10 Ways Children Benefit From Nature-Based Learning

Nature-based learning and development is an incredible way for your child to explore and connect with the world. Child-directed, hands-on, play-based programs, like our very own Forest School, have the power to effectively teach children a variety of skills.



A growing body of research affirms that nature-based outdoor classrooms have been linked to positive learning and developmental outcomes including enhanced imaginative play, increased physical and mental well-being, and environmental stewardship.

Nature-based programs have endless advantages.  Students who have participated this type of program have shown:

• Improved sleep habits
• Greater sense of calm and focus
• Improved mood
• Improved health (through increased physical activity and improved nutrition)
• Growing creativity and problem solving skills
• Reduced stress
• Improved eyesight (direct link to reduced rates of near-sightedness)
• Increased concern for the environment
• Improved concentration
• Increased language and collaborative skills

The advantages are amazing! In fact, this particular case study highlights nine skills that are thoroughly supported in a nature-based, outdoor classroom style of education.

1. Creative Representation
2. Social
3. Intrapersonal
4. Kinesthetic
5. Visual Spatial
6. Math
7. Language/Literacy
8. Science
9. Construction/Engineering


When our young students participate in Forest School, they are doing much more than playing outside - they're confidently learning a diverse skill set ... in the funnest way possible!

“Forest School can often be described as a ‘magical’ thing to witness, as it’s often a microcosm of collaboration, communication, trust building, and a working model of consensus building.”

We are so excited to start another year of Forest School and can’t wait to start watching our explorers thrive in the natural classroom.

To view full studies and research findings, click here!

About Discovery Child Care
Barrie Based Discovery Child Care brings nature into the classroom and takes the classroom into nature, offering an environmentally aware foundation of early learning for children, from infants to school-age. We follow an Emergent Curriculum philosophy which means, your child will be provided with hands-on, play-based learning opportunities that will encourage active exploration, autonomy, choice, problem solving and plain old fun! Your child’s individual interests, abilities and needs will be considered when planning our indoor and outdoor programs. For more information, visit http://www.discoverychild.on.ca

Introducing Wild Wednesdays With The Earth is Hiring

We have a very exciting announcement! We will have a special educator from The Earth Is Hiring joining us at the Forest School throughout the full school year, every other Wednesday, to teach special Wild Wednesday sessions.

The goal of the bi-weekly sessions will be to:

• Encourage playful learning enhancing engagement, exploration investigation and communication about outdoor learning. 
• Build outdoor vocabulary – name local Ontario plants and animals 
(including wildlife tracks and signs) as well as enjoy pure observation.
• Notice sensory and seasonal changes in the forest kindergarten area. 

• Contribute to conservation and citizen science. 


This program will also provide you with opportunities to get involved with your child’s learning! Take home conversation packages will accompany each session and will include conservation tips, citizen science projects, and activities such as local hike and conservation organization information, that you’ll be able to enjoy with your kindergartener.

Themes for the sessions include: outdoor safety; what animals need to live in a forest habitat; community connections; winter birds; what we see, hear, feel and smell in the forest; following animals tracks and sign; reptiles, amphibians, and turtles; monarch migrations and local butterflies and moths; owls; pond dip field trip; forest songbirds, and plants in bloom.

Presenter Bio - Lisa Levez Bordeleau, M.Sc., Owner of the Earth is Hiring
My passion for twenty years has been environmental education and sustainable living. I have worked outdoors for twelve years surveying wetlands, vegetation and wildlife (e.g. amphibians, migratory birds, songbirds, owls, species at risk and mammal tracking).

Learn more about The Earth is Hiring here.

Wild Wednesday Schedule

Here's an overview of what activities will take place on Wild Wednesday, as well as some elements that will be included in each take home conservation kit.

September 23 - Outdoor Safety and Observing Nature
Nature Walk & Sit
Learning to Look and Looking to See and Nature Bingo games, as well as promoting observations, explorations and appreciation for the outdoors. Children will also create individual tree core name tags, decorate nature treasure boxes and journals.

