TimberNook at the Avon Hills Folk School
At the heart of TimberNook programming is the philosophy that children flourish when given the time and space to play in sensory-rich, experiential learning environments. Bringing exploration and nature together results in a truly unique way to reach children at a key point in their development.
Please see below for more about TimberNook experiences offered at the Avon Hills Folk School.
Register your child for any of these upcoming experiences at our TimberNook hub.
Upcoming Experiences
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Earth Day Open House
April 20th, 2024
10am-11:30am
All Ages
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Earth Day Open House
April 20th, 2024
1pm-2:30pm
All Ages
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Star Wars Open House
May 4th, 2024
10am-11:30am
All Ages
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Star Wars Open House
May 4th, 2024
1:00pm-2:30pm
All Ages
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Colorful Homes & Secret Pizza Party – Barefoot and Buckets
May 11, 2024
9am-1pm
Ages: 4 - 7
Children are invited to unleash their creativity in the woods, constructing unique homes with loose parts and vibrant colors, followed by meals enjoyed in their newly created abodes, with whispers of a secret pizza party!
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Tiny Ones: Box Play
May 18, 2024
9am-11:30am
Ages: 1.5 - 4
Join us for a day of fun and creative discovery in the forest, where you and your child will embark on an imaginative journey inspired by the boundless possibilities of a simple cardboard box, transforming them into tunnels, rocket ships, and castles, proving that with a little imagination, anything is possible!
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Tiny Ones: Little Blue Truck
May 21, 2024
9am-11:30am
Ages: 1.5 - 4
Horn went beep, engine purred, friendliest sound you ever heard! Many young children love the story of the Little Blue truck. Today they get to bring the story to life in the great outdoors!
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Tiny Ones: Painting
Jun 8, 2024
9am-11am
Ages: 1.5 - 4
Inspired by a delightful tale of unleashed creativity, young artists will pick up their brushes and explore the magic of color and expression, guided by the story's playful spirit, to create outdoor masterpieces.
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Dynamic Forts & Food Frenzy
Jun 12 - Jun 13, 2024
9am-3pm
Ages: 7 - 12
Kids will embark on a sensory adventure, building personalized forts in the TimberNook woods and engaging in an epic food fight complete with homemade launchers for added fun.
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Little Ducks
Jun 17, 2024
9am-11:30am
Ages: 1.5 - 4
Today, children discover the versatility of a single duck through outdoor play with water, floating ducks, tubes, and paint, fostering sensory feedback and supporting various developmental and learning objectives as they float ducks down self-made waterways and release them in the creek's current.
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Wizard’s Lab
Jun 20, 2024
9am-1pm
Ages: 4 - 7
Children will delve into the enchanting realm of magic, concocting potions in a wizard's laboratory and crafting their own magical wands, embarking on a mystical adventure to unleash creativity and imagination.
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Lord of the Rings
Jun 22, 2024
9am-3pm
Ages: 7 - 12
Embark on an immersive outdoor adventure transporting children into the fantastical realm of Middle Earth, inspired by The Lord of the Rings, where they'll craft staffs and wands, undergo warrior training, and encounter wonders at every turn.
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Musical Adventures
Jun 24, 2024
9am-1pm
Ages: 4 - 7
Following a story, children will embark on a musical adventure, transforming ordinary objects into extraordinary instruments. With their creativity ignited, they’ll explore the magical world of sound, using everyday items to create melodies that resonate with imagination and joy. Join us as we unlock the music within, turning stories into melodies and imagination into harmony.
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Tiny Ones: Musical Fun
Jun 29, 2024
9am-11:30am
Ages: 1.5 - 4
Through this hands-on experience, young minds will discover the joy of making music while fostering creativity and innovation in the beautiful TimberNook forest. Join us and you can transform moments into melodies and ordinary objects into extraordinary instruments!
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Star Wars Cantina
Jul 8, 2024
9am-1pm
Ages: 4 - 7
Young adventurers will step into their favorite characters' shoes from a galaxy far, far away, embodying Jedi knights and quirky aliens alike, as we embark on an intergalactic escapade inspired by the iconic Star Wars cantina scene.
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Star Wars Adventures
Jul 9 - Jul 11, 2024
9am-3pm
Ages: 7 - 12
Over the course of three days, kids have the chance to create their own spaceports, hideouts, or Jedi temples using a range of construction materials. Additionally, they can craft their own lightsabers. If they wish, they can also hone their Jedi skills by practicing with training droids.
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Muddy Chutes & Ladders
Jul 15, 2024
9am-1pm
Ages: 4 - 7
Children will have the exciting opportunity to explore tunnels, ropes, and ladders amidst the mud! They’ll navigate through the muddy terrain, conquering obstacles and forging their own paths. Join us for a muddy escapade where laughter echoes through the air and memories are made with every splash and squelch!
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Muddy Extravaganza
Jul 18, 2024
9am-3pm
Ages: 7 - 12
Welcome to the ultimate mud extravaganza—an over-the-top adventure that promises to immerse you in a world of messy, muddy fun like never before!
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Tiny Ones: Garden Play
Jul 20, 2024
9am-11:30am
Ages: 1.5 - 4
Engage your little ones and yourselves in a delightful outdoor adventure. We embark on the journey of creating a garden with soil and seeds! Together you will discover the magic of planting and nurturing life from the ground up. With tiny hands and curious minds, we’ll dig into the earth, feeling the texture of soil between our fingers, and sow the seeds of wonder.
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Wild Ones: Wild Mix
Jul 23 - Jul 26, 2024
9am-1pm
Ages: 4 - 7
Embark on a four-day adventure inspired by children's books, including creating Roxenboxen, making Wombat Stew, engaging in Princesses vs Dinosaurs battles, and crafting treasure maps for woodland hunts.
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Extreme Art: Catapult!
Aug 1, 2024
9am-3pm
Ages: 7 - 12
Children catapult paint balls through the woods onto oversized canvases, fostering creativity, teamwork, problem-solving, and imaginative thinking in a joy-sparking hands-on art experience.
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Painting With Pets
Aug 6, 2024
9am-1pm
Ages: 4 - 7
Among the trees of the TimberNook forest, children are encouraged to unleash their artistic talents alongside their furry friends. Armed with a palette of colors and an assortment of art supplies, young artist embark on an adventure of self-expression, guided by the whimsy of their stuffed animal companions.
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Tiny Ones: Painting
Aug 10, 2024
9am-11:30am
Ages: 1.5 - 4
After a delightful tale of children unleashing their creativity. Young artists will undoubtedly feel inspired to pick up their brushes and let their imaginations run wild. Guided by the story’s playful spirit, you and your child will explore the magic of color and expression as you create your own outdoor masterpieces.
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Circus Fun!
Aug 14, 2024
9am-1pm
Ages: 4 - 7
Step right up and let your child’s imagination soar at our outdoor child-led circus-themed play experience, where they become ringmasters of their own magical journey, filled with laughter, wonder, and endless possibilities alongside their stuffed animal friends!
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Tiny Ones: Box Play
Aug 15, 2024
9am-11:30am
Ages: 1.5 - 4
Join us for a day of fun and creative discovery in the woods, where you and your child will unleash your imaginations with cardboard boxes, transforming them into tunnels, rocket ships, and castles, proving that with a little imagination, anything is possible!
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Going Medieval
Aug 20 - Aug 22, 2024
9am-3pm
Ages: 7 - 11
Immerse your child in a three-day Medieval Experience filled with castles, catapults, dragons, and feasts, where they'll build, create, and dress the part while strengthening their creative and physical confidence in the TimberNook woods, ensuring they return home happy, tired, and ready for more medieval adventures!
Learn about TimberNook
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TimberNook is an innovative, nature-based developmental program designed to foster creativity, imagination, and independent play in the great outdoors. TimberNook was founded by a pediatric occupational therapist and developed upon a large body of peer-reviewed research that supports the importance of incorporating nature-based play into the school day.
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The TimberNook curriculum utilizes the pedagogy of play to promote deep and meaningful learning in students and supports development of the whole child. TimberNook settings and experiences are carefully analyzed for both their therapeutic and educational value in order to provide students with the opportunity to utilize all of their senses, their mind, and their body to the fullest.
The curriculum encourages complex social interactions, reasonable risk-taking, problem solving, the development of fine motor skills, balance and overall strength, independent thought, emotional regulation, tactile (touch) processing, proprioceptive (joint/muscle awareness) processing, multi-level learning, motor planning, and creativity.
Most importantly, TimberNook reveals the fun in outdoor learning. Students have the opportunity to build elaborate designs and structures. By offering students authentic ways to demonstrate the application of their knowledge they develop a love for learning, creativity, and critical thinking.
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Enhanced Learning: TimberNook provides students with the opportunity to engage in child-directed play during the school day. Research has shown that this type of play improves content retention, attentiveness in the classroom, and executive function skills, such as planning, initiation, and problem solving.
Supports Development: TimberNook experiences meet a range of developmental needs that are not typically part of a content-based curriculum. Students are encouraged to take age-appropriate risks, engage their senses, and challenge their body and mind in ways that sitting in a regular classroom cannot.
Intentional Curriculum: TimberNook provides educators with the tools to foster learning through play. The curriculum is intentionally designed to inspire creativity by provoking curiosity in students. Extended time, ample space, and natural loose parts are just a few key components used to support full immersion in deep and meaningful play with peers.
Advanced Social Skills: Throughout the TimberNook programming, students practice listening to others’ ideas, negotiating, compromising, collaborating, regulating emotions, and executing complex play schemes with classmates in nature.
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● Demonstrate the application of their knowledge
● Participate as a member of an interdependent community
● Design and construct complex structures out of a variety of materials
● Care for themselves and those around them
● Cooperate with other students to accomplish group goals
● Be inquisitive and make connections Initiate new ideas and invent solutions to problems
● Care for common spaces and materials to maintain cleanliness and order
● Act in stewardship for the environment and one’s own health and well‐being
● Develop physical strength and balance through running, catching, throwing, kicking, climbing, jumping, and rolling
● Create and develop complex play schemes
● Be immersed in and develop a love for the outdoors
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1 to 6. We find this is critical for ensuring a positive and safe experience for the children and the adult Team Members.
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Yes, currently we have set that at 18, also to ensure a positive and safe experience.
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Children are dropped off and picked up at the scheduled dismissal time. This allows for one of the guiding principles of TimberNook: Provide children with the Space and Time for a truly child-led experience.
One exception to this is our Tiny Ones Experiences where parents stay with their 18-36 month old "tiny one" during the experience.