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Nature Club for Home Schoolers: Winter Session & Spring Session

Weekly outdoor adventures that build curiosity, confidence, and community for home-schooled youth in Toronto’s urban wild spaces. | January 7 & April 1, 2026

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Course Overview

$200 + tax

Grades

2-7

Dates

Winter Session: Eight Wednesdays from January 7 to February 25
Spring Session: Eight Wednesdays from April 1 to May 27

Duration

Each session runs for 8 days

Start & End Point

Outward Bound Canada base at the Don Valley Brick Works Park

Indigenous Territories

Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples.

ACtivities
Nature Exploration
Outdoor Education

Mapping the Course Ahead

Youth-led and OBC-guided, this program invites participants to learn through curiosity, creativity, and hands-on exploration. Each week offers a new adventure shaped by the group, encouraging imagination, independence, and a growing sense of confidence in outdoor settings.

Meeting regularly in nature allows friendships and skills to develop over time. Participants build community, strengthen outdoor awareness, and experience meaningful adventure close to home, all while learning to move through natural spaces with care and curiosity.

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Program Funding

Thanks to a Community Development Grant from Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, this program is substantially supported, helping reduce financial barriers and increase access for families.

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Course Details

This weekly nature club offers home-schooled youth a consistent space to learn, play, and connect with peers outdoors while building confidence and outdoor skills. Through shared exploration, group activities, and hands-on learning, participants form friendships and discover the valleys, rivers, and wild spaces woven throughout Toronto’s landscape.

Things to Know

Getting to your course is simple. We’ll provide full details once you register but here’s what to expect:
  • Drop-off & Pick-up: Each day begins and ends at the OBC classroom at the Don Valley Brickworks Park.
  • Transportation Options: Drop offs are easy at the central parking lot, or TTC access with a free shuttle from Broadview Station
  • Support & Supervision: OBC staff are present at designated meeting points.
  • Questions? Our program Team is here to help: urban_wild@outwardbound.ca

Each day begins with a gathering activity to frame the adventure ahead and strengthen the group. Participants travel through natural landscapes, stopping to explore, learn, and follow their curiosity. Activities may include woodcraft, camp skills, physical movement, and creative play. Each day builds on the last, ending with a campfire reflection.

OBC provides essential group gear, technical equipment, and safety supplies. Participants only need to come prepared with personal items and appropriate clothing.

  • Recommended Clothing & Footwear: Weather-appropriate layers, waterproof gear, quick-drying clothes, and sturdy footwear
  • Personal Essentials: Lunch, water bottle, medications, sun protection, insect repellent
  • Health & Safety: Clearly label all personal items and bring any required medications
Our instructors are more than trip leaders. They’re mentors, role models, and passionate educators dedicated to helping young people thrive.
  • Highly Qualified: Certified and trained in First-Aid for wilderness and backcountry environments, technical activities, broad outdoor skills, and more!
  • Experienced Leaders and Educators: Many years of training, mentoring, and guiding youth in backcountry environments
  • Thoroughly Screened and Vetted: Rigorous hiring process, reference and credential checks, and clear vulnerable sector police check
  • Trained by OBC: Ongoing professional development in leadership, inclusion, and youth development
  • Supportive Mentors: Instructors take a participant-centred approach, meeting youth where they are and guiding them step-by-step to build confidence and resilience.
  • Small Groups: Low instructor-to-participant ratios to ensure personalized guidance and care along with developing an effective team
“A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” – William Shedd.

Risk and challenge are part of everyday life, and when approached with intention and support, they become powerful tools for growth. On an OBC course, risks are carefully managed and kept to a minimum, ensuring they enhance the learning experience every step of the way.

  • Expert Instructors: Certified and trained in wilderness medicine, risk management, and youth development
  • Small Groups: Low instructor-to-participant ratios for immediate supervision and care
  • Reliable Systems: Well-maintained equipment that meets industry standards, thorough safety checks, and responsive emergency action plans
  • 24/7 Preparedness: Groups carry communication and tracking devices and instructors are trained for emergency response and evacuations
  • Dietary Support: We accommodate allergies and dietary restrictions with advance notice
  • Personalized Care: Health forms are reviewed in advance, and participant care and wellbeing are supported holistically 
  • Learn More: See our Risk Management page for details on our practices
Participants develop practical skills, personal confidence, memories that last a lifetime, and so much more.
  • Leadership & Teamwork: Learn to communicate, collaborate, and support others in small tight-knit groups
  • Outdoor Skills: Gain hands-on experience in navigation, camping, Leave No Trace practices, and activities such as paddling, hiking, etc.
  • Environmental Stewardship: Develop a deeper connection to nature and outdoor places through responsible outdoor habits
  • Life Skills: Build problem-solving, decision-making, organization, and personal responsibility
  • Emotional & Social Growth: Strengthen self-awareness, coping strategies, and friendships through shared challenges
  • Digital Detox: Learn to disconnect from screens and be less reliant on phones, enjoying the present moment in nature

FAQs

Here are a few questions we often get about this course. For more Frequently Asked Questions, click the button below.

View ALl FaQs

Although being in nature can be described as therapeutic, it is important to note that Outward Bound Canada is not designed as a therapy program. Our instructors are trained in outdoor education and expeditionary travel and are not mental health professionals. The Outward Bound program can be very challenging both physically and mentally, and it is important to your success that you arrive with some healthy coping strategies to deal with these challenges.

Outward Bound is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things! Our courses are designed to challenge participants physically, emotionally and mentally. With a little preparation, you’ll feel more comfortable on the course overall. Students of all ages have successfully participated in wilderness adventures with us.

Overcoming challenges is one of the many tools we use to help you explore your personal potential. You will face physical challenges that are outside your routine, but motivation and the will to try are key to a successful Outward Bound experience. You can start now by engaging in activities that improve your endurance and cardiovascular fitness. Go for a walk, ride your bike, take a yoga class – whatever gets your body moving! On each course page you’ll find a rating and a description of the level of physical and social-emotional challenge the course offers. This gives potential participants an idea of the level of challenge they can expect in each course. Learn more about the levels.

If you are unsure about the physical requirements of your course, please contact one of our admissions coordinators at admissions@outwardbound.ca to find out more about the physical challenge you can expect in each course. When completing the confidential medical history form, please answer all questions honestly and provide as much detail as possible so that we can help you prepare. We are committed to ensuring the wellbeing of you and your group.

A detailed menu is planned before each program, which may change based on a number of factors. We can accommodate many dietary restrictions and most food allergies. Please provide as much detail as possible about your dietary restrictions and allergies on your confidential medical history form. We may ask you for further information so that we can plan your menu.

Participants will receive sufficient calories through the physical activities on the course. It is not necessary for you to bring your own food to the course. Please speak to the Admissions Department to make sure you understand the dietary concerns of the other participants before packing any extra snacks.

You won’t need it – course participants enjoy a vacation from technology! Your cell phone and other personal items you won’t need (wallet, music player, plane tickets, etc.) will be safely stored in our office nearby while you’re in the wilderness.

Once the course begins, you won’t be able to contact anyone at home, you will be immersed in the Outward Bound experience – building a connection to yourself, to others and to nature! Please know that the instructor team has a plan for you to get in touch with our office and your emergency contacts at home in case of an emergency.

Our Cancellation Policy takes into account the fact that most of the costs for your expedition will be incurred before you arrive at your program. Please let us know as soon as possible if you will not be able to attend the program. Please refer to our Cancellation and Refund Policy.

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