Cambridge Farm and Forest School
3238 Old Beverly Road N1R 5S7 Cambridge, ON, Canada

How to make Pancakes at the Farm & Forest School: Read Pancakes Pancakes by Eric Carle Review how to build a fire Gather ingredients (including fresh eggs from our hens)... Mix ingredients Collaboratively build a fire, wait patiently for the coals Make pancakes over the fire as a class Enjoy! The Preschool and Kindergarten students had an enjoyable Pancake Tuesday with lots of snow. *the students who are not wearing masks in these photos are our Preschool Students. They are not required to wear masks when physically distancing can be maintained.

Heart-shaped tracks in the snow, crafts, exploring outside, and love for our animals. Even though we have to physically distance, we still feel connected to each other and to nature.

We’re back! The students have shown great curiosity about the changes to the farm since the last time they were here (before Christmas!). They’ve reviewed their routines and revisited areas. They’ve noticed many animal track and birds at the feeders. Our students have continued to use creativity in their play. They took a nap on a couch (a hollow fallen log) and the same couch became a boat which they rode to the dinosaur times. They taught their educator the names o...f all the dinosaurs that knew how to swim so she could keep an eye out for them on their journey. Other students found a tiny nest. One student said it must be a chickadee’s nest! They are a small bird. The group later found some tracks that a Kindergarten student identified as a mixture of bear and werewolf. He figured, the werewolf was chasing the bear, and that’s why they were mixed up. It must have happened at night, because werewolves only come out at night. It’s good to be back.

We’re hiring! Are you interested in joining our team? We’re looking for a Program Coordinator to assist with our school and camp programs. Visit our website for more details and to apply. Please share this with any interested candidates. @childnaturecanada @coeooutdoors @naturalstartalliance ... #forestschool #hiring #coordinator #farmschool #cambridgeontario #oct #ece #outdooreducator #northdumfries #farmandforestschool #nowhiring #experientialeducation #forestschoolcanada

C O N T E S T T I M E : The winner of our Family Photo Contest is....... Julie Theresa Rose! Congratulations! Thank you to all of the families who participated and sent us photos of your family spending quality time outside! We want to know what you’re up to this Winter! Are you and your family going for nature walks? Building snowmen? Going tobogganing or skating? We want to see it! ... To participate in our contest, submit a photo of you and your family participating in an outdoor activity for a chance to win a free day of Forest School at the Cambridge Farm and Forest School. Here’s how you enter: Send us your photo by DM or email ([email protected]) Describe what you are doing in the photo And tell us why it is important to your family to spend time outside Tag a friend in this post who you love to spend time with outside We will receive photo submissions until Friday February 5 at 4:00pm. We will announce the winner that evening*. *(The winner will be selected randomly based on all submissions that fulfill the requirements for the contest, as listed above. The winner’s photo will be featured on our social media pages. The free day of Forest School can be credited towards one day during a session of Forest School, or Camp that your child is registered for. This prize will only be used as a credit for one of the two programs school or camp and does not have have other monetary value)

This week, the Kindergarten classes focused on the Winter Solstice. They built and walked over a solstice spiral and shared one resolution and one leave-behind. Some of the students’ resolutions were: - learning to tie my shoes - learning to ride my bike and - spending more time at Farm and Forest School ... Some of their leave-behinds were: - yelling at my parents when I’m angry - being mean to my brother and - using hands-on play The students then burned their resolutions and leave-behinds in the fire with hopes that their New Years wishes will come true.

The evolution of a puddle: one week it’s a muddy pool and the next, it’s a skating rink. Kindergarten and Preschool students took advantage of the mild day recently to go for a little dip. They discussed the risk assessment with their educators and deemed it suitable to explore the puddle with all of their senses. This week, the temperature dipped below freezing and students learned first-hand about states of matter. They investigated the thickness and durability of the ice and it also became their canvas to create art.

Students learned about seals this week as their Mystery Animal. They took part in an activity that used lard and vinyl gloves to investigate how fat (and more specifically for sealsblubber) keeps animals warm outside and in water during the winter. Try this activity at home: put Crisco (or any kind of lard) between two vinyl gloves to act as your blubber, and then put out a tray of ice water. Ask your child to touch the ice water with just their hand to see how cold it is and then put on the blubber glove and touch the water again. Their hand will feel warm even in the ice water with the layer of blubber to insulate them! The students have also seen at Farm & Forest School how other natural materials keep our animals warm: like the double coat on our Alaskan Malamutes and the fleece on our sheep and alpacas.