Take Home Observation Package (THCP): Nature alert key chain, including things to avoid in nature and animal safety alerts.

October 7 - Resident Winter Birds
Nature Walk & Sit
Discover 20 common resident winter birds. How do birds survive in the winter?

THCP: Project feeder watch, kids Christmas bird count reminder with Brereton Field Naturalists.

October 21 - Forest Life
Nature Walk & Sit 

Play Camouflage game. Exploring what plants and animals need to live in a forest habitat? Everybody needs a home game.

THCP: Local Simcoe Region family trail recommendations.

November 4 - Habitats and Community Connections
Nature Walk & Sit

Food web game to demonstrate connections. Playing lightly on the Earth game, Ethical-Thinking game.

THCP: Tips to thrive as part of our natural environment. Not just reduce human impacts but enhance our natural spaces. Package will include Species at Risk and how to report any identified and information on local family-oriented conservation groups.

November 18 - Sensory Morning

Nature Walk & Sit 

What do we see, hear, feel and smell? How does the forest make us feel?

THCP: Information on the benefits of getting outside for family mental and physical health and wellness.

Break for December and January.

February 10 - Snow Tracking Part 1 - Move Like Animals
Nature Walk & Sit
What kind of animal are you? How big is your stride? Do you bound, walk or gallop? 

THCP: Tracking guide.

February 24 - Snow Tracking Part 2 – Create Your Animal Story
Nature Walk & Sit
Follow an animal and learn about their tracks and other signs (e.g. scat, broken branches, nibbles) they leave behind. Creating a story about the tracks we see (Who, Where, What, When, How and Why?)

THCP: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Terrestrial Volunteer Monitoring Program.

March 9 - Reptiles, Amphibians and Turtles
Nature Walk & Sit
Preparing for the spring peepers.

THCP:  FrogWatch, TurtleWatch Program; Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas Project.

March 23 - Monarch Migrations
Nature Walk & Sit

Why are monarchs in trouble? Why do animals, birds/monarchs migrate? Children will also complete a craft - colour monarch.

THCP: Journey North package, milkweed/wildflower seeds.

April 6 - Owls - Who's Who?
Nature Walk & Sit
What owls might we see? Can you make a sound like an owl?

THCP: National Nocturnal Owl Surveys start the first week of April.

April 20 - Track Casting
Nature Walk & Sit
Seeking tracks to make plaster casts.

THCP: Track cheat sheets

May 4 - Wetland and Water Wonders
Nature Walk & Sit
Discuss how all life is connected by and depends on water and how water is used, how wetlands help purify, pond dip optional (match aquatic animals to key).

TCHP: Canadian Lakes Loon Surveys, key to aquatic animals. 

May 18 - Birding By Ear
Nature Walk & Sit
Local forest songbirds.

THCP: Ebird Registration Instructions, Options for reporting listed species, Hawk watch International, Ministry reporting forms for all Species At Risk.

June 1 - Local Butterflies and Moths
Nature Walk & Sit
Why are pollinators important?  Children will also create a moth feeder.

THCP:  Recommended plants for butterfly gardens, milkweed/wildflower seeds.

June 15 - Plants in Bloom, Observing Plants
Nature Walk & Sit
How many different kinds of plants can you see by noticing different leaf shapes? The craft will be bark rubbing and plant pressing.

THCP – PlantWatch, tree key.

Simple and Fun Sensory Activities to Explore at Home

We spend a lot of time at the Discovery Child Care Centre planning creative and engaging sensory activities for the children. Earlier this month, we spent time outside squishing “coloured” mash potatoes in the outdoor sensory bin. We used our hands and shovels to scoop up the mash, identify colours, and then squish them together with our hands.

The children enjoy exploring textures and colours with these types of activities, and they love to get messy and have fun. Sensory activities allow our children to learn through play, and they also help develop and cultivate different skills.

Activities like our mash potato play allow children to learn by using their senses – this is one of the most effective teaching methods as children learn best and retain the most information when they engage their senses.

