Programs & Registration
Registration for Fall-Spring 2024-2025 season begins May 6th 2024!
Spots are limited!
Want a reminder when registration opens? Click here.
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Current Members & Alumni Register here! (May 6th @ 9am)
(general registration opens May 13th)
Our Programs
We offer classes Monday to Friday for ages 3-12.
Our classes feature a bilingual teacher, fostering early independence and social skills like sharing, turn-taking, and peaceful conflict resolution. Our play-based curriculum, rooted in the forest school model, encourages comfort in all weather, nurturing resilience and a love of nature. Children develop teamwork, self-confidence, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, creativity, and social skills, all while safely exploring and taking age-appropriate risks.
We tailor challenges to each class's maturity and ability, sometimes creating groups by shared interests. Our activities also integrate learning, with math skills developed through counting, patterning, sorting, and measuring, and language skills enhanced through storytelling, rhyming, and everyday communication.
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View our Programs here:
CHIPMUNKS
2024-25 Session Dates will be announced by mid-August with Registration to follow.
This program is for children aged 1 to 4 and their accompanying parent(s). While toddlers will benefit most from this class, babies-in-arms and siblings are welcome too. Anyone curious about child-centred play in a natural environment will love this time together! An experienced forest school teacher will facilitate safe and fun outdoor play, answer any questions for parents, provide guidance on clothing, and sing the occasional song too! The day will start with free play, followed by a quick circle time. We'll then head off to the forest to play, and end our day with an appreciation song.
Bring a snack and come dressed for all types of weather (wind, rain, snow, and sun).
Parents will be expected to supervise their own children at all times while the Forest School educator is there to facilitate the group, and model child led learning.
Our Junior Programs:
Our pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs offer enriching experiences for young learners. In the morning, our youngest explorers engage in playful discovery in a safe forest setting. For our older children, full-day sessions provide deeper forest exploration, combining structured learning with the joys of nature play. Both programs nurture a love of the outdoors in a secure and inspiring environment.
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Membership fee is $250/family, and registration is a commitment for a full school year (September to June).
3% discount will be applied for additional siblings.
TADPOLES
3 years old by December 31st
Birthdate: Oct. 2020-December 2021
SCHEDULE:
Tuesday & Thursday 8:30- 11:30 am.
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This class is designed for our youngest explorers. Children should be 3 years old by December 31st and able to attend the class independently from their parents. All children must be toilet trained. As with all of our preschool classes, parents take turns volunteering as a duty parent with the class. Your ‘duty day’ comes up once every 4-6 weeks.
Tadpoles are starting to become more independent and less reliant on others to do it for them. They still need help with dressing and looking after their belongings. For many this may be their first time away from home without a parent.
The children will learn to follow group instructions, wait their turn, have their needs met by someone other than their parents and enjoy being outside in all kinds of weather. They are still quite egocentric in their development and their play is largely parallel. Their large muscles, agility and balance will all improve while navigating the uneven ground of the forest and climbing on logs and large rocks.
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Tuition: $2910 (paid in installments)
FROGS
3.5 - 5 years old
Birthdate: October 1 2019 - Mar 30, 2021
SCHEDULE:
Mon-Wed-Fri 8h30-11h30 am
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This class for 3.5-5 year olds works well in combination with traditional daycare or a stay at home parent. Frogs are more independent than Tadpoles but will likely still need help doing up coats and putting on mittens and boots. They can look after their own belongings with verbal prompts. Frogs are largely at the cooperative play stage of development and immerse themselves daily in great imaginary games. As the class meets three times a week, the children and teachers get to know each other well. Skills such as independence, empathy, self confidence and emotional regulation develop quickly. As with all of our preschool classes, parents take turns volunteering as a duty parent with the class. Your ‘duty day’ comes up about once a month.
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Tuition is $4000 (paid in installments)
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DRAGONFLIES
4 and 5 years old
Birthdate: Oct 1, 2018 -Sept 30. 2020
SCHEDULE:
Tuesdays 9h00 – 16h00
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This class for 4 and 5 year olds meets once a week for the full day of adventures. This is a 7 hour program and accommodations cannot be made for children who need to nap in the afternoon. Your child should have the stamina to last an entire action packed day! Your child should be able to get dressed and undressed independently with only a little help for the tricky bits.
