Forest Friends Outdoor Learning

Our small outdoor classroom provides a tailored approach to inquiry-based learning, allowing children to develop keen connections to nature, their community, and themselves… all within a pedagogy of play!

Classes are held on weekdays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at Jericho Beach Park, for children aged 2 to 5 years old.

Our Programs

We foster a calm learning environment with time for mindful reflection. Quiet nature observation, meditative Sit Spots, sunny walks, and forest bathing are all interspersed within our day of learning and play.

Tall trees give us perspective for both time, size, and height. We love learning about the rainforest we call home!

One of our favourite inquiry-based activities is Show and Tell! Or rather, show and... ask questions, get curious, and make observations! Each day I bring my ethically sourced collection of natural history artifacts, to get our young learners curious

Music is such a fun way to learn and get creative! We love to sing songs about sea creatures, or and dance around like dinosaurs. Sometimes Teacher Luke brings his guitar to help explore a larger instrument for ourselves and make a connection with th

Our young learners were curious about the bees buzzing about. We love our pollinators and are excited to teach about bees, birds, bats, and butterflies!

Exploring the intertidal zone of Vancouver's beaches is truly a magical experience! Getting up close with our local ecosystems connects us to nature, and helps us appreciate even the littlest of creatures.

Snacks and stories often go hand-in-hand! Here, we were learning about our planet and it's position to the sun in springtime. It's never too early to start a good foundation for scientific learning and literacy.

One of our favourite activities to engage in is reading and storytelling. We bring in a library of rotating material, from silly fiction to field guides of flora and fauna. We're mindful to introduce little ones to indigenous Children's Literature, t

Nature walks make up a chunk of our day, each class! During these daily walks we notice the seasonal changes around us, grow confident in our physical abilities, and practice the mindful skills it takes to be physically literate in an uneven and chan

We love to make homes for earthworms, fairies, baby dinosaurs, etc. So fun to delve into imaginative play with friends. We're also learning how to plan, communicate with peers, and use our building and fine-motor skills!

Each day we prioritize time for free play. This is such a crucial part of our class time, where little ones often make the most connections with their other Forest Friends. We welcome plenty of little ones who are new to socializing in groups with pe

It feels good to confident and safe! It is so important for little ones to do risky things safely. Giving children the freedom to explore their capabilities and feel safe and sturdy in their bodies does wonderful things!

Did we mention we love books? Plenty of story time helps foster an early love of reading, and provides a calm activity that helps us improve our focus and communication. It's also just plain fun!

Another natural history lesson... each day we research, discuss, and wonder about plants, animals, rocks, oceans, clouds... you name it!

We acknowledge that we are learning on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō, and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations

Big thanks to the Vancouver Park Board for supporting outdoor learning initiatives! Your encouragement has been a driving force in making this endeavor a resounding success. We're thrilled to have such a wonderful partner in promoting the joys of learning amidst nature. Together, we're making a positive impact on the lives of our students by fostering a lifelong curiosity and love of nature. Here's to many more exciting adventures ahead!