By allowing children to explore and investigate through sensory activities, you’ll help them develop and refine cognitive, social, emotional, physical and creative skills.

Here are some sensory activities that’ll be fun (and messy!) and easy to do right from your home. Simply choose one of the following “ingredients,” fill up a bin or container and watch the exploration unfold. You can also incorporate different scoops, bottles, lids and measuring cups and spoons.


1. Mashed potato play.

2. Dry pasta noodles.

3. Sand.

4. Bubbles.

5. Cooked spaghetti.

6. Corn kernels.

7. Soapy jars.

8. Uncooked beans.

9. Rice.

10. Shredded Paper.


Feel free to add colouring to some of the ingredients to allow colour exploration – doesn’t “rainbow” bubbles sound more fun? And you can even make it a bit messier by incorporating paints with different tools like sponges, brushes, or anything unexpected like bubble wrap, ribbons or straws. A less messy option is to throw in some toys - farm, construction, dinosaurs or even holiday themes will help you engage your children even more.

Follow us on Facebook for more sensory activity ideas - we regularly post stories about our exploration adventures!

You can also check out some great examples of sensory activities here via PBS and see how each activity can be linked to learning a specific skill set.

About Discovery Child Care

Barrie Based Discovery Child Care brings nature into the classroom and takes the classroom into nature, offering an environmentally aware foundation of early learning for children, from infants to school-age. We follow an Emergent Curriculum philosophy which means, your child will be provided with hands-on, play-based learning opportunities that will encourage active exploration, autonomy, choice, problem solving and plain old fun! Your child’s individual interests, abilities and needs will be considered when planning our indoor and outdoor programs. For more information, visit http://www.discoverychild.on.ca

5 Reasons Why We Love Ropes at the Forest School

The Forest School philosophy is based on nature-based learning in the beautiful outdoors! The natural environment provides numerous opportunities for exploration, while also helping to reduce stress, increase attention spans and foster healthy brain development.

The last few weeks allowed us to explore the forest as it goes through seasonal changes from summer, to fall, and to winter. You may have noticed in our Forest School Blog that we have had many adventures using ropes during play, but you might be wondering why.

Aside from being so much fun, using ropes during play has some amazing benefits:

1. Imagination. Our children enjoy playing games with the ropes, from crafting a rope web for climbing or swinging, to creating a rope pulley system, or even putting friends in “jail”! Ropes provide an outlet for new games and support a healthy imagination.
2. Building New Structures. We often use ropes to help build our tents – we hang ropes from the trees and can create a new structure every time we’re in the forest. The children learn how to adjust the size of the tent using different lengths of rope and tying ropes to different trees.
3. Fine Motor Skills. Practicing tying knots is the perfect way for children to develop their fine motor skills. Fine motor skills refer to the movement of hands and fingers, which also rely on gross motor skills such as strength in the arms.
4. Gross Motor Skills. Practicing climbing, balancing and bouncing on the ropes develops each child’s gross motor skills, which involve the large muscles of the body. Jumping over ropes and ducking underneath will also help build these skills.
5. Health and Fitness. Climbing, hanging, swinging…and sometimes even flipping…allow the children to participate in a healthy exercise, that keeps everyone moving, but most importantly, focuses on fun.

Every day we spend in the forest is full of new adventures. Our ropes help us explore, climb and build new things...and most importantly, the children love playing with the ropes!

Contact us today for more information about our Forest School program!

About Discovery Child Care

Barrie Based Discovery Child Care brings nature into the classroom and takes the classroom into nature, offering an environmentally aware foundation of early learning for children, from infants to school-age. We follow an Emergent Curriculum philosophy which means, your child will be provided with hands-on, play-based learning opportunities that will encourage active exploration, autonomy, choice, problem solving and plain old fun! Your child’s individual interests, abilities and needs will be considered when planning our indoor and outdoor programs. For more information, visit http://www.discoverychild.on.ca

Rawrrrr! Apatosaurus, Triceartops, Tyrannosaurus and more!

