respect, perspective, & SUMMER CAMP! 😎

January 2026 NewsletterHi read,Happy New Year! Enjoy our January resources, tips, story, and service updates (hint: summer camp opens very soon!). Look out for the summer camp email this Friday morning!☀️ Recommended Resource:I (Laura, OKOT found

January 2026 Newsletter Hi read, Happy New Year! Enjoy our January resources, tips, story, and service updates (hint: summer camp opens very soon!). Look out for the summer camp email this Friday morning! ☀️ Recommended Resource: I (Laura, OKOT founder) now serve on the board of a non-profit called RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers). Before they recruited me to serve on the board, I had never heard of RIE! This organization is a wonderful resource for parents- focused on supporting infants and toddlers, but the principles strongly align with our work at OKOT and are applicable to children of all ages. One of the key principles is respect for infants and children…it sound simple but is actually deep and nuanced. You can learn more about this philosophy and find out more about their parent education classes here.  💚 OT Tip for More Joy & Ease in Daily Life One day when I was seeking some perspective on the size of my problems, I asked Google and learned it is estimated 750 billion(!!) people have existed in the world across history.   For some reason, this really put things into perspective for me. When you're in the thick of it parenting young children, things can feel challenging. We do things we regret- like speaking harshly to our children, or yelling, ignoring, or overreacting when they trigger us in some way. And it ALWAYS feels like a big deal.   So the tip for today is to LET IT GO. Try to keep problems in perspective. This a good lesson for children too- we talk with them about the size of a problem and how our response to the problem should match the size of the actual problem. Modeling this for children can help them learn to self-regulate, too. So many things that seem like a really big deal at the time they happen are NOT that big of a deal after some time has gone by.  🌳 OKOT Story & Service Updates Fort building is ALWAYS a hit with kids in our OKOT groups, no matter what the age! And therapists love fort building because of all of the problem-solving and collaboration it requires with peers. During a recent fort building in one of our groups, decisions had to be made about where to put the fort, how to set up the frame, what to use to cover it, and how to make doors and windows. If you want to try this with your own kids, we recommend a few long sticks, some twine, some fabric, and lots of clothespins! Try to sit back and let THEM create without taking charge yourself. You might be surprised at what they can create! OKOT Service Updates: If you're interested in outdoor OT services for your child: You can check out our 1:1 services here. You can check out our group services here.   SUMMER CAMP ENROLLMENT WILL OPEN for YOU on Friday Jan 16! Enrollment for Outdoor Kids summer camp will open for all our email list families on Friday Jan 16 at 7am PST (9am CST). We will send the registration link via email and you'll have 4 days to enroll before we open to the general public on our website on January 20.   Camp will be first-come-first-served enrollment this year. Once you enroll, you have your spot(s). Your child will automatically be added to the waitlist if any of your preferred weeks are full. Our team will still review all applications to ensure camp will serve your child's therapeutic needs. We will reach out to families if there are any concerns (for example, a child who is an outlier in age compared to all the other kids enrolled that week.)   Here are all of the tentative camp dates & locations (with age ranges) to help if you're an early planner!:   WISCONSIN June 15-19 Token Creek (Ages 4-7) June 22-26 Glen Oak Hills (7-10) June 29-July 3 Glen Oak Hills (7-10) July 6-10 Glen Oak Hills (4-7) July 13-17 Token Creek (7-10) July 20-24 Glen Oak Hills (4-7) July 27-31 Token Creek (7-10) Aug 3-7 Glen Oak Hills (7-10) Aug 10-14 Token Creek (4-7) Aug 17-21 Token Creek (4-7)   SAN FRANCISCO June 8-12 Presidio (Ages 4-7 & 7-10) June 15-19 Presidio (7-10 & 7-10); McLaren (4-7) June 22-26 Presidio (4-7 & 7-10); McLaren (7-10) June 29-July 3 Presidio (4-7 & 7-10) July 6-10 Presidio (4-7 & 7-10) July 13-17 Presidio (4-7 & 7-10); McLaren (4-7) July 20-24 Presidio (4-7 & 4-7); McLaren (7-10) July 27-31 Presidio (4-7 & 7-10); McLaren (4-7)   EAST BAY June 8-12 Joaquin Miller (Ages 7-10) June 15-19 Joaquin Miller (7-10) June 22-26 Joaquin Miller (4-7) June 29-July 3 Tilden (7-10) July 6-10 Joaquin Miller (4-7 & 7-10) July 13-17 Joaquin Miller (7-10 & 7-10) July 20-24 Joaquin Miller (4-7 & 4-7) July 27-31 Tilden (4-7)   Cheers, Laura Park Figueroa  Founder, OKOT   P.S. Here's a fun shot of mudpie-making at summer camp last year after a rainy day! VISIT OUR WEBSITE 2930 Domingo Avenue #1092 Berkeley, California 94705, USA Unsubscribe or Manage Preferences here. No hard feelings!