Nurture the Nature Forest School

08/07/2025

08/05/2025

🌿 Last week at Camp: Nature, Creativity & So Much Fun! 🌿

Highlights included:
* Playing 'Giants, Wizards, & Elves - a twist on rock, paper, scissors (with lots of laughter)
* Wand making - whittling and painting magical wands
* Crafting paracord bracelets and experimenting with mud kitchen potion making
* Forest games like 'The floor is lava, feed the fire, stick charades, and camo'
*Practicing fire skills using Ferro rods
* Building amazing stick cabins and clay creations
* Making charcoal and berry ink for nature-based art
* Leaf printing and getting messy with creativity
* Splashing and exploring in the river, climbing, tracking, and finding frogs
* And a truly magical moment... watching a cicada emerge from its exoskeleton in real time!

💚 We still have a few spots left in our upcoming camp weeks - if you'd like your child to join in the adventure, now's the time!

07/27/2025

What an incredible week at Forest Camp!

This past week was packed with adventure, creativity, connection, and so much fun in the forest! Our campers quickly formed strong bonds and embraced everything nature had to offer - from exploring the Forest and river to crafting, climbing, cooking, and connecting with each other and the land.

Here's a glimpse:

🌿 Monday kicked off with group games and bannock making! Campers practiced using Ferro rods to start fires, then made and cooked their own bannock over the fire!
🪵 Tuesday was 'Sticks & Stones Day', where creativity took the lead. Campers made nature tic-tac-toe boards, made paint using stones, and crafted journey sticks to take home.
🌳 Wednesday brought trust building through the Meet-a-tree game, followed by a wild edible walk, where campers picked berries, wood sorrel, and made their own berry salad! We ended with a beautiful hapazome project, hammering plants into fabric to create natural prints.
🦎 Thursday was full of excitement with tracker bingo, track mold making, and a reptile show! Campers got to hold and learn about 9 different reptiles. Thank you RedsFaunaverse !
Friday was free exploration day! (Which brought a ton of fun).

Throughout the week, campers also enjoyed:
- River and splash pad time
- Relaxing in hammocks and swinging in tree swings
- Discovering toads and salamanders (and naming them)
- Plenty of free exploration, laughter, and moments of wonder

We are so grateful for how quickly this group connected - with each other and with the land. It was definitely a super fun week!

07/18/2025

Our Forest Preschool crew

This was such a special group - full of curiosity, and courage. From muddy adventures and mini shelters to bug hunts and forest games, these little explorers brought so much joy to the woods.

It's been amazing watching them grow, connect with nature, and learn through play in different seasons. Grateful for the memories we've made together!

07/14/2025

Week 2 of Summer Camp was epic!

We had an incredible time with our campers during the July 7th-11th week - everyday was packed with adventure, creativity, and connection to nature!

One of the biggest highlights? Shelter building challenge! Campers had to design waterproof shelters with no gaps...and then we tested them by dumping a bucket of water on top! Laughter and teamwork filled the forest!

Another favourite was our Flour trail tracker game - where one group marked their trail with flour and used walkie talkies to hide, while the others hunted them through the woods. Think "Mammoth vs. Hunter", it was a hit!

We practiced fire starting with Ferro rods and roasted giant marshmallows around the fire.

'Mudsling' was a muddy good time - campers aimed mud balls at moving log targets, getting creative and messy!

We tackled obstacle courses made from logs, tires, stumps, and pylons - testing our agility, balance, and determination.

In the Camo Game, everyone suited up and disappeared into the forest using their best camouflage techniques - it was amazing to see how well they blended into their surroundings!

We also enjoyed rock painting, river time, and plenty of free exploration in nature.

To top it all off - one day we had a special visit from puppies! Every camper got to hold a puppy to close out the day. It was a heartwarming surprise that made the experience magical.

From 'Cat & Mouse' and 'Clothes peg tag' to fire, mud, and moments of peace by the river - this week was full of joy, curiosity, and connection. 💚🌿

07/09/2025

Week One of Summer Camp = Wildly Wonderful! 🌿🔥💦

Our first week of summer camp was a total blast! From river adventures to fire-starting fun, our campers dove right into hands-on nature exploration.

We spent lots of time in the river catching minnows and searching for crayfish
- Started fires using battery and steel wool
- Played water games and “Feed the Fire”
- Challenged each other with Ninja Stick & Rock Parkour
- Made our own charcoal drawing sticks
- Crafted natural lip balm using beeswax and coconut oil—over the fire!
🌿 Explored, played, and connected with the land in every way we could

We’re just getting started, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer brings!

07/04/2025

They're only a child once. 💚

06/27/2025

Outdoors, children learn to adapt to changing conditions. They develop flexibility, problem-solving, and emotional regulation as they interact with the natural world.

You can’t learn to be present and resourceful from a worksheet, but a sudden summer downpour? That’ll do it.

There are so many opportunities to take learning outdoors.

This learning is experiential and embodied. It's excellent for your wellbeing and mental health - for both the staff and children!