Have you heard of the Dinosaur School Curriculum?  This is a program created by the Incredible Years that we use in our preschool and kindergarten classrooms 2-3 times per week.

The Incredible Years Dinosaur Social Skills and Problem-Solving Curriculum©  is a comprehensive video and theme-based curriculum that is based on social skills, emotional regulation and problem-solving.  The main goals are:

• Positive social skills

• Conflict and anger management skills

• Emotional literacy

• Appropriate school behaviours

• Reading, writing and communication skills

• Positive self-esteem

The program consists of seven units with their own dinosaur themes:

Apatosaurus Unit 1: Learning School and Home Rules

Iguanodon Unit 2: How to Do Your Best in School

Triceratops Unit 3: Understanding and Detecting Feelings

Stegosaurus Unit 4: Problem-Solving Training

Tyrannosaurus Rex Unit 5: Anger Management

Allosaurus Unit 6: How to Be Friendly

Brachiosaurus Unit 7: How to Talk With Friends

The Dinosaur School is an amazing way for us to teach these important skills, but in a way that is incredibly fun for our students.  All aspects of the curriculum focus on:

• Using a child-centered, relationship-building teaching philosophy

• Integrating research-based principles of learning

• Valuing the developmental stages and abilities of children (ages 3 to 8 years) as well as acknowledging individual differences in temperament and learning styles

• Opportunities for encouraging cultural diversity

• Regular involvement with parents in all aspects of the curriculum and learning process

• Utilizing learning approaches based on children’s active experiences with peers and materials

• Integrating academic competencies (i.e., reading, writing, math, oral language) with social and emotional competencies

• Activities that encourage children’s choices and self-direction in learning

• Respect for children’s and parents’ input and inclusion of adaptable materials to address themes meaningful to children within a particular classroom and community

• Multiple opportunities designed to encourage language, literacy and writing development

• Strengthening children’s emotional regulation and problem-solving

We will be opening a new toddler program at our Big Bay Point location on January 12. Contact us for more information on the program or information about our Dinosaur School Curriculum.  

About Discovery Child Care

Barrie Based Discovery Child Care brings nature into the classroom and takes the classroom into nature, offering an environmentally aware foundation of early learning for children, from infants to school-age. We follow an Emergent Curriculum philosophy which means, your child will be provided with hands-on, play-based learning opportunities that will encourage active exploration, autonomy, choice, problem solving and plain old fun! Your child’s individual interests, abilities and needs will be considered when planning our indoor and outdoor programs. For more information, visit http://www.discoverychid.on.ca

Discovery Staff Attends Seeds of Empathy Training

We're off to weekend Seeds of Empathy training with Michelle H, Michelle D, and Jody. It's going to be a fun weekend of learning! Can't wait to bring this amazing program to the children of Discovery!

Seeds of Empathy is designed for Early Childhood settings to foster social and emotional competence and early literacy skills and attitudes in children three to five years of age while providing professional development for their educators.

Seeds of Empathy is unique in that it powerfully engages children experientially through a community family – an infant and parent, building on the attachment relationship demonstrated between the two.


Discovery Child Care offers interesting and educational before and after school programs. Call us for a tour. We'd love to meet with you and your child! 705-733-2052
 

Overcoming First Day of School Jitters

Although I don't want to wish away the last few weeks of August, the start of elementary school is just around the corner for many young families. It should be a positive exciting time for everyone! Here are some tips to start off on the right foot.

1) Talk the Talk: Pick a time when your child is calm and well rested to sit down and have a conversation about the first day of school. Listen for any fears and talk about your own school experiences, or the first day memories from their siblings. Make sure you talk about the fun activities as well as explain some of the expectations around behaviour.

2) Visit the School: Take a field trip during August and visit the school playground. Have a look at the doors and look inside the windows. Point out things in the neighbourhood on the way.

3) Make it Easy: Plan the logistics for drop off and pick up so you don't have any unnecessary tense moments. Make sure your child is well aware of the plans and comfortable with the arrangements.

