Storybook – TimberNook Mat-Su Valley

NATURE IS THE ULTIMATE SENSORY EXPERIENCE: A Pediatric Occupational Therapist Makes the Case for Nature Therapy

by Angela Hanscom | Oct 24, 2022 | Occupational Therapy,Outdoor Play | 0 Comments

When I tell people I’m a pediatric occupational therapist and that I run nature programming, a look of confusion often crosses their face. “Huh?” they say. Or, “You’re...

ADD and the benefits of outdoor play

by Abbie McCafferey | Jun 22, 2022 | Outdoor Play | 0 Comments

When I was eight, I would sit down at the counter after school, lay out all my homework, but I wouldn’t get anything done for 2 hours. I wouldn’t fidget or run around,...

Beyond Skill Building: Nature & Self-Identity

by Ellie Leonard | Mar 21, 2022 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

The story about pancakes isn’t about the pancakes at all, really It is a Thursday evening in November, 2020 and I am staring at my weekly planner incredulously. How in...

Is Snow A Loose Part?

by Stephanie Wetherbee | Jan 21, 2022 | Occupational Therapy,Outdoor Play | 0 Comments

When you hear snow in the forecast, what comes to mind? Do you think of ceaseless shoveling? A slow morning commute? Or do you think about the hours of fun you had as a...

How TimberNook Changed My Approach to Parenting

by Steve Renner | May 28, 2021 | Outdoor Play | 0 Comments

Steve and his 2 amazing daughters, Lara and Mackenzie as they work together to bring TimberNook to kids in 2019. I became a parent in the early 2000s, right at the peak...

Why I’m Glad I Built Forts as a Kid

by Jillian McCalvey | Mar 2, 2021 | Occupational Therapy,Outdoor Play | 0 Comments

By Jillian McCalvey I built my first house at nine-years-old. Not alone of course. Building something as complex as a house takes nothing short of a community. So, I...

Occupational Therapy in its Truest Form – An Occupational Therapy Student’s Perspective

by Shayna Kennedy | Oct 26, 2020 | Occupational Therapy,Outdoor Play | 0 Comments

When my fieldwork coordinator first explained a potential placement at TimberNook to me, I had many questions. One of the very first being, “Is this even occupational...

A Post-Pandamic Blessing — A Deeper Appreciation of Nature

by Devon Karchut | Jul 27, 2020 | Outdoor Play | 0 Comments

The evening glow is settling in. As the trail dips down, I feel a cool pocket of air around me. The trees are bursting with new growth, and I see three deer bounding up...

Creating Child-friendly Environments During Tricky Times

by Colleen Christman | Mar 30, 2020 | Outdoor Play | 0 Comments

In 2019, I would have said that in an increasingly overscheduled world, play is even more important. Now, just 4 months later and in the midst of a global pandemic, I...