Seeking a caring and attentive leader who is comfortable working outdoors. You’re a singing pack mule, bringing new parents together in a beautiful nature park. We are seeking a passionate and enthusiastic Parent and Child Facilitator to join our team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in outdoor education, child development, and experiential … Read more
Many of the things children do are difficult for us to manage. There are some specific behaviors that I can help you address in a positive way to support building a relationship with the child and their peers. My motto is always: Connect before correct. This means we must make an effort to understand and … Read more
The words we use have power and effect on others often beyond what we realize. There are several common things adults do in their speech that have the opposite of our desired effect on children. It will transform your teaching if you can be mindful of these common language missteps and manage to change the … Read more
As I move towards a consultant space I engage in conversations with thoughtful educators who can be dismissive of the importance of the assessment tools that are (or should be) a part of outdoor education. While our relatively small groups of children using natural spaces as classrooms and playgrounds has much less impact than a … Read more
If you’ve spent any amount of time with children you may be familiar with what I call the ‘watch me’ phenomenon. This is when a confident child who has perhaps recently mastered a new skill requests that you observe them completing that skill over and over and over. This is fairly typical 4 year old … Read more
I saw Arrowleaf Balsamroot flowers in bloom on Friday during my afternoon hike. The appearance of this common wildflower is my cue to remind families to teach their children to not pick wildflowers. One of the hills where we play has a remarkable population of blue flax flowers. These flowers are extremely fragile and last … Read more
From the top to bottom of the forest here are some of the most commonly found and easy to identify flora growing in Peterson Creek in Kamloops BC. This article is a work in progress and updates are welcome. Overstory/Canopy Layer Ponderosa Pine Douglas Fir Black Cottonwood Rocky Mountain Juniper Russian Olive Mountain Ash Willow … Read more
When supervising outdoor risky play we can allow children more freedom in their explorations and movements when we are in a position to effectively spot them. Basic spotting is something many parents do instinctively with their babies and toddlers as their child begins to master their newfound mobility skills. Many of us will be familiar … Read more
You may have noticed your child brought home a tiny slip of paper with their Nature Name on it. At the beginning of each session every child get’s a nature name from our very own Peter Rabbit. Nature names help us become more aware of the flora and fauna that exist in our local eco … Read more
Children inevitably do things we’d really rather they didn’t. They may hit, or bite or say mean things. And the truth of the matter is what they are really doing is trying to get their needs met with the skills and tools they have available to them. If we want our children (or anyone for … Read more