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

Association of Day Care Operators of Ontario (ADCO) Writes About Our Forest School

It was wonderful to have our new Forest School Kindergarten featured, and on the cover, of the Association of Day Care Operators of Ontario (ADCO)'s magazine recently. I enjoyed speaking with the author, Andrea Hannen, about forest schools and our experience at Discovery Child Care, here in Barrie.

Here is an excerpt of the article, "Discovery Child Care Launches Simcoe County’s First Licensed Forest & Nature School Kindergarten", and a link to read the full article in a PDF.

Discovery Child Care Launches Simcoe County’s First Licensed Forest & Nature School Kindergarten [by Andrea Hannen]

"This fall, long-time ADCO member Discovery Child Care in Barrie opened the first licensed forest and nature Kindergarten program in Simcoe County. There are only a handful of early learning forest schools available to Ontario families, but demand for this time-tested and holistic pedagogical approach is growing rapidly Canada-wide.

 Internationally, forest schools began to appear in the 1950s. There are more than 700 of them in Germany alone. Generally speaking, the children attending a forest school spend a least half of each day outdoors. In many cases, the children are outdoors 80% to 90% of the time. Woodlands, greenspaces and other outdoor areas provide the settings for a forest school, but a key component is repeated access to the same outdoor space, so the children can observe the natural cycles of the seasons and the local environment.

The activities that happen in a forest school vary, depending on the season, climate, landscape, animals that have visited the night before, trees that have blown down in the wind, and the kinds of provocations elicited by the educator. Forest school programming incorporates a wide variety of learning activities facilitated by various forms of play, such as ; symbolic play, creative play, exploratory play, rough and tumble play, fantasy play, dramatic play, social play and imaginative play. “Almost any kind of programming that we can do indoors, we can adapt for the outdoor environment,” says Karen Eilersen, RECE, owner/operator of Discovery Child Care.

Eilersen has nearly completed the Forest School Practitioner certification, a process that takes considerable time and effort. It requires one to be a certified teacher or Early Educator and to complete a five-day intensive training sessions, eight months to a year of at-home course work, followed by a series of practise sessions in the forest. Forest School Practitioners are certified by Forest School Canada.

 The Discovery Forest School offers Barrie-area families a legitimate and licensed alternative to regular kindergarten. It follows the Ontario Early Learning Framework, Continuum of Development, so despite its many non-traditional elements, it ensures children are well-prepared for grade one. Discovery’s Forest School program, which runs daily from nine until noon, is taught by two Level 3 certified Forest School Practitioners and two classroom teachers. The program maintains a one-to-four teacher/child ratio while in the forest and a one-to-eight teacher/child ratio while in the indoor/ outdoor classroom."

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 Opens First Licensed Forest & Nature School in Simcoe

We're proud to announce a new Kindergarten program at Discovery Child Care. Starting in September 2014 we're opening a Forest & Nature School at our Harvie Road location.

What is a Forest & Nature School? 

Forest School [FS] is an educational approach that has existed worldwide since the late 1950s, with over ten thousand Forest School programs in the UK alone. In FS, children spend anywhere from a half day to a full day outdoors in various urban and near-urban parks, natural spaces adjacent to or on school grounds, or natural playgrounds and outdoor classrooms.   The activities that happen in FS also vary, depending on the season, climate, landscape, animals that have visited the night before, trees that have blown down in the wind, the kinds of provocations elicited by the educator.  Source: Forestschoolcanada.ca 

Discovery Child Care Centre offers an educational program as an alternative to the Ministry of Education Full Day Kindergarten Program.  As children are not required to attend school until grade one, children have the option to be enrolled full time in our Kindergarten program. 

Our curriculum is child-directed, hands-on, play based, emergent, and inquiry-based.  A growing body of research has emerged that affirms that children ages birth through eight years learn most effectively through this approach to education.

There are 4 teachers working in our Forest School program: Lisa Simmons RECE (full time), Michelle Hawksworth (full time) Karen Eilersen & Chelsa Osborne- both RECE & level 3 certified forest school practitioner (part time)

• 1/4 teacher child ratio while in the forest; 1/8 teacher child ratio while in the indoor/outdoor classroom
• Forest School Program  (9am-12pm daily) taught by Level 3 certified Forest School Practitioners
• We follow the Ontario Early Learning Framework, Continuum of Development so your child is well prepared for grade one. 
• Child directed, play-based, emergent & inquiry based learning environment
• Hot Lunch and snacks provided (full day program)
• Longer hours available 7am-6pm (no additional before and after school care required)
• Beautiful outdoor classroom (1.77 acres)
• Organic Gardening & Dinosaur School (Social Skills program), Book Backpack program (Literacy)

Visit our new website to learn more about this exciting program. www.forestschool.ca

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