FAQ

Do I have to pay for siblings?

Any child who is older than 18 months or younger than 8 years old on the first day of the season must be enrolled to attend and participate in class. When enrolling more than one child, use one of the discount codes below at checkout when purchasing multiple enrollments.

For one sibling, use the code 1SIBLING25. For two siblings, use code 2SIBLING25.

If siblings are younger than 18 months or older than 8 years old, they can accompany you for free. If there is a school break or other childcare disruptions for a sibling who does not usually join, they can join up to 2 sessions for free due to these circumstances. Please notify me if an extra child needs to attend for a session so that I can prepare any necessary materials.

Do you offer refunds?

If a refund is requested by the Monday BEFORE the season begins, families can receive a full refund or credit towards a future class.

If a refund is requested AFTER the season begins, families can receive a refund for half of the value of the remaining sessions in the season, minus 10% for credit card processing fees.

Are credits or refunds offered for missed sessions?

Credits and refunds are not offered for classes missed by families. When signing up for a season class, you will also be given a discount code to purchase Tinkergarten Anywhere for $5 per month. If you must miss class due to prior plans or illness, you can complete the lesson at home by watching the pre-recorded lesson in your Tinkergarten Anywhere page.

If you must miss more than 3 classes, you can be refunded 50% of the enrollment for any further classes and we will discuss whether you would like to remain in class, or try another season and open up your enrollment spot.

If I am unable to offer a make-up time and must cancel more than 1 class, you will be fully refunded for any cancelled sessions beyond the first.

What happens in inclement weather?

We will try to hold class rain, snow, wind, or sunshine. However, if conditions are unsafe - determined by using local weather and road conditions guidance and weather charts including wind chill, lighting distance, air quality, or heat warnings - class will be rescheduled or cancelled.

I will update families no later than 90 minutes prior to class by e-mail and text. Whenever possible, the session will be offered at another time that week.

How do you (the teacher) foster a safe learning environment during class?

Each explorer (child) is accompanied by a guide (parent or caregiver). I support guides and do all that I reasonably can to provide a learning environment that allows for safe risk-taking.

I bring a First Aid Kit to class, which can be utilized by guides (attending adults) if needed.

A few, simple rules help to address most situations:

Explorers (children) can explore on their own as long as they can still see or hear their guide or me.
If explorers are taking physical risks, we check in to make sure that they feel sturdy and safe in their risk-taking.

We encourage children to engage in risky play, but give clear redirection if or when safety and the safety of friends in the class could be compromised. For example, we celebrate that sticks are the #1 toy of all time, but we make sure that our sticks have plenty of space so they do not touch our friends' bodies. Ultimately, over time, we want to help children learn how to learn their limits while still playing in a way that keeps them and their friends out of true harm.

We encourage children not to put nature treasures in their mouths. If a wee one is doing so as a natural part of exploring the world, I work with their guide to try to honor that need in the safest way possible.

What is the approach to health/illness safety in classes?

Before class: All participants, teachers included, are asked to self-assess for symptoms of contagious illness. If an explorer or guide has any of the following symptoms, they must stay home and, if registered, utilize the Tinkergarten Anywhere video to follow along.

Fever (100 degrees F or higher), chills, or shaking chills
New loss of taste or smell
Cough (not due to other known cause, such as a chronic or lingering cough)
Sore throat when in combination with other symptoms
Headache when in combination with other symptoms
Fatigue when in combination with other symptoms
Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms

During Class: All participants follow an In-Class Safety Checklist with 6 simple strategies that enable us to play safely together!

Masks are not required, unless they become required outdoors by Pinellas County or the park where class is held
We design our classroom spaces and activities so that we limit participants' sustained close contact and practice giving healthy personal bubble space.
Eating or drinking should be done in “nests”
When temperatures are above 50-60 degrees, I provide a soap + water mixture for participants to wash hands as needed

I have purchased my enrollment. What happens next?

Read my e-mail that I send out with more info about the season, the waiver, and a short survey to learn a little more about you and your explorer before the season begins. I will send this within 2 business days of you purchasing your enrollment. If you have not received an e-mail by then, please reach out as there may have been a typo or technical issue.
Purchase your $5 per month Tinkergarten Anywhere membership. Once I receive the discount code from Tinkergarten, I will e-mail and text this to all enrolled families. This will be how you follow along if you have to miss class, a way to dive further if your kids really enjoyed a lesson and want to do more, how you access other suggested activities for the week, how to access Tinkergarten read-alouds, and how you will receive your badge at the end of the season.