Forest Club TO is a 100% outdoor weekend program for children 5 - 10 yrs old, taking place in North York Parks and Ravines such as Earl Bales and G Ross Lord parks. Winter sessions begin Feb 3, 2024.
Nature expeditions at Forest Club help foster autonomy and build self-esteem; the children will participate in democratic decision making to help direct our adventures - which might include hiking, learning about specific plants or animals, outdoor games, nature crafts or bushcraft skills.
A Typical Day at Forest Club
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Arrival/Snack/Free Play
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Club Meeting: Forest leaders present activity options; together we make a plan, the children must build consensus about what they want to do
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Execute: this could mean success or failure! Children will:
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Discover unique talents as individuals and capabilities as a team
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Learn to problem solve with parts that don’t always fit together perfectly and experience the joy when sometimes they do!
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Eat a snack
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Reflect: return to base camp, take stock of efforts, review successes, failures and take-aways, make a plan for next time.
The children will be invited to participate in activities that involve:
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Hiking
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Ropes & Rope Swings
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Pulleys
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Art materials that integrate nature
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Magnifying glasses and other scientific exploration materials
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Nature identification i.e. scavenger hunts
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Woodworking and tools - hammer, nails, hand drill
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Animal tracking
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Fire / Firemaking
About Me
Hi! I’m Irene - I’m a Licensed Forest Practioner, nature lover and a mom. When I'm not running Forest Club programs I run hands-on renewable energy workshops at elementary, middle and high schools across Toronto.
Forest Club TO was born with the idea that children deserve more opportunities:
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To be outside in nature
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To direct and have a say in their own adventures
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And still be safe
As a child I played in Earl Bales and G Ross parks too! As an adult, I spent more than a decade overseas, witnessing the impact of a nature oriented approach to learning with my own kids, learning about the forest school movement abroad and then working on my Forest Practitioner license here in Canada.
I am so excited to be able to bring Forest Club TO to life - I hope your family will join our adventure!
Irene
Philosophy & Approach
ForestClub TO endeavors to be guardians of a space that allows children to breathe, be curious, explore the world and be who they are.
Our programs are founded on three pillars:
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Environment
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Children’s Rights and Freedoms
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Community
We use pedagogical documentation and a process of continuous improvement to evolve how the pillars are integrated within our programs.
Through our work we aim to cultivate skills in leadership, teamwork, resilience and flexible thinking.