Outdoor Education
Since 1968, Willowgrove’s Outdoor Education Centre has welcomed tens of thousands of teachers, parents, homeschoolers, and students to learn nose to nose with nature - just minutes from Toronto!
SEASONAL PROGRAMS
FALL
SPRING
WINTER
ALL-SEASON
Learn in a 100-acre outdoor classroom!
Bring your class, homeschool, or independent learning group for the ultimate hands-on learning experience in the GTA.
All of Willowgrove’s Outdoor Education programs are interactive, educational, and designed to meet the Ontario curriculum for all classes.
From Junior Kindergarten to High School, Willowgrove’s Outdoor Education programs are highly adaptable to meet the unique learning needs of your students and can be customized to grade level, focus of study, content, and to the length of your visit.
Outdoor Education Rates
We require a minimum 20 students in a group. There is one free adult for every five students.
$12/student - half day
$12.50/student - half day + lunch space
$17/student - full day (lunch space included)
Rates are effective for bookings
made after January 1, 2024.
All-Season Programs
Come learn on the farm anytime with these year-round programs.
Outdoor Skills: ORIENTEERING
North, East, South and West. Students will learn the basics of orienteering. They will be able to identify the various parts and symbols of a compass. Using a compass, students will work individually or in pairs, navigating themselves from point to point through one of Willowgrove's orienteering courses. Adequate adult supervision is recommended.
Outdoor Skills: MAP AND TREE STUDY
What do all those symbols and labels mean on a map? How do you read and understand all the different features? As you cross the stream and go through the woods, as you travel and learn how to read your map, you'll discover everything and more there is to know about maps. Discover interesting facts about trees as you find your way around Willowgrove.
Outdoor Skills: WILDERNESS SURVIVAL
Would you know what to do if you became lost or disoriented in the woods? In this program, students will learn basic wilderness survival techniques. There are 2 activity options for this program: Shelter Building or Fire Building. Half day groups select one option, full day groups participate in both. All groups participate in a discussion of survival techniques, survival kits and strategies to ensure survival in the event of becoming lost in the wilderness.
Outdoor Skills: WEB OF LIFE
What role does each animal play in the animal world? Who is the wolf and who is the chipmunk? Students will learn to understand the different roles animals play in the food chain as well as how humans interact with their habitat and community. Taking the role of the animals, students will search to find food and water in an attempt to survive.
Outdoor Skills: PHOTO ORIENTEERING
Students will learn the basics of orienteering. They will be able to identify the various parts and symbols of a compass. Using a compass, students will work in pairs or in teams and travel the property with a photo in hand to locate a specific spot at which point they'll attempt to align themselves in the same bearing as the person who took the photo. A fun and challenging task!
Early Canada: EARLY SETTLERS
Available November through April
How did the Early Settlers wash their clothes or make their food? Look at the various roles of different people within an Early Settler village and see how they have influenced present day. Step back in time, try various jobs and tasks, and see first hand how Early Settlers survived.
Farm Studies: LET’S TALK ANIMALS
Animals abound in our barns. Come and discover different characteristics of each animal, how they grow, why they are important to the farmer, along with many other interesting details. Included in this program is a wagon ride through our beautiful woodlot and a chance to play in our hayloft playground.
Team Building and Group Dynamics
A full day of hands on, engaging and team building activities that can include the following:
Can Challenge - Using a set of bungee cords, climbing ropes and tin cans students are challenged to work as a team to lift the cans into various forms. Stacking, dropping and knocking them over as they go. It's a great communication activity and challenging for all levels.
Low Ropes - Activities based on communication, teamwork and co-operation. Come and challenge your students as they work together on completing the various tasks at our low ropes course. Great group building exercises!
Land Skis - Using our 6 person skis participants have to climb on and hold onto the ropes and work as a team of six to lift, shift and move their skis forward. It's a fun activity of communication and coordination.
Labyrinth - A giant wooden maze that rocks and pivots with the weight of the students is used to challenge them to coordinate, communicate and be successful at moving a golf ball through the labyrinth without it dropping through its many holes.
Shelter Building - A shelter can protect you from the sun, insects, wind rain and snow, hot and cold temperatures. It can give you a feeling of well-being. it can help you maintain your will to survive if n a survival situation. Shelter building is also an excellent team building activity that allows students to use their minds and hands in a different way - construction. Students are taken into the woodlot area where there are many materials that can be used to construct lean to and other shelter within small groups.
Contact us to book an all-season Outdoor Education program for your students.
Fall Programs
Sweet apples, bright orange pumpkins and more fall delights are waiting for you!