4) Assure Your Child: Give your child a strong sense of security by assuring them of the days schedule and how things works, such as lunches and play time. Children thrive on reassurances especially when starting something new.

5) Make it Special: If it makes starting school easier then splashing out on a new back-pack or pair of shoes can go along way. Having a special toy to return to after the big day could also be a pleasant event.

6) Security & Comfort: Think about including a special toy, picture, or book in your child's backpack to make them feel connected to home and secure. It might just make the difference between an okay experience and a great one.

7) Plan B: If your child is uncontrollably upset or stressed about the first day of school make sure you have a plan. Could you possibly stay with them for a short time in the classroom? Could you have a favourite toy at hand or a small gift for the teacher that your child can present to establish a connection? Is there a child in the classroom that you know and could be buddied up with yours?

Discovery Child Care offers interesting and educational before and after school programs. Call us for a tour. We'd love to meet with you and your child! 705-733-2052

Playing outside is so important to your child's development - Here's why..

The weather is perfect today. Crystal blue sky with white clouds and a gentle breeze. It's the type of day made for playing outside and learning about nature!

Playing outside may seem like all fun and games - but when you think about it, children are learning so much by being active in the open outdoor environment.

• preschoolers practice and master emerging physical skills like, running, leaping, jumping, ball-handling, catching, lifting objects, pulling and carrying.
• children burn more calories outside which helps prevent obesity
• outdoor light affects the pineal gland, the part of the brain that regulates the biological clock and is vital to the immune system
• outdoor games encourage communication skills and vocabulary
• children have an improved aesthetic awareness, an appreciation of the beauty around us
• being outside stimulates other senses like hearing (bird song, wind rustling), smell (fragrance of flowers, mud, plants), and touch (tree bark, grass, snow)
• being outside lets children be loud, messy, and boisterous - have fun with fewer limitations

Here are some activities from The Early Childhood News..

1. A nature walk is a great way to enhance children’s appreciation of the natural environment. Ask them to tell you what they're seeing, hearing, and smelling. Encourage them to touch – to discover the smoothness of a rock, the roughness of bark, and the fragility of a dried leaf. For young children, these are science experiences.
2. Set up an obstacle course with old tires, large appliance boxes, and tree stumps. Moving through it will teach important concepts like over, under, through, and around.
3. A "listening" walk makes for a wonderful sound discrimination activity. As you walk with the children, point out the sounds of birds, passing cars, whistling wind, even your footsteps on the sidewalk. What sounds can the children identify on their own? Which are loud and which are soft? Which are high and which are low? What are their favorite sounds? Bring along a tape recorder so the children can try to identify the sounds at a later time!
4. Bring the parachute or an old sheet outside and play parachute games (shaking it, circling with it, making waves with it, or bouncing foam balls on it).
5. Bring a portable boom box outdoors and let the children experience the joy of dancing in a natural environment!
6. Try "water painting," in which children paint the side of a building with a brush and a bucket of water. It exercises arms and upper torso while also teaching about wet and dry, light and dark, and evaporation.
7. Chasing bubbles gives children a chance to run!

The benefits of playing outside are easy to see - and like all things in life, it's about finding the right balance between the indoor classroom experience and nature's outdoor classroom!

Call us to find our more about our exceptional educational programs, including our award winning Nature Explore classroom. 705-733-2052 Visit our website to learn more..

Our Summer Campers Visit Nicholyn Farms

Our Summer Campers took a trip recently to Nicholyn Farms to learn about where food comes from. The children saw plants growing, livestock such as sheep and chickens, and had a great packed lunch. Have a look at the slideshow below and you'll see what a perfect school trip it was!



