WHAT I OFFER
GETTING STARTED
WE TALK
We discuss family dynamics, shared interests and activities, social emotional needs of children, and setup a time to hang out.
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During this conversation we discuss the budget for the initial adventure. Generally it ranges from $200-400.
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This conversation works best when the parent(s) have about
30-90 minutes free.
Video chatting is preferred.
WE HANG OUT
It's important to build a trusting and playful relationship before venturing out on an adventure, whether emotional or literal. I’ve found that it’s helpful to meet up in a place that the children know well and isn’t crowded.
It could be the family house, nearby park, beach or bike path. During this time of trust and relationship building, I look for, and ask about interests of the kids, social habits, communication styles, relationship dynamics, and emotional needs.
WE design
AN ADVENTURE
I present project ideas, destinations, activities or tools based of off my observations of the children and their interests and needs.
I discuss ideas and parameters
with the parent(s) and then
facilitate a conversation as a
group with the children.
WE go
AND DO
We kick off the adventure with a check-in, brief overview of the day, and listen to any requests from anybody in the group.
Because the relationship is still very new, a focus on trust building through play is important. I also employ active listening, inclusive mediation, and advocating for the ideas of the children in order to build trust.
We wrap up the day with sharing both great and difficult moments as well as ideas for another adventure.
CUSTOMIZED EDUCATION
AFTERNOON ADVENTURES
A full day of school can often leave kids feeling exhausted, wound up, or anywhere in-between. Afternoon activities for kids need to accommodate their needs as well as what the family and household mood is like in the evening. Afternoon adventures can range from coding on a computer to building a treehouse. I’ve found that some children benefit from a long term project that gets revisited a few times a week while others prefer shorter projects. Generally, my work with kids after school is from about 2-6pm and is designed to follow the interests of kids as well as the long-term developmental ideals of the parent(s).
SUMMER SESSIONS
As soon as spring hits, the countdown to the last day of school begins. Think watermelon smashing, insane slip-n-slides, DJing dance parties, camouflage face painting in the forest, or directing, shooting and editing a movie. Summer sessions can range from a week of themed adventures to working on a large project in your yard. I can work to curate the experiences for siblings and pairings of siblings.
WEEKEND PROJECTS
With more time to make a mess, hike deeper in the forest, and build bigger towers, all day experiences provide a more relaxed pace where kids can settle into a project and find their pace. My role is to listen to ideas, support acting on them, ask safety questions, build with them, and integrate challenge that is slightly above their ability level. Generally weekend experiences are from sun up to sun down.
EPIC ADVENTURES
CHILD-CENTERED TRAVEL
After establishing trust with both the kids and their parent(s), we can co-design a crazy camping trip to your backyard or a weeklong travel overseas. These multi-day experiences have included parents but also kids without their parents.
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From setting up a tent to going through airport security, I focus on the relationship over the destination or schedule.
EPIC JOURNEYS
I build trips to meet the interests and needs of the traveling members of the family. Whether its a parent who needs respite to a highly sensitive child who wants to dirt bike, I put intentionality into the logistics, destination, activities, diet, and schedule.
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Trips without parents require appropriate waivers, medical information, and an established relationship of trust.
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child-centered space design
TOOL USE, SAFETY, AND PLAY
I believe that open-ended creation is important for the development of a child’s critical thinking, imagination, as well as both their cognitive and physical development. Having a place where kids can feel empowered, free, confident, and excited to do this is important. I have transformed garden sheds, garages, and guest rooms into rich creative spaces filled with tools and materials that children have been equipped to use.
FAMILY BUILDING
One of my greatest joys is watching kids teach their siblings and parents how to use a tool. I’ve seen this help to bring more value to the child in the household as they start to identify as somebody with knowledge and experience that they can then share.
HABITAT REHAB
Homes and spaces aren’t often setup to develop autonomy in children and kids can often turn the entire house into their play space. I’ve worked with families to redesign both the physical house as well as the expectations for the staff in how they encourage the development of agency, independence, and a respect for the space so that the child feels empowered in the family unit.
Often times this includes redesigning a child’s room to accommodate for their height, set up intuitive systems with the child for their toys and clothes, and help the child feel a respectful ownership of the space they inhabit.
hyper home movies
take your family portraits into the galaxy
Forget the matching outfits and stressful day-in-the-park shoot. I work with families to tell a story through weird, wacky, and fantastical movies.
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From the first brainstorm to the red carpet screening, I design and make costumes, location scout, shoot, edit, contract out some of the work, and even make the popcorn when we watch the final cut.