Dragonflies are expected to look after their own belongings, with verbal prompts as required. Their play is full of imagination and quite active. The ability to assess risk, problem solve, and communicate effectively with our peers are all skills that our dragonflies develop during their time at Forest school. As with all of our preschool classes, parents take turns volunteering as a duty parent with the class. Your ‘duty day’ comes up about once every 3 months
Tuition: $2990 (paid in installments)
Our School-Aged Programs:
Our programs cater to a diverse group of learners, including school-attending children and homeschoolers, seasoned Forest School alumni, and first-time participants. Tailored to meet the needs and interests of older children, these programs provide an ideal platform for your 'big kids' to truly excel and shine. Engaging and dynamic, they encourage deeper exploration, foster advanced skills, and promote a sustained connection with nature, all within a supportive and stimulating environment.
Membership fee is $250/family, and registration is a commitment for a full school year (September to June).
3% discount will be applied for additional siblings.
FOXES
5 to 7 year olds.
Birthdate: Oct. 2017-Sept. 30 2019
SCHEDULE:
Wednesday 9 to 4:00
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This is a mixed age group for 5 to 7 year olds. These children will meet once a week for a full day of fun, adventure and learning. This class is ideal for more mature/experienced Dragonfly aged children or young Coyote aged children who still enjoy the imaginative games of the younger kids. The younger children should have the stamina to keep up with their older classmates. All children will develop their empathy, leadership and problem solving skills. Along the way, they will grow in self confidence and improve their ability to communicate, resolve conflicts and assess risk. This is similar to a Dragonfly class with the expectation for children to be independent in this mixed age grouping.
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As with all of our preschool classes, parents take turns volunteering as a duty parent with the class. Your ‘duty day’ comes up about once every 3 months
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Tuition: $2990 (paid in installments)
COYOTES
6 to 10 year olds
Birthdate: Oct. 1, 2013- Sept 30 , 2018
SCHEDULE:
Mondays OR Fridays 9 - 4:00
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This school age program is a full day program once a week. The children develop and/or enhance all the skills as in the younger classes but also get to observe and use first hand the knowledge they are learning in their school environments. Literacy skills (journals, communication, conflict management, story telling), math (measurement, volume, balance, problem solving), life cycles (plants, insects, water cycle) and physics (simple machines, force, pressure, friction) are just a few of the things that are experienced through play. Coyotes must be able to dress and undress from their outdoor clothing independently, look after their own belongings, and follow group rules and expectations. Coyotes are physically capable of bigger explorations and adventures during a 7 hour day outside.
Please note: new this year- Although a regular volunteer commitment with the class is not required for Coyotes, we ask that all parents spend at least one half day with the class during the Fall semester. ​
Tuition: $2840 (paid in installments)
WOLVES
10+ years old
SCHEDULE:
Monday 9 to 4:00
This pre-teen/early teen program is for mature children aged 10 and up. Wolves need a minimum of supervision and are trustworthy enough to be given greater responsibilities. Child led programming is still quite evident as the Wolves are given ample opportunity to explore their own projects and discuss with their teacher and classmates what they want to learn over the year. The MEQ (Quebec Ministry of Education) program is supported in a more formal manner. Wolves still love to play but their play is more collaborative, involved and complex.
Prerequisite: Children must have at least one full year of previous Forest School experience. ​
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Tuition: $2840 (paid in installments)
Additional Programming:
Interested in Foundations in Forest School or Summer camp? Register below!
FARM & FOREST SUMMER CAMP 2024
We are so happy for our renewed partnership with Rock's End Farm to offer summer camp. Camp will take place at Rock's End Farm in Farrellton, Quebec (7 minutes North of Wakefield, Quebec.
AGE:
This camp is for children between the ages of 6 and 12 as of camp.
TIME:
Camp will begin at 9am and pick up is between 3:45pm and 4:00pm, Monday to Friday, for each camp. There is no after-care option available.
CAMP 1: July 15 to 19th (FULL!)
CAMP 2: July 29th to Aug. 2nd
CAMP 3: Aug. 12th to 16th (CANCELLED)
COST:
$340 per child/week,* payable by e-transfer within 48 hours of receiving your invoice (to confirm your spot).
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FOUNDATIONS IN FOREST SCHOOL
April 27th and 28th 2024
Join our hands-on course designed for parents, daycare providers, and classroom teachers who wish to engage more with children outdoors!
Course Overview:
Gain confidence and safety skills for outdoor activities in nature. This course blends theory and practical experiences, providing insights into forest school practices adaptable to various environments, from schoolyards to forests and riversides. Learn about child-led, experiential, play-based learning from our expert instructors.
Key Topics:
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Forest school philosophy
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Risk/benefit assessments
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Child-led learning and play benefits
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Risky play exploration
Language: Instruction in English with bilingual support in French.
Setting: Primarily outdoor classes in a forest school environment, with access to indoor facilities.
Tuition: $300/participant ($200 for full-time students). Limited bursaries available, inquire at chelseacoop1964@gmail.com.
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