Exploring Nature - Outdoor Learning Program

Exploring Nature Outdoor Learning Program

Our seasonal, month-long, inquiry-based program is designed to provide children ages 4 to 8 years old with meaningful opportunities to explore and learn through nature. Through this learning program led by our Registered Early Childhood Educators and Ontario Certified Teachers, we aim to help children strengthen their connection with the natural world and foster stewardship of the environment. Registration is for 4-week sessions and includes one freshly prepared plant-based meal per week (please note: this year, we are not providing daily meals and snacks to reduce food waste and to have our lunches more portable so we can enjoy them on our explorations). Please provide a litterless lunch and snacks for your child(ren). If your child has food allergies or restrictions, please contact outdoor@uoguelph.ca to confirm that we can accommodate your child’s needs prior to registration.

Learning Outcomes

Time spent learning in nature has been shown to have dramatic benefits for children's social, psychological, and physical functioning. Through this learning program, we aim to help children develop a lasting and meaningful relationship with nature that will help them become stewards of the environment.

As the outdoor environment provides a rich place for exploration and learning, there are many opportunities for connections to the Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum for the primary grades, which could include understanding life systems, understanding structures and mechanisms, understanding matter and energy, and understanding earth and space systems. The focus of the programming will include daily exploration both inside and outside with intentionally planned experiences that will support the children's learning.

Please view the Predicted Learning Experiences for our Summer 2025 offerings.

Additional Program Information

The program spends the majority of their time outside, including many explorations in the Arboretum, and as such, children must come prepared for all types of weather. The program runs from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm each day with complimentary before and after care (8:00 am – 9:00 am and 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm). Please see the documents below for more information about the dates and costs for the OLP.

To Register

Registration for Summer 2025 Outdoor Learning Program will open Tuesday February 11th, 2025, at 10:00 am.

In an effort to enhance the connections in the learning community, we are hosting two 4—week sessions this summer. Registration for both session 1 (June 30th —July 25th, 2025; excluding July 1st) and session 2 (July 28th —August 22nd, 2025; excluding August 4th) will open on Tuesday February 11th, 2025, at 10:00 am and close on Thursday, February 13th 2024, at 11:59 pm. Please ensure that you fill out the application under the Family Portal tab (one per child) when you register for the program. A completed Informed Consent Form will need to be uploaded as part of the application (one per child). The form can be completed digitally as a fillable PDF, or it can be scanned in as an image document. Please note: The program fills up very quickly – sometimes within minutes of registration opening.

Please note that registration is a competitive process as it is a time-based, first-come, first-served model. Please ensure that you fill out the account and profile information under the Family Login tab (one per child) prior to February 11th, 2025, at 10:00am. This step takes time and must be completed prior to registration (instructions - step 4 b). A completed Informed Consent Form will need to be uploaded as part of the application (one per child). The form can be completed digitally as a fillable PDF, or it can be scanned in as an image document.

Additionally, we do not recommend holding a session in your cart because it does not guarantee that that your spot is reserved. Please process your registration completely to secure your registration. See our cancellation policy below for further details.

If significant socioeconomic hardship or disadvantage prevents you from accessing our registration model, please contact us (outdoor@uoguelph.ca) for information about an alternative registration process by Friday January 31st 2025.

Cancellation Policy

A full refund will be issued if cancellation is received at least 1 month prior to start date. Registration will be cancelled for all four weeks. Cancellation for Session 1 must be received by June 1st and cancellation for Session 2 must be received by June 29th. If you cancel a monthly registration but would like to re-register for one or more weeks, you can request to be added to the waitlist.