Displaying items by tag: forest school

RIDEAU VALLEY, Feb. 25, 2022 – Confidence. Leadership. Curiosity. Wonder. These are just a few of the traits your kids will bring home from Forest School when it starts up again this spring at Foley Mountain and Baxter conservation areas. 

The weekly programs focus on outdoor, play-based, child-centred learning. What does that mean, you wonder? It means students have a say in how and where they learn; they can choose to focus on activities that interest them, and in turn be more engaged in their learning. 

It means they’re outside all day long, returning to the same location each week to develop a deep connection to a particular outdoor place and the many wonders it holds within. It means students are taking and managing risks, problem-solving with their peers and putting their leadership and decision-making skills to work. 

It means they’re learning in nature, through nature. And it’s all really, really good for them. 

“Learning outdoors has so many benefits. They’re more active, they have better mental health,” said Rebecca Whitman, Foley Mountain’s outdoor educator and certified Ontario teacher. “I really see the benefits of the hands-on learning environment and letting them choose where to focus. It’s hard as adults and teachers to transfer that power but it helps them be more engaged. We try to say yes to all of their requests.”

Research has shown that playing outside has many physical benefits, such as greater physical fitness, lower risk of nearsightedness, better sleep rhythms and more exposure to Vitamin D. But children who explore and play outside also reap psychological benefits, such as improved stress management, better concentration skills and more stable mental health. 

Academically, the program supports the Ontario curriculum, although Whitman said it “may check boxes in a different order than a traditional classroom.” Math may come in the form of measuring various skulls to identify the animals, for example. Literacy is encouraged through themed story times, map-making or using a field guide for plant identification.

Risky play – climbing trees, balancing on boulders and generally doing anything that might rouse a “be careful” from worried parents – is a big component, as well. 

“Risky play is incredibly important for their physical and cognitive development,” Whitman said. “Students can learn how to manage risk and their response to it.”

Registration for the spring session of Forest School is now open for Foley Mountain in Westport, while registration for the program at Baxter near Manotick will open March 1. 

Beginning March 22, Foley Mountain will offer a half-day program for kids aged 3 to 5 on Wednesdays, and half and full-day programs for kids aged 4 to 10 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The semester runs weekly until the week of June 14. To learn more or to register, visit https://www.rvca.ca/outdoor-education/foley-mountain-ca/foley-mountain-forest-scool. 

The same week, Baxter will begin its spring semester of half and full-day programs for kids aged 4 to 10, offered Monday to Friday. To learn more or to join the mailing list visit https://www.rvca.ca/outdoor-education/baxter/baxter-forest-school. 

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WESTPORT, July 14, 2023 – A new weekly Forest School program will cater to kids ages 2 to 5 and their caregivers this September.

The parent-assisted program will run every Tuesday from 9:30 to 11:30 for 12 weeks, beginning Sept. 12. 

“It’s so important to let young kids engage in risky play, explore a diverse landscape, develop their motor skills and of course receive all the wonderful benefits from being outside,” said Foley Mountain site supervisor Rebecca Whitman. “The sooner we can help children build connections to the land and nature, the better off we’ll all be.”

The Forest School model allows students to spend most of their time outside, playing and learning through experiential, hands-on activities that promote curiosity in an active and authentic learning environment. Foley Mountain has offered Forest School programs since 2018. 

“We wanted to serve younger children, so we went with this parent-assisted model that serves a wider range of families,” Whitman said. Caregivers can help younger kids in the bathroom and help monitor risky play. It’s a great way to introduce younger kids to the Forest School environment – and the caregivers appreciate it, too. 

“Especially when they’re little, they want to share this experience with their kids,” Whitman said. 

Each week, the two-hour program will begin with free play prompts like mud kitchens, planks and boards, creature exploration, nature-based art, shelter building and seasonal activities.  Then the group will gather for a snack and story – usually around the campfire – and decide on the day’s big adventure in the forest.

Whitman said this weekly program will differ from Foley’s popular monthly drop-ins, since the same group will come together each week throughout the season, fostering a sense of community and encouraging independence and social learning.

“It’s so rich for all those developmental opportunities,” Whitman said. 

Registration is now open for the fall session at a cost of $216 plus HST. Families with slightly older or younger siblings are welcome to have them tag along.

Fall school-age and kinder Forest School programs are also open for registration. The half-day kinder program will run on Wednesdays starting Sept. 13 and the full and half-day programs for kids ages 6 to 12 will run on Thursdays beginning Sept. 14. 

Visit https://www.rvca.ca/outdoor-education/foley-mountain-ca/foley-mountain-forest-scool to learn more and register. 

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