Apple Orchard Tour
September to Early October
Students will visit an orchard where they will have the opportunity to learn about the many varieties of apples, the role of the honey bee in the orchard, issues related to picking, pruning and caring for the orchard and the many products that can be made using apples. Students will also enjoy a wagon ride and will pick an apple to eat.
Garden Galore
September to Early October
What stages do our vegetables go through when they grow? Label different sections of the plant and identify which part we eat. Investigate what our carrots, corn and other vegetables need in order to grow and survive and see how various conditions affect their growth. You won't go away empty handed... each class takes back to school an assortment of our garden fresh produce.
Pumpkin Patch
October
Does a pumpkin float? Plenty of pumpkin knowledge awaits as we participate and learn firsthand various characteristics of pumpkins and see how and where they grow. A visit to the pumpkin patch to pick a class pumpkin, build a pumpkin head scarecrow and pumpkin trivia would all be a part of your pumpkin adventure.
Contact us to book a Fall Outdoor Education program for your students.
Winter Programs
Bundle up and slide right into our winter wonderland!
Snowshoeing
Snowshoe along the trails at Willowgrove while learning why snowshoes have been so important throughout history. As we walk on top of the snow, try those feet at the Snowshoe Olympics or the challenge of running. A great fitness activity for winter weather.
Quinzhees
A snow shelter warm enough to sleep in? Snow that needs time to bake? Find out the truth to these questions while you build your quinzhee, the structure that provides great shelter and protection, plus hours of entertainment.
Christmas Country Traditions
Mid-November to Christmas
Christmas is a time of year when everyone can hope for peace, share gifts with families and loved ones and capture a child-like excitement. There are many Canadian traditions that are borrowed from other cultures. Come to Willowgrove to learn the history behind some natural traditions such as wreaths and trees, participate in an interactive dramatic story telling session with live farm animals, make a country Christmas craft to take home with you, learn and sing holiday songs around the campfire and enjoy hot chocolate to keep you warm and toasty.
Christmas Traditions Program PDF for Teachers (Public School)
Christmas Traditions Program PDF for Teachers (Christian & Catholic School)
Tobogganing
Try the hills at Willowgrove and participate in some fun going tobogganing on our crazy carpets. Come, enjoy and have a great time.
Contact us to book a Winter Outdoor Education program for your students.
Spring Programs
After a long cold winter bring your class to our farm and see the miracle of nature's rebirth!
Spring's Sweet Surprise: Maple Syrup
March
Explore one of Ontario’s great natural resources – the maple tree. Students will learn about how sap is taken from the tree and the process it must go through in order to become maple syrup. Students will help measure and tap a tree, visit the sugar shack, and enjoy a puppet show. Students will also get to sample Willowgrove’s own maple syrup.
Plants & Seeds
Late Spring
Identify the major parts of a plant and discover what it needs to grow. We will explain how a plant changes and grows, as well as it's major needs and characteristics. Students will identify various grains used on a farm and investigate what connection they have to Corn Pops, Marshmallows and many other foods. Along with sorting, grinding and sifting grain, students will discover the importance of the earthworm and what role they play. Students will plant their own seed to take back to school.
Stream and Insect Study
Late Spring
Look at the basic needs and characteristics of insects. Identify various traits and senses that insects use to meet their needs in their environments. Understand the environment insects live in as you go searching on the "Bug Hunt" and then discover the animals in their habitat at the stream. See how people can either help or hurt this natural habitat while students understand the mechanics of how the stream works and moves. Don't forget your rubber boots as we go exploring for water striders and crayfish.
Pond Study
Late Spring
Students will have the opportunity to look at the basic needs and characteristics of insects and aquatic critters by visiting 2 different habitats and catching and classifying creatures. Time will be spent at our pond and in our fields or woodlots to look at the biodiversity of living things that call Willowgrove their home. All equipment such as life jackets, catchers, nets and buckets will be provided for their adventure!
Contact us to book a Spring Outdoor Education program for your students.
Natural Learning Outdoors
Contact us to book your field trip today!
Willowgrove’s Outdoor Education program is incredibly grateful for the support of
the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund grant, as well as Whitchurch-Stouffville’s Legacy Fund.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund directly supports the sustainability of our
Outdoor Education programming as we continue to recover from the impacts of COVID-19. The Whitchurch-Stouffville Legacy Fund directly provides bussing supports for Whitchurch-Stouffville schools, in order to reduce the fees of extracurricular activities.
“You were extremely accommodating to our needs!”
“Everything was well organized, everything ran smoothly – there was a little bit of everything for the kids.”
“Thank you once again for hosting such a meaningful day... The youth LOVED the experience.”