The TinkerLab Story

Dear Parents & Educators,

I founded Tinker Lab on October 1, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to meet the urgent needs of children and parents during an unprecedented time. What started as a small, home-based micro-school has now grown into a vibrant learning hub that reimagines early childhood education.

As a mother and educator, I was deeply influenced by the philosophies of RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) and Self-Reg which taught me to treat children with respect and view them as active participants in their growth. I quickly realized that play is not just a break from learning—it is how children learn best. Yet, many traditional preschools focus too heavily on academic readiness, ignoring the emotional and social development that is critical during the early years.

I started Tinker Lab because I saw a troubling disconnect: despite all the evidence about how children develop, many preschools function like mini formal schools, pushing academics far too early. But why rush? Why are we so focused on teaching numbers and letters when children haven’t even fully developed their sense of self or learned how to regulate their emotions?

What good is rote learning if children lack the emotional intelligence (EQ) to navigate real-life challenges - the ability to self-regulate, manage frustration, and understand social cues. What use is a wide vocabulary or knowing facts if a child hasn’t developed the emotional tools to handle life’s challenges?

Another troubling issue is the lack of respect for children’s agency in traditional classrooms. At home, many parents work hard to respect their child’s individuality, allowing them to have a say in their daily lives. But when children enter the schooling system, this respect often disappears. Classrooms are top-down, with teachers delivering instructions while children passively follow. But children don’t learn that way. They are natural explorers, learners, and thinkers, and when given a voice, they blossom into confident, independent individuals. Why should their voice not matter in the classroom just as it matters at home?

Tinker Lab was born from this realization—that our children deserve more. They deserve learning environments that respect their curiosity, emotional needs, and agency. They deserve spaces where they can play, explore, and grow at their own pace, supported by educators who are responsive to their emotional and social development, not just their academic performance. I founded Tinker Lab because I believe that children shouldn’t be shaped into compliant students to fit an outdated model of education. Instead, they should be nurtured into authentic, self-assured, emotionally resilient individuals ready for the world—not just school.

Tinker Lab has grown into a thriving educational centre where children are not just school-ready but life-ready. Our mission is simple: to create emotionally nurturing and intellectually stimulating environments where children can grow into confident, authentic adults—not just students prepared for tests, but individuals prepared for life.

With much love & hope for our children,

Pallavi Poojari Mohindra
Founder, Tinker Lab & The Nurturant