Creative Genius: Angela Hanscom of TimberNook

Photo by MadLiv’n Design & Photography

To say that parenting introduces a whole new universe of questions and concerns into any parents life is a gross understatement. For me, the transition from adult to parent was, and has continued to be, challenging in ways I never imagined. Our kiddo has kept me on my toes since she started walking MONTHS earlier than I expected and has moved at her typical warp speed every since. She also takes after her parents and likes to make and build anything and everything. She also is pretty emphatic that she can do it BY HERSELF, thank you. She plays, runs, climbs, imagines, creates, collects, etc. — as hard and for as long as she can. Play is her jam, plain and simple.

I’m a typically over zealous parent — I devour all that I can read on modern parenting and childhood development. So, when an Washington Post article popped up in front of me some months ago about why kids can’t sit still in school these days and the importance of play for normal development in children, I clicked. That click led me down a rabbit hole as I followed more links to articles by the same author, Angela Hanscom. Interested in those articles? Read more here, here, and here. Scary, right? Our daughter isn’t in kindergarten yet, but I’m already dreading it. I wanted to know more about this Angela Hanscom and her camp, TimberNook, to see where it was and when I could send my own daughter.

Little did I know that Angela and TimberNook are actually based two towns over from us. It is, indeed, a very small world. And as luck would have it, there was one camp that accepted kids my daughter’s age – Storybook Camp. I crossed my fingers, made a wish, and by what I imagine is a sliver of good luck, scored a spot. Each day, I dropped off one very excited little girl at 9am and returned at noon to find out she’d climbed trees, played in mud puddles, caught frogs and toads, built a bridge, crafted fairy wings, and so on. It was magical. The added bonus? When our kiddo had plenty of time to run and play outdoors, she was able to exert her independence in a productive way… instead of battling me on small issues that exasperated us both. As the week drew to a close, I emailed Angela to beg for tips on how to find a way to continue the TimberNook experience each day, as it was so obviously good for our daughter.

Her answers were exceptionally insightful, well-considered, and eminently doable. I realized that as a handy, DIY type of parent, I knew a whole audience of parents who might be similarly interested in Angela’s wealth of good advice and expertise – all of you Made + Remade readers. If you have active kids, pull up a chair and let me introduce you to my new favorite parenting guru, Angela Hanscom of TimberNook.

Hi Angela! Will you introduce yourself and TimberNook to our readers?
I’m a mom to a 7-year-old and 10-year-old girl; soon there will be a new baby boy. I’m also a wife, a newly minted author, and some would call me a “torch-holder.” You could say I’m very busy. TimberNook came about out of necessity. It is the first developmental nature program to go international.

How old is the program and what was the impetus behind creating it?
TimberNook ran at one location, under a different name for 4 years before we knew it was time to share. In 2013, when we couldn’t accommodate all the interested families and therapists were asking if they could replicate our unique program – we decided to license and train new TimberNook providers.

Photo by MadLiv’n Design & Photography

What are some of the kinds of activities the kids do at TimberNook? What’s the thought process behind those activities?
We purposely choose TimberNook experiences that children may not have the opportunity to participate in somewhere else. The experiences have to meet a number of requirements – particularly they need to foster creativity, be meaningful, support and enhance sensory & motor development, and get kids thinking in new ways.

Photo by MadLiv’n Design & Photography

You have several different themed camps – how are they different and what are the benefits of each?
All of the camps run on the same underlying philosophy and strategies that are core to TimberNook. However, each themed camp provides unique experiences for the child. For instance, Enchanted is about diving deep into the imagination. Storybook re-creates fairy tales in nature. Finally, Going Wild focuses heavily on adventure and design experiences in the wild, while still keeping in mind the underlying philosophy of TimberNook.

Angela, several of your articles have gone viral. Do you think there’s a groundswell of parents who are actively seeking opportunities like this for kids?
Absolutely! I think parents are starting to recognize the need for their children to play outdoors unhindered by adult fears. They are starting to recall their own childhoods, days of freedom, and are beginning to say; “I want that for my children too.”

Photo by MadLiv’n Design & Photography

With Common Core and No Child Left behind, we’ve seen a movement away from building blocks, drawing, imaginary free play, and problem solving – kids as young as kindergarten are expected to sit for longer and longer periods of teacher-led instruction. What are the dangers of taking play and movement out of our classrooms? Taking away movement and free play is causing a lot of problems with child development today. It is affecting their sensory and motor skills. More and more kids are presenting with underdeveloped balance systems, decreased strength, difficulty paying attention, and even displaying aggression on the playgrounds. The antidote to these problems? Giving children frequent and daily opportunities to move their bodies in active, free play outdoors. It is then, and only then that we’ll start to see a shift back in improving development.

