Forest Saturdays!

Forest Saturdays is a drop-in style program, where you can choose which themed weeks you’d like to attend! Each 3-hour session offers a unique nature-based experience for children ages 8-12, packed with outdoor survival skills, environmental literacy, and fun exploration.

Ages 8-12, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm (LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE!)

This program takes place at our 130 Main Street, Grimsby, ON location. We access local parks and forests in addition to our on site naturalized playground.

We are very excited to offer this program that provides continued access to a wooded area, promoting good physical, mental, social and emotional health, while developing a connection with the environment. The students build life skills such as resilience while being outdoors in all kinds of weather, spatial awareness while negotiating forest trails, social competency while working as a team, and self-confidence while assessing and taking risks in the physical environment.

By revisiting the same location in the woods, children develop a stronger relationship with nature, while also being able to observe the changing of the seasons and how this affects nature and all of its inhabitants.

“What’s important is that children have an opportunity to bond with the natural world, to learn to love it and feel comfortable in it, before being asked to heal its wounds.”- David Sobel

PLUS: Register for 3 or more sessions and receive a FREE t-shirt or hat!

Greenbelt Academy - Outdoor Recreation
Greenbelt Academy - Outdoor Recreation
Greenbelt Academy - Outdoor Recreation

Please see a sample schedule of the day below:

10:00am Arrival and free play
10:15am Morning Circle
10:30am Walk to the forest
10:45am Skill-based workshop,skills practice, hike and/or free play
12:30pm Snack and walk to the school
1:00pm Home time

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Themes & Dates!

Tracking Pt. 2: Gaits – Having learned how to identify some common tracks and signs of animal life, students will go further in their understanding by looking at specific gaits (i.e. running vs walking, uphill/down, etc.) and some of the terms used to describe various means of locomotion. Instructors will introduce the practice of foxwalking and students will play some games to get to know some different animal gaits.

Orienteering & Navigation – Students will be introduced to and explore different methods of orienteering from both modern and traditional perspectives. They will play games involving the use of a compass to find buried treasure as well as engage in discussion surrounding how humans navigate the environment using only what they could observe (i.e. animal behaviour, movement of the sun and stars, evidence of the prevailing winds, etc.)

The Moon – Students will learn about the importance of the moon and the scientific terms for the moon phases as we approach the longest night of the year and shift our focus to the skies. Students will also review the names of the planets in our solar system.

Stars & Constellations – Tying in with last week’s theme of navigation, students will learn about the importance of stars in relation to orienteering. Some of the more famous and obvious constellations will be explored and students will learn how to use a star map. Each participant will also have the opportunity to either make up their own constellation and will receive a paper star map to use at home.

Winter Solstice Songs and Storytelling – Students will enjoy a small potluck lunch while taking turns telling a story of their choosing. They can be a personal experience, a family story, a fairy tale, legend, or a cultural story.

Want to learn how to predict the future? Find out how to read the clouds and other signs to determine patterns and changes in weather systems! Join us for a morning of educational fun packed with songs, stories, and games about winter weather and learn how you can stay warm and dry even in the coldest months of the year.

Join us for a morning of educational fun as we learn how to build a “quinzhee”! We will discuss how snow can keep us warm and also how to identify, prevent, and treat both frostbite and hypothermia.

Join us for an in-depth look at coniferous trees and the ways in which they sustain life even in the coldest months of the year. We will learn how to tell the difference between pines, spruces, and firs as well as how members of this family have traditionally been used as both food and medicine (for humans and animals alike!).

This week we will be learning all about the mysterious world beneath the snow…the subnivean zone! Explore how animals navigate, make homes, and find food beneath the snow. A morning of fun packed with songs, stories, and educational games!