Dr. Jen Palmer

Dr. Jen Palmer

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Nature-based movement classes and outdoor PT/wellness consults 🤸

Year 1 Outdoor Movement Classes 07/30/2026

The FULL Year 1 Curriculum (19 classes) AND the Fall on the Farm (4 classes) are on sale now through August in honor of "Back to School" -- hope you get the chance to enjoy these without the stress of putting it together ;)

Year 1 Outdoor Movement Classes One year's worth of outdoor-based movement classes for ages 2-7. Multiple units are found in this, each with a variety of lessons to fit different themes while emphasizing gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and sensory play. Developmentally appropriate and play-based with adaptations available f...

07/20/2026

Hi friends! I’m leaving this here on my feed- very raw, no makeup (per usual let’s be honest), quick little vid - to remind you to schedule a skin check if you have not had one recently (or ever) like me. I’ll be getting my first one next month!

I had a small nodular basal cell carcinoma spot cut out of my skin about a week and a half ago from a Moh’s procedure. It’s a very common cancer and it doesn’t follow many of those asymmetrical borders/weird looking things you may think of. Luckily, it’s super slow growing and rarely metastasizes - so we’re all good!! BUT it took me months to realize it was skin cancer and connect the dots and I literally taught the integumentary system in differential diagnosis to students — not every eye is trained to see this! Please get a referral to derm. I’m only 34 and a young one to get BCC- but it could be anyone. Also, use sun protection on you and your kids please 🙏

Everything is healing well from what I can tell! It looks sooo much better the last few days. I have pics if anyone wants to see hehe but otherwise- this is the reason for the bandaids on my head and the hat/sunglasses, ha! Stay safe out there đź«¶

Sensory Processing & Sleep 07/15/2026

All that sensory input relates to sleep! And quality sleep means your immune system gets activated properly. Which then rids your body of excess inflammation. Which then helps your body live and grow optimally… I could go on, but I won’t — but yes, it’s important to fill our sensory cup every day. Check out some tips here!

Sensory Processing & Sleep An oldie but still applies to anyone who wants to learn a little more about sensory processing and sleep - focuses on babies and young children but absolutely can apply to other populations. Learn more from me !

Jennifer Palmer - Bubble Solution 07/13/2026

If you missed the bubble fun last week, check out this recipe to make your own stronger bubble solution for lots of summer fun!

1 tsp guar gum
2 tsp veg glycerin
Mix into slurry, add to bucket
Add 36 oz distilled water (I didn’t use distilled…) + mix
Add 8 oz dawn soap + mix
Add 36 oz distilled water (again, not distilled) slowly
Here’s a link to all the ingredients I have + the recipe — https://shopmy.us/collections/6262840

We also made DIY bubble wands by finding sticks and putting pipe cleaners on them, then tying some twine to sticks— I bet some nets would be really fun too!

Jennifer Palmer - Bubble Solution See all of Jennifer Palmer's product recommendations from the list - Bubble Solution

07/01/2026

Environments to support growth đź§ 

Lighting matters, spacing matters, terrain matters.

Some of the reasons I love beach environments like this:
- Being around water in and of itself has been shown to lower BP (for you and the kids!)
- Being barefoot on the sand improves our foot intrinsic muscles and ankle strength (and lower body strength, balance, etc etc)
- Ascending and descending into the water gives an extra challenge to walking and the muscular endurance required after multiple trips
- Water is fun to move with buckets, bins— more heavy work and proprioception to calm the kids
- There are opportunities to touch multiple natural materials: we can immerse ourselves in water while walking on sand, while trying to catch fish — it’s a sensory motherload!
- Natural environments draw on involuntary attention instead of direct attention- nature begs to be seen and learned from. This might make it easier for a child to pay attention!

Being in unnatural environments has been shown to increase visual strain, cause headaches, and increase overall stress simply by visual processing of artificial patterns. Fractal patterns found in nature (think waves at the beach) don’t have the same effect. If you can go outside- do it!

Photos from Dr. Jen Palmer's post 04/06/2026

It’s time for a reintroduction! Hi, I’m Jen, a doctor of physical therapy since 2015, a military spouse since 2016, and a mom since 2019. A few health issues and then becoming a mom led me down a path to detox my life and live more intentionally, focusing on getting outdoors as much as possible. Having my daughter changed my perspective on parenting, my career, and life in general- I began looking more into ways I could integrate sleep knowledge, child development, and my physical therapy background in order to optimize our family’s wellness.

I have worked in nearly every PT setting since graduating, then I became a baby-led sleep and wellbeing specialist in 2020 and continued working on this here and there until 2024 when I started up the nature movement classes! The classes focus on improving the wellness of the child and caregiver attending in an outdoor setting. Utilizing an outdoor environment and rooted in an understanding of forming a secure attachment, the classes focus on different aspects of gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and other sensory play while helping to sync ourselves to our natural circadian rhythm. I don’t know every bug or plant out there, but I know what is happening in the brain when you touch the bark or step on those crunchy leaves. The classes are meant to help you and your child find a love for moving your bodies and getting outside. I do my best to focus on functional AND financial accessibility, because everyone should be able to get outside and play.

Outside of the classes, I love being outside and staying active. I love hiking, adventures, and taking on challenges- some of my favorites being hiking Mt. Fuji at night to see the sunrise on top, hiking the Tongariro crossing and Mt. Doom, recently running my first marathon, and buying a one way ticket to Southeast Asia on a solo traveling adventure in my 20s (on a budget, of course). Overall, I want to continue learning, growing, and being a good role model to inspire others to live their healthiest lives. đź«¶

So how long have you known me? My yogi era? Did you just find my classes? Did you take my PESI course? Let me know and ask any other questions you may have!!

04/01/2026

TWO drop-ins coming this April!

🌸 spring-themed mud kitchen @ Astraea coffee in VB

🌎 earth day celebration @ pleasure house point natural area
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Classes are for ages 2-6(ish) though the mud kitchen could very much be appropriate for 18 months up to beyond 6– reach out if you’re in question!

Caregiver-accompanied, 10 am for both classes! Siblings under 2 are free to tag along. Sign up via links on my website đź«¶ hope to see you there!

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Virginia Beach, VA