Our students (and staff) have done a fantastic job of taking care of the farm animals this Fall. Their daily chores consist of: - filling smaller buckets of water to fill up the bigger troughs - adding fresh bedding to the pens and removing wet/soiled straw - feeding pellets and hay each day... - interacting with the animals and - checking in on them every day (to notice any changes in their behaviour) When the students are not doing chores, they like to climb trees, cloud watch, and watch the farmers and equipment at work.

The Kindergarten students were excited to explore ice. With the weather changing every day, they began their discovery by collecting rain water in different areas of the farm to see where they would get the most rain. By the next morning, students noticed an icy layer on the water in the jars. By the end of the week, the water in the jars had frozen solid! The teachers and students always discuss risk assessment and safety around each activity, and in this case, it was about ice thickness. They explored the frog puddle and discovered ice thick enough to walk on. The students began admiring the different sounds ice can make when shattered and tested their strength by seeing who could make the biggest ice explosion.

Today we celebrated Take Me Outside Day by watching the corn combine in the field and taking a trip to 'Narnia' - our enchanting back forest secret spot! The time was full of climbing, exploring, learning more about our food and animal's food, building shelters and playing together - even amid a drizzly day! (See the connection made with the toy grain buggy with corn below!) . . . #outdoorlearning #takemeoutside #cambridgeontario #northdumfries #experientiallearning #outdoorplay

This week in Kindergarten, the classes talked about music! They played some rhythm games and brought out some recycled materials to turn into instruments. Many of the students incorporated items from nature (branches, rocks, corn) into their instruments. It was also a week full of sunshine. The warmth made it easier for all of our groups to climb trees and go on longer hikes... but students are also excited for the adventures that snow can bring! What are you most looking forward to during Winter?

What a great weather week at Farm and Forest! This week our Kindergarten students took fabulous care of our farm friends by learning about and creating animal enrichment. They created toys for the chickens and Bella the bunny and hid food all over the field for the sheep, donkeys, and alpacas! All thanks to our students for bringing in such yummy treats for them! They had so much fun showing their love and appreciation for our animal friends this past week. Our new School Ag...e students discussed Remembrance Day and searched for poppies in our garden while preparing the beds for winter. They also had an impromptu meeting with the donkeys, as well as some wild roots and trees along with making talking sticks. Our Preschool group explored the fields and found giant diakon, while working on their apple seed paintings and finding some amazing puddles! See more

Thank you for your patience. Come along on our virtual tour of our school and site!

Our Fall Session has been full of a spectrum of weather and activities. Students have released monarchs, climbed high and low, built relationships with the livestock, and of course, gotten muddy! The students and staff are ready for anything. . . . #fallcolors #outdoorlearning #outsideisthebestside #experientiallearning #forestschoolcanada #farmandforestschool #farmschool #cambridgeontario

This week our students practiced awareness as well as gross and fine motor skills in the forest and at the farm. It is amazing how much great learning takes place when we move our bodies in space using different senses and new materials. Keep exploring and being active! . . . #outdoorlearning #studentlead #farmandforestschool #farmschool #outdoorplay #northdumfries #CambridgeOntario #kinestheticlearning #nature #experientiallearning #takemeoutside

"The best education does not happen at a desk, but rather engaged in everyday living-hands on exploring in active relationships with life." - Vince Gowon . . .... #dailydiscoveries #emergentlearning #thriveoutside #playingislearning #animalcare #farmschool #forestschool #northdumfries #cambridgeontario #fall See more

Hi Everyone, We apologize for the delay. We are having technical difficulties with our video tour. Please feel free to ask your questions below on our page here and we can answer them now. Thank you for your patience. (We are outdoor forest school educators, not videographers!)

Update: Registration is now FULL (including our Waiting List). Winter Session Registration is now open! Please visit our website to register. https://cambridgefarmandforest.ca/#programs-and-fees

Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best. Bob Talbert Happy National Teachers Day to all educators and education support staff. We are so fortunate to be able to make a difference every day in our communities. Continue to work through these challenging times with optimism and joy. Do you remember your favourite teacher? ... #teachersday #heroes #farmandforestschool #outdoorlearning #forestschoolcanada #teachersday2020

As we get to know each other and our surroundings, our School Age Forest School group is connecting with nature in many different ways. We learned the importance of the Talking Stick, different ways to respect the forest and each other in our Forest Agreement, and how to honour the forest through small offerings and giving thanks. We also had a blast in the swamp! . . .#playingoutside #falldiscoveries #thriveoutside #farmschool #forestschool #cornharvest #fallcolours #northdumfries #cambridgeontario

The virtual video tour will be coming shortly! Stay tuned and feel free to ask questions below!

