-person class policies here.

Click here and enter your zip code at the top to see if classes are available in your area. We'll continue to expand our reach in seasons to come.

You can click here to view sample activities. Be sure to toggle to see samples from each season. Or, visit our Curriculum page to download samples of the Curriculum Overviews we provide to parents or Season Maps that kids can use to track their progress through each unique seasonal curriculum.

Tinkergarten In-Person sessions are designed for grown-ups and child(ren) to experience together. To provide for the safety of all enrolled, children attend along with an adult from their own household or pod.

Numerous studies link exposure to nature with enhanced physical, social and cognitive outcomes for kids. And because nature is both calming and stimulating for kids, it provides an ideal environment for learning!

For details on our policies for In-Person classes, click here. The policies for Tinkergarten Anywhere can be found here.