Outdoor Learning - Enrichment Pods

Fall & Winter 2025/26 Drop-in Options

We understand that life is busy, schedules shift, and sometimes you just want to try outdoor learning before making a commitment. Add in the reality that winter weather can bring the occasional change of plans, and it’s clear why flexible options matter. That’s why we’re offering drop-in days for fall and winter 2025/26 so families can join when it works, explore at their own pace, and see if it’s the right fit.

Scroll to the bottom of this page to learn more about drop-in options & schedule.

Register for Drop-in

Our year-long enrichment program supports your home learning through hands-on, experience-based activities that spark curiosity, creativity, and deeper academic understanding.

Here, learners engage with real-world concepts in ways that are active, creative, and collaborative. Through seasonally inspired enrichment, learners explore key concepts from BC’s curriculum in ways that are tangible, engaging, and memorable.

  • Literacy grows through the creation of personalized Explorer’s Field Kits—handcrafted booklets where learners record, reflect, and creatively express what they discover throughout the seasons.
  • Math is discovered in patterns, measurements, and real-world problem-solving, from mapping to tracking weather.
  • Science is experienced first-hand through exploring ecosystems, studying plant and animal life cycles, and conducting simple experiments outdoors.
  • Social Studies connects learners to place and community through mapping, Indigenous perspectives, and stewardship projects.
  • Art flows through every season—creating with natural materials, sketching from life, and celebrating self-expression through land-based projects.

 

 

During our time together each child will develeop their own Explorer’s Field Kit. A personalized, evolving record of their learning. Woven naturally into each day, this kit captures their discoveries and reflections in many forms: sketches, diagrams, short stories, observations, research notes, poems, and creative projects. It becomes a meaningful way for learners to tell the story of what they’ve explored, offering a tangible, expressive way to document learning. 

Our Outdoor learning program is about being immersed in the experience of learning, following questions as they arise, making connections between subjects, and building knowledge through doing. Our approach turns abstract concepts into memorable, real-life encounters that deepen understanding and spark lifelong curiosity.

Each activity is adaptable, allowing learners to participate at their own level and grow with confidence.

Ages 5 & 6

At this age, curiosity runs wild and that’s exactly where learning begins. Our youngest learners build foundational skills through play, exploration, and hands-on discovery. With gentle guidance and lots of movement, they explore patterns, ask questions, tell stories, and begin connecting ideas in meaningful ways. It’s a joyful, engaging start to academic learning one that nurtures confidence and celebrates each child’s unique way of thinking.

Note: If you have a 4-year-old who turns five by December 31 or who you feel would be a good fit for this program, please message us to discuss enrolment.

Ages 7 – 9

These learners are full of questions and we welcome them. This age group dives into experiential learning that blends academic depth with active engagement. Whether it’s solving real-world math problems, exploring natural systems, or expressing ideas through art and story, learners connect meaningfully with concepts that matter. We believe academic rigour isn’t about more worksheets, it’s about making learning stick through movement, creativity, and exploration.

Ages 10–12: 

Older learners are ready to take on bigger ideas and our program gives them space to do just that. We offer opportunities for inquiry, collaboration, and reflection, supporting learners as they deepen their understanding across subjects in dynamic, hands-on ways. They might be mapping systems, designing investigations, or documenting their insights in their Explorer’s Field Kits. For kids who think deeply but may not thrive with traditional school methods, this is a space where learning comes to life.

Term 2 - Registration

Spring term –  Mar 16th to Jun 15th, 2025 registration now open.

Register Now

Fall & Winter 2025/26 Drop-in information & Schedule

  • Three age groups 5 & 6, 7-9 and 10-12
  • Mondays | Sept 15th – Dec 15th | 9:30am – 3:00pm
  • Location: Camp Caillet – Nanaimo
  • Spaces in each group are limited
  • Cost – Sept 15 – Dec 8th – $86.50 Per day (includes all supplies)
  • Cost – Dec 15th – $95.00 (includes all cookout supplies)
  • Payment options: e-transfer

Schedule Information

Nov 17th

  • Theme: Shelter Building Challenge.
  • Focus: Applying design skills and collaboration to a hands-on building project.
  • Curricular Connections:
    • ADST: Ideating, prototyping, and testing; using tools and materials safely.
    • Core Competencies: Collaboration and Creative Thinking.
    • PHE: Safety awareness and cooperation.