Learn more about Nicholyn Farms:
"Since 1982 our family operated farm has been ever evolving to meet the changing needs of your family. Our pleasant store specializes with meeting the growing demands of health and environmentally conscious people. We take pride in offering a one-stop shopping experience for locally produced, certified organic and traditionally raised products. Your local farmers thank you! We are able to make available our own sustainably raised pork, beef and chicken products. Our animals are raised without antibiotics or growth hormones, eat an all vegetable diet with no animal by-products and are treated with dignity and respect.  Our beef cattle graze on pasture, the pigs enjoy fresh air and sunshine, and the chickens scratch in the earth!"

Call us to find our more about our exceptional educational programs, including our award winning Nature Explore classroom. 705-733-2052 Visit our website to learn more..

Berry Picking at Discovery Child Care in Barrie

Children at our Discovery Child Care Centre enjoy many outdoor activities such as gardening. Our Centre's backyard garden includes berry bushes and the slides below show the children picking berries and enjoying the summer harvest.



Call us to find our more about our exceptional educational programs, including our award winning Nature Explore classroom. 705-733-2052 Visit our website to learn more..

Discovery Child Care Kids Visit the Ontario Seed Plant

Summer Camp photo's from our Discovery Child Care Summer Camp, 2013. These pictures were take during a recent field trip to Angus, to visit the Ontario Seed Plant.

The tree seed facilty was established in 1923. It plays a key role in the protection of Ontario's rich natural heritage. The facility collects seeds from about 50 different native species and supplies smaller nursery operations, large forestry companies and the public. It also maintains a seed bank of native tree specieis from across the province and makes seed available for reforestation.



Call us to find our more about our exceptional educational programs, including our award winning Nature Explore classroom. 705-733-2052 Visit our website to learn more..

Summer Camp at Discovery Child Care! Pizza and Paperbag Gowns..

From make your own Pizza to outdoor Plays - the kids are having a great time at Summer Camp at Discovery Child Care!



Call us to find our more about our exceptional educational programs, including our award winning Nature Explore classroom. 705-733-2052

2013 International Mud Day at Discovery Child Care, Barrie

Wow! International Mud Day was so much fun! Here is a slideshow of some of the activities that took place. Barrie CTV News came out for a visit and reported back on the 6pm News. The kids had a great time getting muddy and making things with mother earth!



At Discovery Child Care, in Barrie Ontario, we believe in the importance of connecting children with nature. Contact Us to find out more about our eco-friendly child care facility and our nature programs.

Slideshow - 2013 Family Fun Fair at Discovery Child Care, Barrie

Everyone had a great time at this years Family fun Fair at Discovery Child Care's Harvie Road location in Barrie. Lots of games, fun things to do, sno cones, and BBQ! Thank you to all staff and helpers, the children loved the event!


At Discovery Child Care, in Barrie Ontario, we believe in the importance of connecting children with nature. Contact Us to find out more about our eco-friendly child care facility and our nature programs.

21 Fun Ideas to Connect Kids With Nature

Here are some ideas to have fun learning about nature with your kids. Children readily pick up attitudes and you can make a big impression by taking them outside more and being enthusiastic about the natural environment.

1. Encourage children to play, dig and plant their own garden areas.
2. Plant trees! Trees are a valuable resource for our natural setting.
3. Picnic in your backyard.
4. Study your surroundings and observe the wildlife. Make a daily log book.
5. Take a hike! Walk in the woods; tour the community garden and wetlands.
6. Rake the leaves and use a push mower. Without power mowers and blowers the air is cleaner. Your children can safely participate in gardening and learn to care for the earth.
7. Participate in Earth Day and Wild Life Appreciation days.
8. Build birdhouses and bat boxes with your children.
9. Install a sundial.
10. Learn about beneficial insects.
11. Teach recycling! Create a compost pile.
12. Learn to recognize sounds of birds and other creatures.
13. Be an observer of nature. Point out interesting plants and animals.
14. Talk about the weather.
15. Draw pictures of clouds or make cloud art out of cotton balls.
16. Make a rain gauge.
17. Collect items from a nature walk and put them in a scrapbook.
18. Learn about bees and pollination.
19. Make a mini rain barrel and use it to water a plant.
20. Take out library picture books about nature.
21. Make up a poem about your favourite insect.

