Tapiola Outdoor Education Centre

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Thunder Bay, ON
Tapiola Outdoor Education Centre

Located in Thunder Bay, Tapiola Outdoor Education Centre is 13 acres of boreal beauty with fields, forests and streams.

A place to connect with nature, learn, and experience the outdoors. We offer forest school programming, bushcraft workshops, and more.

10/03/2026

🐺🦊🐇 Predator Prey Survival Game at Tapiola!

This Friday our young naturalists went wild, literally!

We started by learning how animals here in Northwestern Ontario survive in the boreal forest. Every creature has its own tricks. Snowshoe hares rely on speed and zigzag escapes. Grouse freeze and blend into the forest floor. Lynx wait in silent ambush. Wolves hunt as a team. We also talked about the food chain, and why a forest needs many plant eaters to support just a few predators.

Then it was time to put those skills to the test. 🌲

Our herbivores and omnivores had to track down hidden food and water stations, all while keeping a sharp eye out for the carnivores on the prowl. But no one was truly safe. Even the top predators had to dodge two sneaky viruses roaming the bush!

The game was a huge hit. Kids came back out of the woods breathless and buzzing with stories of daring escapes, clever traps, and very close calls. 🙌

A big thank you to all the families who joined us. We can't wait to see you next Friday! 🍂

09/27/2026

Last Friday started with a treasure hunt across Tapiola, with clues tucked into little bottles and kids racing from one to the next. Then the Wolfpack traded clues for shovels and helped set the first posts of something we've been dreaming about for a while: a hobbit shelter built right into the hill. It's early days, but those kids can say they were there from the very first post. 🏡

The afternoon was all about fishing, without getting wet. We set up four land fishing stations:

🐟 Find the Fish, a scavenger hunt to start things off
🧰 Build Your Own Tackle Box
🎯 Casting for Targets
🎣 The Old Fishing Hole, where you never know what's going to bite

The Old Fishing Hole stole the show. Behind the scenes, Oliver kept clipping the wackiest fish he could find onto the lines, and every catch brought a fresh round of laughter. 😂 By the end of the day, even our first-time anglers were landing confident casts. That's the real catch: kids building skills and falling in love with fishing before they ever step into a boat.

Next Friday: SURVIVAL 🔥
We're bringing back a Tapiola classic, Predator/Prey: Herbivores, Omnivores & Carnivores. Will you graze, hunt, or scavenge your way through the food chain? There's only one way to find out.

09/19/2026

What a night!

Our first ever Tapiola Kids Overnight Camping is in the books, and it could not have gone better. The weather was amazing, and we had a wonderful group of 20 people join us.

The kids worked hard getting their campsites set up, picking up plenty of tips and tricks along the way and learning what it means to be responsible for your own site. From there it was campfire cooking, marshmallows, stories, jokes, and more games than we can count.

The highlight for many was the Swedish torch, with a little "magic fire" added in to make it burn in some incredible colours. Hard to beat that.

After a good night's sleep (for most of us 😉), we woke up to pancakes and waffles, packed up camp, and called it a wrap.

Thank you to everyone who came out. We can't wait to do it again. 🔥⛺

09/18/2026

Tonight's the night! Our very first Tapiola Kids Overnight is here, and we can't wait.

Can't stay the night? You're still welcome to come out for dinner and the campfire. We've got games, campfire stories, a Swedish torch, and much more planned.

Just let us know in advance if you're planning to drop by so we can plan for you. See you around the fire! 🔥

09/16/2026

Last week was our first Friday back for the Tapiola fall term🌲

After a summer apart, it took about ten minutes for the whole wolfpack to remember itself. Friendships picked up right where they left off, and the morning went to revisiting favourite spots and seeing what had changed over the summer.

In the afternoon we welcomed our bushcraft drop in families and the kids built nature mandalas — circular designs made entirely from what they gathered themselves. Turning leaves, cedar and pine sprigs, stones, cones, berries and bark into art. Because everything came from the forest floor, the mandalas stay where they were made and come apart in their own time.

We finished with cedar tea around the fire. A great way to close out the day. Fall term is underway at Tapiola.

This Friday is shaping up to be another good one, capped off with our kids overnight camping event. We've got a solid group confirmed for the event. A reminder that if you can't make the overnight, you're welcome to drop in for the afternoon/evening activities then head home. Message for more details.

09/14/2026

🏕️ A couple spots left!

Tapiola's first Kids Overnight Camping Event is this Friday — campfire stories, games under the stars, a 6-foot Swedish Fire Torch, and pancakes in the morning.

Can't do the overnight? Come for the afternoon and evening instead.

Message us to claim a spot. 🔥🌲

09/11/2026

Fall term starts this Friday! 🍂

We're welcoming our Tapiola Wolfpack back to the woods for a full day of Forest School — and kicking off our first Kids Bushcraft drop-in of the season.

This week: Nature Mandalas (see image below), followed by cedar tea by the fire. ☕️

We've got some amazing plans for this term — stay tuned!

08/26/2026

🔥 Registration is OPEN for our Friday kids bushcraft drop ins.

Kids carpentry, firecraft, overnight camping, tracking, fishing, cooking over coals, survival, sheltercraft, bushcraft games, weather wonders, and more!

📅 Fridays, 1:30–3:00 pm, starting September 11
👦Recommended for Ages 7–12 (family drop-in)
💲 $10 per family, per session

Drop-in spots are limited each week, so grab yours here:
https://www.tapiolaoutdoors.ca/bushcraft

Also — we're hiring! We're looking for one more part-time support staff to join us on Friday afternoons, which would let us open up a few more spots for kids in the full day forest school program (Tapiola Wolfpack). Know someone who loves being outside and working with kids? Send them our way.

08/16/2026

🌲 Tapiola Kids Bushcraft Drop-In — Looking Back, Looking Ahead 🍂

Fall term 2026 is coming together, and before we lock in the programming we want to hear from you.

Take a look at the activity posters from the last two terms.
So — what would you like to see this fall?

Is there a skill your kids have been asking about? Something you tried as a kid that you'd love them to experience? An activity that was a hit and deserves a repeat? Drop it in the comments or send us a message. We build this program around our families, and your ideas genuinely shape what happens in the woods on Friday afternoons.

Fall term runs Fridays starting September 11th. More details coming soon! 🐺

08/12/2026

🌲 We're Hiring! 🌲

Join the Tapiola team as a Forest School Teacher! Lead our Wolfpack kids (ages 7-12) on epic outdoor adventures every Friday. If you're passionate about nature-based education and want to inspire young learners in the forest, we want to hear from you!

📍 140 Pento Road, Thunder Bay
💰 $35/HR | Fridays 8:45 am – 3:30 pm
📅 September 11 - December 18th
Interested? Email [email protected]

Bay

Address

140 Pento Road
Thunder Bay, ON
P7B6K4

Website

http://www.tapiolaoutdoors.ca/

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