Winter 2026 Resources
Animal Superheroes, Persistence
Animal Superheroes, Persistence
Join us for a Children's Theatre Field Trip!
Lesson Recap
Our explorers enjoyed discovering superhero tools and creating cozy dens for pretend groundhogs yesterday! The natural world is full of examples of species who have evolved unique ways to persist and, in turn, thrive. We forget sometimes that we, too, are animals with tools that enable us to persist, thrive and play outdoors all 4 seasons! Just being outside together, keeping our bodies moving and warm, and welcoming winter helps us learn to persist. This lesson also lends itself to pretend play. When kids pretend, they develop cognitive flexibility—the ability to bend the rules, imagine new worlds and substitute one idea for another.
This lesson also reinforced other benefits for kids:
· Pretend and superhero play supports flexible thinking.
· Offering a simple tool helps kids slow down and take in the natural world. This is a super way to support focus skills while stimulating their senses.
· Kids began to navigate a new social group, learning rituals and routines and understanding that they are encouraged to play in their own way at Tinkergarten.
· Thinking about the needs of another creature supports kids in developing empathy.
· Using found objects to create a cozy space for a pretend groundhog supports problem solving, creativity and imaginative play.
The Superhero Nature Mask DIY Activity will inspire kids to keep exploring this week's themes.
The Cozy Hideaway DIY activity lets kids continue playing like their groundhog friends, building lovely den to hibernate in, or enjoy pretend play!
Watch these YouTube video read-alouds of Lucia, the Luchadora by Cynthia Leonor Garza and Gregory’s Shadow by Don Freeman.
Additional Book Recommendations
What’s My Superpower? by Aviaq Johnston
Winter Is Here by Kevin Henkes
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
Winter Sleep by Sean Taylor
Hello, Winter!: An amusing video about how our approach to winter impacts how our kids learn to persist through all kinds of challenges! Tinkergarten designs these videos for grown-ups, but they are so fun to watch that Ben loves them too!
A Tinkergarten article with 8 sweet ways to help kids celebrate Groundhog's Day.
Lesson Recap
First, just thinking about how an ice worm survives such extreme cold can offer inspiration to persist in whatever winter weather we've got! Kids drew on both the "stick with it" and "keep trying new things" aspects of persistence as they tested out using different materials to free their yarn ice worms from our “glaciers”.
This lesson also reinforced other benefits for kids:
· Kids activated multiple senses — ice is dazzling to our sense of sight, touch and even hearing.
· Kids also activated hidden senses (vestibular & proprioception) as we bent over and used different tools to free our worm friends.
· Using different materials and different methods to free the yarn worm from ice was marvelous practice for problem solving skills.
· Learning about and pretending to be an animal builds empathy and the roots of stewardship in children.
TG: With the Winter Wondermobiles DIY Activity, your family can freeze nature treasures to create beautiful ice mobiles.
TWN: Kids of all ages will enjoy creating beautiful Frozen Treasures and using them to explore the principles of freezing and melting.
TG & TWN: Watch this Tinkergarten-created video read-aloud of Glacier on the Move by Elizabeth Rusch and Alice Brereton to learn more about glaciers and ice worms.
Additional Book Recommendations
Arctic White by Danna Smith
Sea Bear by Lindsay Moore
TG: How Does Mixed Age Play Support Kids? Video: A fun video for grown-ups about the benefits of mixed age play.
TWN: Hello, Winter!: An amusing video about how our approach to winter impacts how our kids learn to persist through all kinds of challenges! Tinkergarten designs these videos for grown-ups, but they are so fun to watch that Ben loves them too!
TG & TWN: In honor of February being National Library Month, here’s an article from Tinkergarten about how to nurture kids' natural persistence and grit with great books. You can visit your local library and find some of the recommended books!
Lesson Recap
First, just thinking about how an ice worm survives such extreme cold can offer inspiration to persist in whatever winter weather we've got! Kids drew on both the "stick with it" and "keep trying new things" aspects of persistence as they tested out using different materials to free their yarn ice worms from our “glaciers”.
This lesson also reinforced other benefits for kids:
· Kids activated multiple senses — ice is dazzling to our sense of sight, touch and even hearing.
· Kids also activated hidden senses (vestibular & proprioception) as we bent over and used different tools to free our worm friends.
· Using different materials and different methods to free the yarn worm from ice was marvelous practice for problem solving skills.
· Learning about and pretending to be an animal builds empathy and the roots of stewardship in children.
TG: With the Winter Wondermobiles DIY Activity, your family can freeze nature treasures to create beautiful ice mobiles.
TWN: Kids of all ages will enjoy creating beautiful Frozen Treasures and using them to explore the principles of freezing and melting.
TG & TWN: Watch this Tinkergarten-created video read-aloud of Glacier on the Move by Elizabeth Rusch and Alice Brereton to learn more about glaciers and ice worms.
Additional Book Recommendations
Arctic White by Danna Smith
Sea Bear by Lindsay Moore
TG: How Does Mixed Age Play Support Kids? Video: A fun video for grown-ups about the benefits of mixed age play.
TWN: Hello, Winter!: This amusing video about how our approach to winter impacts how our kids learn to persist through all kinds of challenges! Tinkergarten designs these videos for grown-ups, but they are so fun to watch that Ben loves them too!
TG & TWN: In honor of February being National Library Month, here’s an article from Tinkergarten about how to nurture kids' natural persistence and grit with great books. You can visit your local library and find some of the recommended books!