At Discovery Child Care, in Barrie Ontario, we believe in the importance of connecting children with nature. Contact Us to find out more about our eco-friendly child care facility and our nature programs.

Get Outside Tomorrow for Canada's Longest Day of Play

On June 21st, Canada celebrates 'The Longest Day of Play'. Why not be part of this event and plan a trip to the park or the lake for Friday June 21st. The idea is to encourage families to get outside and have some fun! Here's some information about the Longest Day of Play including a video from the Particpaction website.

"Remember playing as a kid until the streetlight went on? Well it’s time to bring that back. On June 21st Canadians can take advantage of the most daylight hours of the year and celebrate the first annual Longest Day of Play.

On the Longest Day of Play we want all Canadians to head to the park after dinner. Bring a ball, bring your kids and invite all your friends. Might as well bring the dog too! Fill the playgrounds, parks and school fields with those who are out for the sheer love of play.

Celebrate Canada's Longest Day of Play - June 21st 2013

Active play may be fun, but it’s certainly not frivolous. Play allows youth of all ages to try new things, test boundaries and use their imaginations.

In addition to the physical health benefits, active play offers cognitive, emotional and social development benefits. It has been shown to improve and foster motor function, creativity, decision-making, problem-solving and social skills, the ability to control emotions and preschoolers’ speech. And, it’s lots of fun!

Unfortunately, 63% of Canadian kids free time after school and on weekends is spent being sedentary. We need to get our kids moving, and we’ve got plenty of great ideas, tips and information on bringing more play into your children’s lives." source: Participaction.com

Discovery Child Care Recognized For Their Commitment to Creating a Healthy Environment

From the Earth Day Canada website - the description of Discovery Child Care's 2013 Small Business Hometown Heroes Award.

Discovery Child Care Centre:
2013 Small Business Hometown Heroes Winner

Barrie, ON

Discovery Child Care Centre is an Eco-Healthy certified licensed child care centre that brings nature into the classroom and takes the classroom into nature. Their commitment to creating a healthy environment for children in their care, their families, staff, and the community sets them apart from other licensed child care programs.
Discovery Child Care Centre’s two locations are maintained by organic methods, with no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or insecticides used on the premises. They use environmentally friendly cleaners, blue box recycling, practice water conservation by using rain barrels, and use the green bin and compost as well. They are the first licensed child care centres in Ontario to be Bullfrog Powered using 100% renewable energy. Both centres have a no idle parking policy, as well, one of the sites has geothermal heating/cooling and will have solar panels installed this year.

In addition to having environmentally sustainable sites, Discovery Child Care Centre brings environmental philosophies into the classrooms through hands on learning. The children learn how to reduce, re-use, recycle and compost and about water conservation. They are also actively involved in their own organic gardens and harvest what they have grown to make jams, pickles and salsa. At the end of the growing season, the children donate a portion of the fresh, organic harvest to the Barrie Community Food Bank.

As part of Discovery Child Care Centre’s commitment to connecting children with nature, children spend a minimum of two hours outside every day. The children are given the opportunity to interact with items found in nature, encouraging them to become stewards of the earth. Discovery Child Care Centre’s nature classroom project is the first Nature Explore Certified Classroom in Canada, earning it international recognition.

Discovery Child Care Centre has been well received and has won many environmental, community and business leadership awards, such as the City of Barrie Award for Business of the Year, Environmental Action Barrie awards, and Bell Canada Green Awards. Their environmental programming has been featured in Childcare Today Magazine and Seneca College Alumni Magazine. Discovery Child Care Centre’s founder, Karen Eilersen, shares her knowledge of setting up an eco-friendly child care business and the importance of connecting children to nature by presenting at various child care conferences and was the keynote speaker at the Humber College Places of Natural Discovery Conference for early childhood educators.

