Nature School Programs
Nature School Programs 2026-2027
where learning meets the great outdoors!
Nature School is a year-round immersion program held at Camp Kawartha’s Environment Centre, where children explore the 200-acre Trent Nature Sanctuary to connect with the natural world across changing seasons. Led by certified educators and nature experts, the curriculum blends unstructured outdoor play with hands-on lessons spanning science, arts, history, and ecological awareness tailored to each age group. Operating for over 10 years, the program fosters confidence, social connections, and a deep respect for both people and wildlife.
We offer full year programs as well as seasonal sessions! Fall registration and full year registration open on JUNE 1st, 2026.
Monday Programs
Wednesday Programs
Forest Explorers (Ages 4-7)
Description: Join us each week to foster a lifelong love of nature and a sense of belonging in our youngest students through changing seasons and weather. Led by seasoned, teacher-trained educators with a close 1:5 ratio, this program invites children to explore the outdoors while developing age-appropriate skills and a deep respect for the environment. It is the perfect environment for children to build confidence, make friends, and connect with their community in a fun, safe setting.
Sample Activities:
- Sensory hikes, scavenger hunts, seasonal celebrations, and visiting favorite outdoor spaces.
- Nature-inspired storytelling, songs, movement games, outdoor safety, and crafts.
- Structured lessons on plants, wildlife tracking, weather, and age-appropriate Pathways to Stewardship “Landmarks.”
Ages: 4–7years old (Must be 4 years old on their first day, fully toilet trained, and able to change independently)
Times: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Dates: Sept.14, 2026- June 21, 2027 [No programming on statutory holidays]
Maplewood Mondays (Ages 8-12)
Description: Experience a dynamic, hands-on adventure designed to inspire a lifelong connection to the environment within the beautiful 200-acre Trent Nature Sanctuary. Students will learn essential outdoor survival skills and curriculum-linked environmental knowledge from seasoned, teacher-trained educators. This supportive program fosters personal growth, lasting friendships, and the courage to become future caretakers of our planet.
Sample Activities & Features:
- Active outdoor exploration, physical games, and seasonal wilderness adventures.
- Essential outdoor survival skills, hazard awareness, and stewardship “landmarks.”
- Adaptable grouping (Junior and Senior groups) for age-appropriate learning.
Ages: 8–12 years old (potentially split into Junior and Senior groups)
Times: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Dates: Sept. 14, 2026 – June 21, 2027 [No programming on statutory holidays]
Rootwood (Ages 13-17)
Description: Dive into a comprehensive bushcraft and naturalist skills program designed to build confidence, teamwork, and deep nature knowledge. Students will master essential survival techniques, tool use, and environmental stewardship through immersive, hands-on outdoor experiences. The program combines thrilling wilderness games with incredible real-world conservation projects to inspire future environmental leaders.
Sample Activities:
- Shelter building, fire-making, foraging skills, orienteering, and mapping.
- Nature-based crafts and active forest games that build confidence and teamwork.
- Impactful stewardship projects and educational field trips, including releasing Atlantic salmon and touring the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre.
Ages: 13-17 years old
Times: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Dates: Sept. 14, 2026 – June 21, 2027 [No programming on statutory holidays] Bi-weekly sessions may be available at your request.
Forest Explorers (Ages 4-7)
Description: Join us each week to foster a lifelong love of nature and a sense of belonging in our youngest students through changing seasons and weather. Led by seasoned, teacher-trained educators with a close 1:5 ratio, this program invites children to explore the outdoors while developing age-appropriate skills and a deep respect for the environment. It is the perfect environment for children to build confidence, make friends, and connect with their community in a fun, safe setting.
Sample Activities:
- Sensory hikes, scavenger hunts, seasonal celebrations, and visiting favorite outdoor spaces.
- Nature-inspired storytelling, songs, movement games, outdoor safety, and crafts.
- Structured lessons on plants, wildlife tracking, weather, and age-appropriate Pathways to Stewardship “Landmarks.”
Ages: 4–7years old (Must be 4 years old on their first day, fully toilet trained, and able to change independently)
Times: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Dates: Sept.16, 2026- June 23, 2027 [No programming on statutory holidays]
Woodsy Wednesday JR (Ages 8-10)
Description: A vibrant mid-week nature immersion experience designed to build a joyful, foundational relationship with the environment through changing seasons and weather. Junior students explore the outdoors through active play and structured lessons, developing teamwork by collaborating on large-group games with the Senior section. Held at our inspiring campus with a close 1:6 educator-to-student ratio, this program fosters a deep sense of wonder and healthy childhood development.
Sample Activities:
- Engaging in sensory hikes, nature crafts, storytelling, and active outdoor games.
- Introduction to basic environmental concepts, biodiversity, and local wildlife tracking.
- Participating in age-appropriate community stewardship projects and Pathways to Stewardship “Landmarks.”
Ages: 8-10 years old (Collaborates with Woodsy Wednesdays Sr.; groups may combine if enrollment is low)
Times: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Dates: Sept. 16, 2026 – June 23, 2027 [Bi-weekly options may be available upon request]
Woodsy Wednesday SR (Ages 10-13)
Description: Immerse your child in a weekly “Nature Immersion” experience designed to help students deeply appreciate, understand, and feel at home in the natural world across all seasons. Through a rich variety of outdoor experiences, participants develop a lifelong connection to the environment while collaborating on large-group games with the Junior section. Guided by a close 1:6 educator-to-student ratio, this program fosters community connection, healthy development, and environmental stewardship.
Sample Activities:
- Developing age-appropriate bushcraft skills including shelter building, fire-making, foraging, tool use, and animal track identification.
- Exploring biodiversity, trying new outdoor sports, creating nature crafts, and learning renewable energy concepts.
- Engaging in hands-on environmental projects and age-appropriate Pathways to Stewardship “Landmarks”.
Ages: 10-13 years old (Collaborates with Woodsy Wednesdays Jr.; groups may combine if enrollment is low)
Times: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Dates: Sept. 16, 2026 – June 23, 2027 [Bi-weekly options may be available upon request]
Dates:
Full year: September 14, 2026-June 21, 2027
Fall Session: September 14, 2026-December 14, 2026
Rates:
Full Year: $2360
Fall: $975 (13 days)
Installment payment plans available!
Times:
9:00am-3:00pm
Dates:
Full year: September 16, 2026 – June 23, 2027
Fall Session: September 16, 2026 – December 16, 2026
Rates:
Full Year: $2546
Fall: $1050 (14 days)
Installment payment plans available!
Times:
9:00am-3:00pm
Sample Schedule*
9:00 – Drop off to outdoor classroom
9:15 – Opening circle
9:30 – Snack
10:00 – Programming
12:00 – Lunch
12:30 – Unstructured play/exploration
1:00 – Programming
2:45 – Closing circle
3:00 – Parent pick-up at outdoor classroom
*Please note that this is a sample schedule and it can change depending on attendance, weather, as well as unforeseen factors.
Feel free to contact us with any further questions!
Acknowledgement: We remember, acknowledge, and seek to honour that the beautiful Trent Nature Areas are on the traditional territory of the Michi Saagig Anishinaabeg. This is the area governed by Treaty 20. The First Peoples of this area have, in the past, and continue to today, to care for this place, the land, and all our relations human & non-human alike. It is a privilege, and responsibility to enjoy, work, learn, play, share, and live here and it is part of our mission to better understand this place, the history, and the People, as well as to play a role in caretaking the Land and in beginning to reconcile.