Hey Everyone! “It’s so… refreshing… just being in a canoe.” said one of our students while we were paddling on the Big Pond this week. And we couldn’t agree more! Our days were all about fish, fishing and paddling this week, but were very different from one another. So we’ll break it down by day. …
For children, outdoor play is a basic need and inherent to play is the necessity of risk. Risky play takes many different shapes, but always involves pushing limits and comfort zones in a thrilling and exciting way. It’s about testing oneself – and finding out what happens. During risky play, children not only experience an …
Hey Folks! We welcomed Summer back (or for the first time??) at Forest School this week and took advantage of the beautiful, hot days to learn some important survival skills. As we’ve said before, with emergent interests, all of our days looked very different, but we’ll sum up the highlights here. After our core routines …
Hey Folks! We’d like to extend a HUGE welcome to our new students and families and a welcome back to our returning students! We had a good start to our first week at Forest School and luckily, though it called for rain, we seemed to miss the worst of it! This week we focused on …
Kim is a director, founder and teacher at Free Spirit Forest and Nature School. Growing up in Collingwood, it’s no wonder she has always had a heart for playing outside and appreciating the great outdoors. She graduated from Brock University’s Health and Physical Education Program, where she developed a deep understanding of play-based learning. She …
Matt Simpson is a director and founder of Free Spirit Forest and Nature School. He has dedicated his life to working with children and is passionate for the outdoors and its use in empowering students through meaningful experiences. He graduated from Lakehead University with degrees in Outdoor Recreation and Geography, as well as a BEd …
Jessica is a teacher at our Collingwood School. She graduated from Brock University with a Bachelor of Kinesiology degree. She then when on to complete her diploma in Early Childhood Education at Fleming College. During her time at Fleming College, she also completed the Eco-Mentorship certificate which has deepened her understanding of how to support …
Lesley is a teacher at our Collingwood location. She is an Ontario certified teacher with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of Waterloo and a Bachelor of Education in mathematics and physics from Queen’s University. She is currently completing an outdoor education course from Queen’s University. For the past 15 years, …
Sarah is a teacher at our Wasaga Beach, Collingwood, and Duntroon locations. She loves people, and graduated with a degree in hospitality. She has been camping, canoeing, hiking, and exploring Canada since she was a twinkle in her momma’s eye. She has seen firsthand the benefits of nature-based play through her work with children as …
Robyn is a teacher at our Wasaga Beach School. She graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a degree in Global Studies and English. She completed her Bachelor of Education at the University of Toronto and is an Ontario Certified Teacher. Robyn is a certified Forest and Nature School Practitioner through Forest School Canada. Robyn has …