"My 28-month old son loves going to Tinker Yard! He’s been going since he was 16 months old. I love seeing the curiosity on his face as he figures out what to make and the awe when he accomplishes what he wanted. It may look simple to adults, but to him, the possibilities are endless! I could most definitely see the benefits of child-led open-ended play. He is more confident and calmer. I do notice that when we go to a typical parent and child play class where there’s a set time for each activity then it’s time to put away stuff and get on the next activity, a lot of kids get overwhelmed and weren’t done exploring yet. I notice quite a few tantrums. When you go to Tinker Yard, the kids are playing quietly and everyone, including little ones are treated with respect. I love how Alyna facilitates and very willingly share tips. I highly recommend Tinker Yard!"
Sophia Cruz-Klopp
"I really appreciate the efforts in creating this lovely space for children to explore and discover. Other than messy play, there are plenty of naturally made/sourced objects for children to create with. Definitely a great break from the usual battery-operated and over stimulating toys! Taking time for self-directed play is so important for young children especially those living in the city. Looking forward to more time time spent at The Tinker Yard!"
Sophia Cruz-Klopp
"I really appreciate the efforts in creating this lovely space for children to explore and discover. Other than messy play, there are plenty of naturally made/sourced objects for children to create with. Definitely a great break from the usual battery-operated and over stimulating toys! Taking time for self-directed play is so important for young children especially those living in the city. Looking forward to more time time spent at The Tinker Yard!"
Valerie Lionnet
"For the longest time, I was searching for an activity class for my 2.5-year-old in the East. The Tinker Yard and my daughter loves it. It provides a calm and relaxing environment and encourages uninterrupted play which I love. I feel like it has helped my daughter benefit from the small group setting and the gentle approach Alyna uses to work with the children. It has helped her with language development and social skills and encouraged a lot of creativeness. And it's fun!!! Highly recommend!"
Leandi Viljoen
"There are very few play spaces in Singapore where children are allowed to be themselves, to make some mess and to represent their ideas/thoughts through different available materials. My 3-year-old loves using the open ended and recycled materials to build things and my 7-year-old loves doing pretend play, dough play and inventing anything with loose parts and a glue gun. The only place in town where they can sit engrossed for 4 hours straight and are still reluctant to go home after despite being hungry!"
Mariana Silahuddin
"Bringing my boy to join the Sensory Play sessions at Tinker Yard is one of the best decisions I've made. Through the process, I've realized how important it is for our kids to engage in child-directed play and messy play, and how learning naturally takes places in the process. Alyna has also been very generous with ideas on how we can prepare some of the sensory play materials in our own homes, such as how to make homemade playdough and so on. I also enjoy the chats we've had during the play sessions on the pros/cons of various approaches to educating kids, how to prepare my child for preschool, how to train my child to sleep independently, and so on."
Jing Rui
"My children enjoy the variety of loose play items available at The Tinker Yard. It takes a bit of self-control on my part not to tell them what to do all the time. But it's heartening to know that they are still learning, because they are asking questions and verbalizing their predictions and thought processes. Let's get messy!"
Denise Yong
"Really wonderful creative playspace for children. Entirely child led setting with many provocations set up encompassing a wide range of sense and skills. Tiger has had a wonderful morning playing with paints, cornflour, glue, playdoh and making his own self portrait! Thank you!"
Sinéad Denton
"Fun is another name of the Free and Messy play! My 5yo has the freedom to choose what interests her and Alyna, the facilitator easily 'plays' along, drawing out the creativity from my girl. I love the conversations Alyna had with my girl during the play. So much vocabulary words my 5yo picked up during the play. Ok, it's supposed to be fun play with no academic agenda, but the play is so meaningful that the child is learning through the play!"
Karen TenThe Tinker Yard is not a place where children go there merely for activities such as arts and crafts, sensory play etc that was organized by every other child focused groups. The value add of The Tinker Yard lies in the process and the thoughtfully organized environment in how and where these activities are carried out. Throughout the process, Alyna does not provide only the basic supervision role. Instead, she encourages children to observe, question, explore and create through self-discovery. Different themes, materials and activities are always made available every week in the space where my children attend The Tinker Yard. Alyna clearly puts in a lot of effort and time to ensure that the children attending will be exposed to learning in an optimal environment. This is versus the passive teaching methods found in mainstream schools. If you want your children to maintain their curiosity in learning and be engaged at a meaningful level, The Tinker Yard is the place to be. Angeline Zenilegna
Very sweet and loving team. My girl enjoyed herself and was very comfortable with Alyna. Adelene Ng
