Hillside House - Outdoor Learning and Community

Forest Tales is a family program celebrating community and nature connection through play and storytelling. Each week, we will gather outdoors to notice, feel, play, and explore the wild around us.

Fall lets us witness plants and trees displaying new colors, and animals preparing for colder weather. The song of the wild shifts to honking geese, falling nuts, and the rustling of leaves. Shadows lengthen, and the land that tells stories in rocks and landforms, tracks and s**t, invites us to wonder how we are part of that story too!

Our circle times and activities will incorporate different stories each week from forest fables and classic tales, to favourite stories with new voices. We will celebrate stories through picture books, puppets, poetry, photography, music, movement, and literacy.

A large portion of this program is dedicated to observing and supporting children’s free play in a woodland setting. Parents are invited to join their children in play and exploration as well as in pausing, noticing, and choosing rest and mindfulness. Weekly invitations may include community snacks, nature study, sensory exploration, crafting, wide games, and more.
The land has tales to tell, and so do we!

This program is designed for families with children from 2-8 years old and their siblings. Parents or caregivers must accompany their children. There is no cost for younger siblings (infants or toddlers under 2 years old) . Please feel free to babywear/carry and feed your little ones as suitable for your family. Forest Tales is an outdoor program that runs rain or shine with access to shelter as needed. Families should dress for the weather and bring refillable water bottles and snacks to stay fuelled.

8 weekly sessions
September 24 - November 5
Thursdays A.M. 9:30-12:00

Register and pay by email to:
[email protected]

Moss & Mud – Early Years Math Exploration 🔢🪵

Come wander, wonder, and discover marvelous math hidden throughout the forest.

From counting pinecones and creating nature patterns to measuring mighty trees and building with sticks and stones, each week invites children to explore early math concepts through imaginative play, storytelling, movement, and hands-on adventures.

Together we'll splash through puddles, hunt for shapes, sort nature's treasures, and uncover the patterns woven into the wild. Rooted in child-led exploration, this program nurtures confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning - all while embracing the joy of getting a little muddy. This program is designed for children from toddlers to age 8 and their caregivers + siblings. Babes in arms are free of charge. Please feel free to baby wear/carry and feed your little ones as suitable for your family.

Please register and pay by email to:
[email protected]

6 weekly sessions
Friday mornings 9:30-11:30
September 18th to October 23rd, 2026

New families, please fill out the family registration jotform
https://form.jotform.com/252394798327270

New Program ! Roots & Shoots – Forest Keepers 🌱

The forest isn't just something we visit... it's something we belong to.

Roots & Shoots is a nature immersion program where children and their caregivers grow alongside the seasons, learning to care for the land through wonder, curiosity, and meaningful connection. Together we'll wander woodland trails, discover the stories hidden beneath our feet, create with nature's treasures, celebrate seasonal rhythms, and practice gentle stewardship through small acts of kindness for the forest.

Each gathering invites families to slow down, follow children's natural curiosity, and build confidence through child-led exploration, imaginative play, songs, stories, and shared rituals.
As our roots grow deeper, our shoots reach higher. Together, we're nurturing the next generation of forest keepers - children who know that the Earth isn't just where we live, but something we love, respect, and protect.

8 weekly sessions for children and their caregivers
Tuesday mornings 9:30-12:00
September 15th to November 3rd
$120.00 for one child
additional $95.00 per sibling - max family rate of $285.00

Please send registration and payment by email to [email protected]

If this is your first time participating in a Hillside program, please fill out the jotform family registration form
https://form.jotform.com/252394798327270

It's almost "Back to School" time and we are exciting to be heading back outside with Spruce & Saplings families for another season of outdoor learning! Starting on September 24th, co-op families will gather in the outdoor classroom for family-led learning and exploration outdoors. Each week, on Thursday afternoons, the co-op community will celebrate children's interests and inquiry with meaningful and hands-on opportunities for learning, listening, observing sharing, and studying.

Children and parents together choose what topics and activities they would like to pursue over the course of the season. These themes and interests become the inspiration for exploration, investigation, worskshops, presentations, or projects.

This program celebrates the variety of ways that we can learn, represent, and share knowledge. It has been meaningful for primary and middle schoolers over the last few years, and we are excited to see how those moving into highschool will continue to pursue their learning outdoors with peers! Spruce & Saplings is a really engaging program that support learning for everyone: strengthening connections, supporting creative thinking and problem solving, sharing knowledge, practicing skills together, and developing leadership.