Earth Day Canada (EDC), a national environmental charity founded in 1990, provides Canadians with the practical knowledge and tools they need to support a healthier environment. We educate, empower and inspire Canadians of all ages and backgrounds to achieve local solutions to improve the state of the environment through our suite of year-round and award-winning programs.
The success of EDC programs—focused on education, action, recognition and financial support—lies in the fact that they teach Canadians about simple, easy-to-accomplish actions that any person can do.

 

Discovery Child Care Named Hometown Heroes - We've won the 2013 Earth Day Canada Award for Small Business!

Press Release: Toronto, June 6, 2013

 

A decade-long volunteer, a fast-growing green team and a committed child care centre receive national environmental awards - Earth Day Canada’s Hometown Heroes Awards recognize and celebrate environmental leadership.

 

Toronto (06/06/13) Earth Day Canada (EDC), with support from the RBC Foundation and Mill Street Brewery, is pleased to announce that the Individual winner Dawn Deydey of Fernie, British Columbia, Group winner Lower Mainland Green Team (LMGT) of Surrey, British Columbia, and Small Business winner Discovery Child Care Centre of Barrie, Ontario have been selected as EDC’s 2013 Hometown Heroes.

“These people are shining examples of those making significant strides towards creating a healthier environment,” says Jed Goldberg, President of EDC. “They have been instrumental in creating change at the local level and deserve national recognition for their community-based conservation; responsible business practices, and; community engagement efforts.”

Discovery Child Care Centre is an award-winning eco-friendly licensed child care centre that brings nature into the classroom and takes the classroom into nature. Along with having two environmentally sustainable sites, they bring environmental philosophies into the classrooms through hands-on learning. Children spend a minimum of two hours outside every day to encourage them to become stewards of the earth and learn how to reduce, re-use, recycle and compost and about water conservation. They are also actively involved in their own organic gardens.

The winners will be presented the awards at Earth Day Canada’s Gala on June 12, 2013 in Toronto in front of 500 business and environmental leaders. The Hometown Heroes Award Program was established in 2004 by Earth Day Canada to recognize and celebrate environmental leaders who foster meaningful, long-term community awareness and action. For more information about Earth Day Canada’s Hometown Heroes Award Program, please visit earthday.ca/hometown.

Read the entire press release with full descriptions of other award winners..

At Discovery Child Care, in Barrie Ontario, we believe in the importance of connecting children with nature. Contact Us to find out more about our eco-friendly child care facility and our nature programs.

Organic Gardening at Discovery Child Care

 The Backyard Urban Farm Company came to visit the kindergarten children at Discovery Child Care and helped us put in our organic gardening beds. Thank you Arlene & Carrie!

We've planted 3 of our 5 gardening beds with Tomatoes, Marigolds (or as the children call them "miracles"), peppers, fennel, basil, dill and so much more.

The children are excited to help out and see the plants grow!

Here's some information about the Backyard Urban Farm Company.

"BUFCO is dedicated to participating in a worldwide food movement that encourages lowering our carbon footprint and trying to live more sustainably, naturally, independently and locally. Planting and saving heirloom and non-GMO seeds (genetically modified organisms), and preserving the harvest are top priorities for us. We strive to build a sense of community by facilitating sharing a portion of the harvest with our neighbours and local food banks. We bring new opportunities for families and individuals to learn, teach, relax, play in and eat from their own gardens. We believe that by tending our garden, we feed our minds, bodies and souls, and contribute to the greater good."

 

At Discovery Child Care, in Barrie Ontario, we believe in the importance of connecting children with nature. Contact Us to find out more about our eco-friendly child care facility and our nature programs.

Join Us June 13th, for the annual Discovery Fun Fair

Discovery Fun Fair is two weeks away! Lots of fun for everyone: Jumping castle, Clarabella the clown, BBQ dinner, snow cones, carnival games, face painting, Taekwondo Demonstration, silent auction, vendors and so much more! Everyone welcome. We hope you can join us:

Thursday June 13th, 6-8pm, Discovery-Harvie Road playground.

http://www.discoverychild.on.ca/

Call for Tickets ! 705-733-2052