If there’s one element of play you think kids are missing out on these days, what is that element?
The most important element of play, which is becoming more and more rare, is free play outdoors. When children are given the opportunity to move their bodies in the ways they were designed, they start to develop into strong and capable children. Also, during free play outdoors with peers, children start to create their own ideas, rules, and even their own worlds. This is when they get really creative and acquire critical skills such as negotiating, problem solving, and developing play schemes.

Photo by MadLiv’n Design & Photography

You’ve been an outspoken advocate for more active outdoor play in schools. For parents who can’t homeschool, but want to advocate for their kids within a school system, what would you recommend?
Most of the decisions for cutting subjects – including recess – are done by the school board. If you’d like to fight for a longer recess session or more movement breaks during the day, I recommend creating a petition. Have parents sign the petition and research heavily the implications for not having enough time to move throughout the day. Bring the petition with lots of signatures and your research with you to the next board meeting.

There were so many elements of DIY that my daughter experienced while at TimberNook. What are some safe ways to let kids participate in building for parents at home?
There are so many ways to incorporate DIY projects that involve children at home. Sometimes it just takes looking at your environment and what is needed, then simply inviting your kids to help design and create the equipment. For instance, maybe you have a small creek running through your yard and want to make a bridge. Have your children design a simple bridge with you. In the process, they’ll learn problem solving, simple tool usage, and creativity.

If you want monkey bars, teach your children simple knot typing skills and how to use a small handsaw. They can also help you find a location to put up the monkey bars. Children are more likely to use the equipment, when they helped to create it.

Finally, have loose supplies around that kids can experiment with on their own. This makes for hours of endless imaginative play in the backyard. Put out piles of planks, bricks, baskets, shears, stainless steel pots and pans, and sticks. Tell them they have permission to play with the supplies but don’t give suggestions on what they can be used for. Kids will naturally start building forts and creating their own worlds using the “adult-like” materials. 

Photo by MadLiv’n Design & Photography

I’ve seen a few articles on “adventure” playgrounds lately, both in Europe and here in the States. How is TimberNook similar or different, and what are your thoughts on playgrounds specifically designed to introduce an element of risk?
TimberNook is similar to adventure playgrounds in some ways and different in others. Both encourage risk-taking and letting kids play without adult interference or even an obvious presence. Some of our TimberNook providers have become really good at blending in with the trees during free play.

Where we differ, is that TimberNook takes place in very natural environments and uses the therapeutic elements of the outdoors to enhance the sensory experience for the children. Adventure playgrounds have a lot of man-made materials (i.e., old mattresses, metal, tools, etc.) lying around. TimberNook is very selective on how the environment is set up and this can change from day to day.

TimberNook also has an underlying purpose to each day and starts off with an experience that is totally child-driven but develops inspiration in the children. Later, the children experience hours of free play and sometimes interweave these unique TimberNook experiences into their play.

For parents who want to allow their kids to take safe risks, but have a hard time letting go, how do you recommend they go about loosening the reins?
Baby steps. Start by letting them do little things on their own, like climbing up onto small rocks and jumping off. Or maybe you let your children pick up sticks and start creating a fort, without having to say anything at all. Keeping the ever-popular phrases, “be careful” and “slow downs” at bay. As your children get more and more practice, they’ll become stronger, improve their body awareness, and in essence — will be safer when take risks in the long run.

Photo by MadLiv’n Design & Photography

Not everyone is lucky enough to live within spitting distance of TimberNook. For our readers who want to bring TimberNook to their own communities/families, how can they do that?
A few of our TimberNook providers were the parents that wanted TimberNook in their location for their children! They decided to head the project themselves. Others have asked around and spread the word about TimberNook to generate interest. Share with occupational therapists, speech therapists, physical therapists, teachers, and schools – these professionals are often interested in TimberNook and may willing to get trained and bring this unique program to your location.

I can’t thank Angela enough – for the amazing week my daughter had at TimberNook, for the articles she wrote that have been so enlightening, and preemptively, for her book, which will be published in the spring of 2016. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy! In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled – I’ve got a tutorial coming up on how you can bring a little of TimberNook to your very own back yard!

The Creative Genius series on Made + Remade features fabulous DIYers and makers who inspire us. Meet more Creative Geniuses and help us share the spirit of DIY!