Recent Work
Angela Hanscom
Angela Hanscom, MOT, OTR/L – Founder of Timbernook
Angela Hanscom is an entrepreneur, author, pediatric occupational therapist, and mom to three creative children. After spending years observing and working with children with behavioral issues and sensory deprivations, Angela wondered if these issues could be treated and even prevented through more playtime in the great outdoors. She is the founder of Timbernook, an innovative, nature-based developmental program designed to foster creativity, imagination, and independent play in the great outdoors.
Angela is the author of the forthcoming book, Balanced & Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children, with Foreword by Richard Louv, author of the National Bestseller Last Child In The Woods (New Harbinger Press), which discusses the effects of restricted movement and lack of active play on healthy development of children today. Angela holds a master’s degree in occupational therapy and an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology (the study of movement) with a concentration in health fitness. She specializes in pediatric occupational therapy, especially in vestibular (balance) treatment and sensory integration. Balanced & Barefoot has been translated into French, Italian, Korean and Chinese editions.
Angela has been featured on the NPR Education, Huffington Post, Washington Post, Playground Magazine, Times of India, Children & Nature Network, Janet Lansbury – Elevating Childcare Blog, NH Parenting Magazine, Jerusalem Post, Our Kids Net, and MindShift. TimberNook was the recipient of the ‘Organizational Outdoor Champion’ award in 2014 by the NH Children in Nature Coalition. Angela enjoys speaking in front of large audiences and regularly offers presentations and workshops to schools and universities on the critical links between the brain, the child, and the great outdoors.
Angela enjoys spending time with her husband and children hiking in the woods and caring for their cat, dog, chickens, guinea fowl, and alpacas.
Visit her on the web http://www.timbernook.com/balanced-and-barefoot-book, or follow her on twitter @Timbernook
Read Angela Hanscom’s ongoing feature article series in Washington Post: