Y Outdoor School Vancouver Island

10/18/2021

We are once again offering our popular nature and mindfulness workshop Wild Mind. Oct 22.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Join us for engaging professional development opportunities throughout the school year for teachers, parents and curious educators. The YMCA-YWCA of Vancouver Island Outdoor Centre and Camp Thunderbird is committed to providing quality outdoor experiences that support health...

01/12/2021

Attention educators! Looking for ways to get your students out into nature for year-round learning? Winter Wonders is a ProD workshop opportunity for educators designed to deepen your knowledge and increase your comfort level in sharing nature with your students in all seasons. Information on our website. https://vancouverislandy.com/program-services/outdoor-education-overview/professional-development-opportunities/

Y Outdoor School While 2020 has been a particularly challenging time for families and children in schools and at home, we have long been aware of the social, emotional and mental health benefits of time spent outside. It is at this time, more than any other, that we see the need for children to have...

12/07/2020

Some very cool research happening in Finland making the connection between immune health and exposure to plants and soil. Our preference of course is use a REAL forest floor.
https://www.sciencealert.com/daycares-in-finland-built-a-backyard-forest-and-it-changed-children-s-immune-systems?fbclid=IwAR3xFqk124-ZN6gBu9r7FSHPvl2kubyFcYmJb1EuF61Y3iguCs4fqqJ45Cg

12/03/2020

A nice little piece about bringing outdoor & experiential learning into our practice as educators. https://takemeoutside.ca/act-your-way/?fbclid=IwAR0x7j0bf3TRSpe9eoANXr5cn2Hn_jpmvWhztoMVmUA_NX_rrz1HLmN2qXg
One of the things we are passionate about at the Y Outdoor School is bringing these kind of ideas and tools to teachers and others who want to take their work outside in meaningful ways. Stay tuned for our 2021 Pro-D offerings, including our popular Wild Mind: Mindfulness in Nature workshop on May 21st, 2020.

A three-year-old girl is with her dad at the park down the street from their home on a sunny, autumn afternoon. Her dad brought something he dug out of the storage, something he hadn’t played with in years, it’s his old soccer ball. Finding an open patch of grass, he places the artifact of his [...

11/27/2020

A little simple inspiration for the weekend ahead...

11/26/2020

We're riffing on a bit of a winter theme here, but here's another great piece about how to get kids outdoors in 'foul weather' and help them enjoy it! https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/parenting/kids-winter-play-outside.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&fbclid=IwAR1On-YyL7aK8SIJNs-omLxCuTxj-JXmRrX0AfUfSN7vk3Lv-eKGBji8WcI

Hardened athletes and explorers weigh in on how to keep your kids warm.

11/23/2020

Here on Vancouver Island we are in the midst of the rainy winter season. Helping kids learn to thrive in the rain is an important life skill that allows us to get outdoors and active at this time of year. Rain can also teach us mindfulness. We can tune in to sound as the drops hit the surface of the lake, and the rush of the filling creeks coming back to life. The feeling of cool raindrops on our skin or pattering against the hoods of our raincoats connects us to the present moment. Rain intensifies the scents of the forest and brings them into greater focus. It also teaches resilience in the simple muddy joy of playing in puddles, and learning how to stay dry and warm. Being a rain warrior is something we believe in at the Y Outdoor School, and not just because of the anticipated heat of the campfire, or the warm, dry indoor space that awaits us at the end of the day.

11/20/2020

Great post by Mother Natured! 🌿

11/18/2020

There's much to know about mushrooms..here's a fun article about our fungi friends - https://childhoodbynature.com/theres-something-about-fungi/?fbclid=IwAR1uHfQUKQgq4vjCNrJ30mKTffJpdU84btg-oGrrIs2l78uAHhTE7-0thwA

11/17/2020

Ever wonder about the links between dirt, creativity and the immune system? No...well here's an interesting piece linking these things.

Playing outside in nature, or nature play, brings a bunch a benefits for your child, including a good boost to their immune system.

11/17/2020

Ever wondered about the connection between dirt, creativity and the immune system? No...well, here's an article that links these three things. https://childhoodbynature.com/why-your-child-needs-to-play-in-nature/?fbclid=IwAR2Xp0iwWgo7MBz1uW0wJj_ra-3s4ZOzPH4WBXsPKmpQUQIqlUHWmOmLXWA

11/16/2020

The Warmth of Winter: As the daylight hours lessen and we begin the slow and sometimes damp descent into the winter months here on Vancouver Island a question many folks ask is - "Why take kids outside in the cold & wet season?" Indeed, most people tend to think of the warmth of summer and spring to be the best time to get out and learn outside. But there is a magic in the colder season, and secrets that are best uncovered during this time. We learn how to build a fire and create warmth in four ways. The first is by collecting the wood, the second from cutting the wood and preparing it to be lit, and the third is the heat of the fire itself. Finally, the fourth way is through the circle of connection that we find when we gather in it's warmth and look around at the faces of the friends we made in the process.