Our Kindergarten group has been inquiring all about seeds! We started by harvesting sunflower seeds from our garden and now we are finding seeds everywhere! Seeds can be just about anywhere, we used sticky bracelets to capture seeds while walking in the meadow, can you count the different types of seeds you see? . . . #playingoutside #falldiscoveries #thriveoutside #farmschool #forestschool #cornharvest #fallcolours #northdumfries #cambridgeontario

We’re grateful that our local MP, Bryan May, took the time to visit our site and learn about our programs. We are so glad to be apart of such a supportive community.

On our Preschool morning walks we are noticing signs of fall everywhere! We love to collect fallen leaves, corn cobs and seeds. One of our favourite activities this week has been making big leaf piles. . . . #playingoutside #falldiscoveries #thriveoutside #farmschool #forestschool #cornharvest #fallcolours #northdumfries #cambridgeontario

Are you interested in viewing our school and site prior to registering for our next session? Do you still have questions about our programming and what we offer? Join us for a virtual tour of the Farm & Forest School on October 20. The video will be available at 12:00pm on our social media platforms. It will be followed by a Q & A with our staff at 1:00pm. . . . #forestschool #farmschool #vitrualtour #farmanimals #fall #sunshine #northdumfries #cambridgeontario #thriveoutside #wintersession

"Children learn as they play. More importantly, in play, children learn how to learn." - O. Fred Donaldson . . This week we welcomed Fall by searching for minibeast , harvesting seeds from our garden, exploring the forest and recognizing hazards. ... . . . #learningthroughplay #farmschool #forestschool #harvestseason #fallequinox #minibeasts #cambridgeontario #northdumfries #thriveoutside See more

Winter Session 2021 Registration (10 weeks) opens next week to the public! Please see our website for more details on our programs: https://cambridgefarmandforest.ca/#programs-and-fees . . .... #outdoorlearning #forestschool #farmschool #inquirybasedlearning #emergentlearning #northdumfries #cambridgeontario #farmandforest #wintersession See more

Our staff are thankful to be able to spend our days outside learning with eager minds. We are thankful for the land which we explore and our wonderful community. . Enjoy this beautiful Thanksgiving with your family. Be safe. . .... . #thanksgiving #outdoorlearning #thriveoutside #gratitude #forestschool #farmschool #cambridgeontario #northdumfries #farmandforestschool #fall See more

Any parents, educators or caregivers who are looking to get children out in nature but don’t have many resources, this website is for you. The Child and Nature Alliance of Canada have create this fantastic website to help get more children (and adults) outside!

Week One of Farm & Forest School consisted of exploring the forest, getting to know the animals on the farm, making new friends, and feeling more comfortable back at School! It was a week full of laughter and sunshine. . . . #farmandforestschool #farmschool #cambridgeontario #outdoorlearning #northdumfries #forestschool #experientiallearning #education

Thank you to Torstar and Veronica Appia for this feature about our school and outdoor education, along with others who are doing some fantastic work: The Pine Project and Child and Nature Alliance of Canada. https://www.toronto.com//10189534-more-ontario-parents-tu/

Meet Heather! Heather has a passion for traveling, exploring nature and taking care of animals. She will be teaching in our Forest School Preschool Program and known to the students as Mademoiselle. (Mlle) Boucher. Read more on her bio at: https://cambridgefarmandforest.ca/#our-staff . .... . #neweducator #farmschool #forestschool #farmandforestschool #outdoorlearning #cambridgeontario #northdumfries See more

Introducing our teaching teams! Our staff along with the animals are excited to start the 2020 Fall Session! . . . #outdooreducators #fallsession #farmschool #forestschool ##cambridgeontario #northdumfries #learningthroughnature #outdoored

Meet Anna Marie! Anna Marie has a background in French and Classical Studies from the University of Guelph. Mademoiselle. (Mlle) Bernens will be enchancing our Forest School Kindergarten Program with her passion for French along with her knowledge of large animals. Read more about her on our website: https://cambridgefarmandforest.ca/#our-staff . .... . #forestschool #farmschool #newstaff #neweducator #cambridgeontario #northdumfries #backtoschool See more

Meet Dave! Dave comes from a strong background in Montessori education with over 20 years of experience. He is passionate about the outdoors and the positive impacts it has on the whole child.The students will know him as Mr.Kirchmann and he will be teaching along side Ms. Dabrowski in our Forest School (school-age) program. Read more about his bio at: https://cambridgefarmandforest.ca/#our-staff . .... . #forestschool #staff #neweducator #outdoorlearning #cambridgeontario #farmschool #northdumfries See more