Her eldest daughter was six years old when Basia Doroz and her husband decided to homeschool. They realized the school she was attending wasn’t a good fit, either socially or academically, and began looking for alternatives.
“Homeschooling became an attractive choice because we could customize the curriculum and have the benefit of a thriving homeschooling community, while also having the freedom to travel while our children were young,” Basia says.
From the beginning, they knew they wanted nature to be part of their children’s education. “We wanted them to benefit from experiencing the world and learning outside of a classroom, and to have as much time outdoors as possible.”
Living in Toronto, that wasn’t always easy. Although the city has more green space than many people realize, Basia wanted a program where her children could do more than visit a park. She wanted them to build skills, make friends, and develop a deeper connection with nature.
That’s exactly what she found at Outward Bound Canada’s Nature Club for Home Schoolers.
Designed for homeschooled children ages 7 to 14, the weekly program brings young learners together for hands-on outdoor education at Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto. Through nature exploration, games, teamwork, and practical outdoor skills, participants learn by doing while building confidence and friendships.
According to Sean Hume, Principal and Senior Manager at Outward Bound Canada (OBC), “Nature Club acts as a bridge between homeschooling and social group learning, giving younger children access to structured outdoor education in a way that’s engaging and designed specifically for them.”
Learning things you can’t learn from a book
Before joining Nature Club, Basia’s children had attended outdoor classes at Evergreen Brick Works and High Park, but the OBC program offered a different experience:
“It gives children access to outdoor activities that focus on group experiences connected to nature. That combination made it the perfect fit for my family.”
Week after week, they came home with new skills and new stories. Her children learned to identify birds and trees, built shelters, and explored Toronto’s ravines. They developed practical outdoor skills and became more comfortable spending time outside throughout the year.
“They learned to appreciate the wind and the changing seasons. It was a wonderful introduction to the elements and to learning to explore outdoors and find exciting things to do in all kinds of weather.”
Ask her children about Nature Club today, and the same memories still come up.
“I still think seeing the salmon migration and climbing OBC’s Challenge Tower at the Brick Works are the moments that are talked about most,” Basia says.
One memory that especially stands out is watching the children climb the tower blindfolded, relying entirely on their teammates’ voices to guide them. It’s the kind of challenge that builds trust, communication, and confidence without children even realizing they’re learning those skills.
Finding community along the way
Building friendships is an important part of the program. While many children join Nature Club because they love spending time outdoors, the weekly sessions also give homeschoolers regular opportunities to collaborate, solve problems together, and develop social skills in a supportive environment.
“Kids learn to take risks in safe ways, build confidence, and develop teamwork through shared experiences,” Sean says. “Those are skills they’ll carry into every part of their lives.”
Basia says one of the unexpected benefits of participating in Nature Club was the community it created:
“We’ve met and connected with a variety of other homeschooling families who all share a love of spending time together outdoors.”
For many homeschooling families, finding learning opportunities also means finding community. While the children explored forests, climbed towers, and learned new skills together, parents had the chance to connect with other families on similar paths.
A love of nature that continues at home
“The more time we spent outside, the better we all felt. We discovered a love of learning that stemmed from the natural world, and it still continues with us today,” says Basia.
She believes Nature Club complements homeschooling because it gives children the freedom to explore the natural world in ways that are difficult to recreate at home.
“A nature-based program like this encourages curiosity while allowing children to safely explore the natural world in an enriched way. I think this program, together with homeschooling, helps create a lifelong love of nature and an appreciation for the natural world that exists even in the city.”
When asked whether she’d recommend the program to other families, she doesn’t hesitate.
“I would recommend this program to any parent considering enrolling their child. It’s accessible, the instructors are amazing at engaging the children, and they have a wonderful ability to bring children together through challenging and exciting outdoor experiences every week.”
For Basia, Nature Club became more than a weekly activity. It gave her children opportunities to explore, challenge themselves, build friendships, and discover that some of their favourite lessons happen outdoors.
Sean recounts that Nature Club has also grown steadily as more homeschooling families discover the program:
“We’ve seen it catch on as word has spread. A year ago, we had four to six students in each session. Today, we regularly welcome more than 20.”
Ready to Explore Nature Club?
Outward Bound Canada’s Nature Club for Home Schoolers was created in response to growing interest in alternative education and a desire to make experiential outdoor learning accessible to younger children.
If your family is looking for a way to complement your homeschooling journey with regular outdoor adventures, the Nature Club for Home Schoolers welcomes children ages 7 to 14 for weekly, hands-on learning experiences in Toronto. Guided by experienced Outward Bound Canada instructors, participants explore local forests, valleys, and ravines while building outdoor skills, making friends, and developing confidence through nature-based activities.
Families can register for the full school year or choose one of five eight-week sessions. The program meets every Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with drop-off and pick-up at OBC’s base at Evergreen Brick Works. Thanks to funding from Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, the program is substantially subsidized, helping make outdoor education more accessible to families.
Learn more about upcoming sessions, program details, and registration on the Nature Club for Home Schoolers page.