This season, Ms. Vikki will be facilitating this program. She will be providing a safe and structured environment, inviting connection between families and the natural world, supporting special needs inclusion, assisting parents in planning/providing learning opportunities, and helping co-op families access materials and resources.

$230.00 per family
12 sessions
Thursdays 1pm- 4pm
September 25- November 27

*Parents are expected to help plan, organize, lead, or support co-op activities. Parents will sign up to contribute on specific days. Ms. Vikki will be available to support parents in their co-op roles. Co-op runs in all weather with access to shelter as needed. Please dress for outdoor exploration. Bring a change of clothes, refillable water bottles, and snacks to keep your family fuelled. If the program needs to be canceled due to extreme weather or unsafe conditions, a contingency session can be scheduled for Thursday, December 10th. This would be the last day of fall 2026 co-op program. *

REGISTRATION OPENS AUGUST 5TH

Please register for this program with jotform link:
https://form.jotform.com/252402044973251

If this is your first time participating in a Hillside program, please also fill out the family information jotform:
https://form.jotform.com/252394798327270

For information and to pay by etransfer, please connect with us at
[email protected]

These events popped up in our Facebook feed so we are sharing them with you. We love Laura Vokey's music sessions and we are sure that you will too! What's better than an indoor summer music session? An outdoor one! You can find out more information on her page and through Pine Arts Collective.

Images from Laura's Music Studio.

Update: Registration for August 18th is now closed. Follow us for more information coming soon about the fall session of this program!

Update: Registration for this program is now closed.

Oaks & Acorns invites meaningful learning through sharing circles, storytelling, mindfullness and movement activities, community snacks, and child-led play and inquiry. This special drop-in session, Ms. Hilary and Ms. Vikki are teaming up to offer a nature study all about local pollinators! Join us for a morning of nature and community connection, story time, crafts, sensory activities, discussion and exploration! We will make time for playing, sensing, listening, reflecting, and sharing in a caring community that values curiosity and kindness.
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This family program is designed for children two to ten years old accompanied by parents, guardians and siblings. Everyone from infant to grandparent is welcome to join us. Feel free to babywear and feed your baby as suitable for your family. Parents or guardians are responsible for the safety and supervision of their children while participating in these facilitator-led sessions.

This program runs rain or shine unless conditions are unsafe. Participants will have access to shelter as needed. Please bring a refillable water bottle and snacks to keep your family fuelled. Dress for outdoor play and bring a change of clothes.

This 2.5 hour program is $30.00 for the whole family for Tuesday, August 18th from 9:30 AM to 12:00PM.
Registration and payment can be made by e transfer to: [email protected]
If this is your first time participating, please also complete the family registration form here:
https://form.jotform.com/252394798327270

Come play, connect, create, and explore outdoors with Hillside!

Would you like to spend a morning playing wide games and learning outdoors with your children? Join us next Thursday from 9:30AM-12:00PM for field and forest activities with family, friends (new or returning), and the Hillside community. Organized games, team challenges, sit spots, play and exploration will invite noticing, wonder, caring, problem solving, and learning together as we connect with nature and with each other.

Please bring a refillable water bottle and snacks to keep your family fuelled. Dress for the weather and woodland play. Feel free to wear/carry and feed your littles ones as suitable for your family.
This program is planned for preschool and primary children while being suitable for older sibblings and caregivers. Terrain is hilly and may be challenging for persons with reduced mobility. Please let us know when registering how we can inlcude you and reduce bariers to participation. If this will be your first time at Hillside House, please take a moment to fill out the family registration form here:
https://form.jotform.com/252394798327270
It allows us to plan and adapt our programs to accomodate special needs or food restrictions.

Registration can be made by contacting the program coordinator with the names of patipants. Please send emails and e-transfers to [email protected]. This session is $30.00 per family. If cost is a barrier to participation, please contact Vikki for
pay-what-you-can option. We look forward to connecting with you as we adventure togther next week!

P.S. We will be providing lemonade and popsicles (no artificial colors or flavours) to keep participants hydrated. If you would like to stay for half an hour following the session and picnic with other families, you are welcome to bring your lunch with you! See you soon!