Nov 24th

  • Theme: Environmental Stewardship.
  • Focus: Connecting learning to action and community responsibility.
  • Curricular Connections:
    • Social Studies: Community and responsibility.
    • Science: Human impacts on ecosystems.
    • Personal and Social Responsibility: Taking action to care for a place.

Dec 1st

  • Theme: Nature Art & Expression.
  • Focus: Using the outdoors as inspiration and a medium for creative work.
  • Curricular Connections:
    • Arts Education: Creating art using a variety of materials and contexts.
    • English Language Arts: Expressing meaning through creative forms like drama and storytelling.
    • Personal Awareness: Self-expression and creativity.

Dec 8th

  • Theme: Fungi, Mosses, and Lichens
  • Focus: Exploring the often-overlooked world of fungi, mosses, and lichens, and understanding their critical roles as decomposers and indicator species.
  • Curricular Connections:
    • Science: Learning about life cycles, symbiotic relationships (lichens), decomposition, and biodiversity.
    • English Language Arts (ELA): Using sensory details and rich descriptive language to document observations in the Explorer’s Field Kit.
    • Arts Education: Using these organisms as subjects for detailed drawings or creating spore prints.
    • Social Studies: Discussing the traditional uses of fungi and lichens by Indigenous peoples for dyes, medicine, or tinder

Dec 15th (Campfire Cookout)

  • Theme: Outdoor Cooking & Fire Safety.
  • Focus: Safely preparing a simple meal outdoors, understanding heat transfer, and connecting cooking to local plants and resources.
  • Curricular Connections:
    • Science: Understanding physical and chemical changes from cooking, heat transfer, and properties of materials.
    • Mathematics: Measuring ingredients and calculating cooking times.
    • Physical and Health Education (PHE): Learning safety practices, especially for fire, and understanding food preparation as a life skill.
    • Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies (ADST): Following a process, using tools safely, and adapting plans

Spring 2026 Info & Schedule

  • Three age groups 5 & 6, 7-9 and 10-12
  • Mondays | Mar 16th – Jun 15th | 9:30am – 2:30pm
  • Location: Camp Caillet – Nanaimo
  • Spaces in each group are limited
  • Cost Full enrolment – Mar 16th – Jun 15th – $822.00 12 weeks (incl. complementary access to all Monday unique learning days)
  • Cost – Drop In – $82.50 Per day (Additional supply fees apply for access to Unique Learning Days may apply)
  • Payment options: e-transfer to info@openairlearning.com, credit card via invoice, billing to school of enrolment HCOS, SelfDesign, etc. 

March 16th 

  • Theme: Rocks, Minerals & the Slow Story of Earth
  • Focus: Exploring local rocks, minerals, and how landscapes form over time.
  • Curricular Connections:
    • Science: Properties of earth materials; rock cycle; erosion and weathering.
    • Mathematics: Sorting, classifying, comparing size/shape/texture.
    • ADST: Building and testing simple erosion-resistant structures.
    • ELA: Using descriptive language to document observations.

March 23rd

  • Theme: Spring Thaw & Changing Landforms
  • Focus: Investigating how freeze–thaw cycles change soil, shift rocks, and reshape the land in early spring.
  •  Curricular Connections:
    • Science: Weathering; soil composition; physical changes in the environment.
    • Mathematics: Measuring changes in soil depth, cracks, and displacement.
    • ADST: Testing materials that resist or absorb freeze–thaw effects.
    • Critical Thinking: Making predictions based on environmental clues.

