Everything, absolutely everything, tastes better cooked over a fire. Period. End of sentence. Over the past couple weeks we have put our groups’ culinary skills to work and created some delicious masterpieces. In the outdoor world, learning to cook over a flame is a key skill to know when venturing into the wilderness. Moreover, it…
I love that smell, too…
“You smell like campfire” is something we often hear after a day at FNS. And more often than not, it seems to be said in longing, nostalgic way. Usually it’s followed by “I love that smell” and when we are really lucky, complete strangers will dive into fond memories of childhood or a specific moment…
Let It Snow
Hey Folks! Ready for our song of the week?… Oh the weather outside is delightful (not frightful) and the campfire is so delightful (too)… and since we’re an emergent, student-led program with no set place to go… let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. (Did you sing it?!) Snow!!! We love snow at…
Still Craving that Caving!
Hey Folks, Metcalfe Rock is, and has been, an important place to Free Spirit for many years. For those of you who have never been, it’s totally worth the trip! Metcalfe is part of the Kolopore Uplands with trails that run in and among the Niagara Escarpment. In our humble opinion, it’s a magical place…
Morning Teas and Nature Cafes
Hey Folks, Aside from our core routines, our days varied a lot this week (as they typically do) so check out the highlights below! Tuesday On Tuesday we embraced a beautiful day and celebrated a special birthday. After our morning circle, check-ins and sit spots, we were off for a lunch out to the wonderful…
Soup du Jour, Spooky Potions and the Upside Down
Hey Folks! We wanted to start the week off with a post dedicated to the youngest members of our community – the Chickadees! These little ones are always keen for adventures and we love how easily they bring their imaginations to life. We started the day with our loose parts and discovering some new additions…
The Infamous Grape Valley
Hey Folks! Just a quick post this week but wanted to share some of the highlights from our adventures. The majority of our older groups this week spent a significant time in Maple Forest, even having a few “lunch outs” on our drier days. In Maple Forest, we have a special spot we call “Grape…
Tool Time and other fun stuff!
Hey Folks, We trust everyone had a great long weekend and a wonderful Thanksgiving. This week, we were back at our home base at Bygone Days after our paddling trips last week. We do so much over the course of a week at FNS, it’s hard to sum up – but here are couple things!…
There’s a lot of noise in silence
Hey Everyone, Our older groups this week geared up for their first field trip of the year – a paddle down the Beaver River. Collectively, the groups paddled anywhere from the Epping put in to the Slabtown Dam. The Fall colours were stunning and seemed to intensify as the week went on. All groups learned…
Nature Detectives
Hey Folks! This week saw a drop in temperatures and the sights, smells, sounds and sense of Fall in the air. And with these changes there were a few other changes we discovered along the way. Not only were the plants seeming to wither, but there was a noticeable loss appeared in the animal kingdom…