March 30th

  • Theme: Nature’s Architects — Animal Builders
  • Focus: Exploring how animals such as beavers, ants, and birds design and build structures that shape ecosystems.
  • Curricular Connections:
    • Science: Habitats; adaptations; animal-built structures.
    • Social Studies: Human–environment interactions; resource use.
    • ADST: Creating model structures inspired by animal engineering.
    • Creative Thinking: Generating ideas and testing natural designs.

April 13th

  • Theme: Seasonal Strategies for Animals
  • Focus: Understanding how animals adapt and change behaviour across seasons
  • Curricular Connections:
    • Science: Adaptations; life cycles; food and energy needs.
    • Social Studies: Indigenous knowledge of seasonal animal patterns.
    • Critical Thinking: Problem-solving seasonal survival scenarios.
    • ELA: Observational note-taking in field journals.

April 20th

  • Theme: Bugs, Beetles & Invertebrates
  • Focus: Discovering the first insects of spring and their role in the ecosystem.
  • Curricular Connections:
    • Science: Classification; life cycles; interdependence.
    • Social Responsibility: Respecting small living organisms.
    • ELA: Using sensory details to record observations.
    • Arts: Detailed sketches of invertebrates and microhabitats.

April 27th

  • Theme: The Science of Trees
  • Focus: Investigating tree growth, sap flow, buds, and internal structure 
  • Curricular Connections:
    • Science: Photosynthesis; plant structures; seasonal changes.
    • Mathematics: Measuring tree circumference; comparing data.
    • ADST: Creating or using simple tools (e.g., tree height estimators)
    • ELA: Recording growth changes over time.

May 4th

  • Theme: Spring Plants
  • Focus: Identifying shoots, buds, and emerging plants exploring seasonal roles.
  • Curricular Connections:
    • Science: Plant life cycles; growth needs; biodiversity.
    • Mathematics: Counting and comparing early plant stages.
    • Arts: Close-up sketches of buds and early leaves.
    • Personal Awareness: Mindful observation and care for living things.

May 11th

  • Theme: Exploring Patterns in Nature
  • Focus: Identifying and creating natural patterns, symmetry, spirals, and fractals.
  • Curricular Connections:
    • Mathematics: Patterns, shapes, and symmetry.
    • Science: Patterns in living and non-living systems.
    • Arts: Pattern-based nature art and design.
    • Personal Awareness: Building focus and noticing skills.

May 25th

  • Theme: Soundscapes & Nature’s Music
  • Focus: Exploring natural soundscapes and experimenting with sound-making
  • Curricular Connections:
    • Science: Sound waves; vibration; hearing.
    • Arts: Creating rhythmic patterns with nature instruments.
    • PHE: Listening games to develop focus and awareness.
    • ELA: Descriptive writing about sound.

June 1st

  • Theme: Forces in Motion (Nature Physics)
  • Focus: Investigating pushes, pulls, gravity, and friction using natural materials and terrain.
  • Curricular Connections:
    • Science: Motion; energy; forces.
    • Mathematics: Measuring distance, speed, and incline.
    • ADST: Designing and testing simple motion devices.
    • PHE: Safe movement and cooperative team challenges.

 June 8th

  • Theme: Light & Shadow
  • Focus: Investigating how light moves and how shadows change throughout the day, experimenting with shadow length, and creating shadow-inspired art.
  • Curricular Connections:
    • Science: Light sources; shadow formation; seasonal changes in daylight.
    • Mathematics: Measuring shadow length and comparing changes over time.
    • Arts: Creating silhouette art, shadow drawings, and light-based installations.
    • Personal Awareness: Developing focus and observation skills while noticing subtle changes outdoors.

June 15th

  • Theme: Reactions in Nature
  • Focus: Exploring natural chemical processes such as decomposition, oxidation, temperature changes, and pH reactions using safe, observable outdoor experiments.
  • Curricular Connections:
    • Science: Chemical and physical changes; decomposition; properties of materials.
    • ADST: Designing and conducting simple experiments using natural and everyday materials.
    • Mathematics: Recording and comparing experimental observations and simple data.
    • Critical Thinking: Making predictions, testing ideas, and drawing conclusions from real-world reactions.

Register - Drop-in