Maple Ridge Forest School

Giving children space to learn and interact with nature.

Registration for 2025/2026 opens on May 20.

Every kid should be able to experience and enjoy the great outdoors.

Through our Forest School programs, children will learn and have fun with their peers while exploring nature.

What your child will be doing at Forest School:

  • Hands-on learning, done outdoors
  • Exploring a variety of nature-based and environmental topics
  • Socializing and interacting with outdoor-loving peers

5 unique programs & age groups

Weekly nature-inspired activities

Connected to the BC curriculum

Designed for the home learning community, but open to any child looking to experience the outdoors. Sessions feature weekly themes and engaging activities designed to encourage students’ interests.

  • Birds
  • Wetlands & toads
  • Insects
  • Tree and plant ID
  • Animal habitats
  • Geology
Rotating text that reads Programs Rooted in Nature

While engaging in outdoor activities, our facilitators will also help your child work on important life skills.

What they’ll learn:

  • Listening
  • Teamwork
  • Sharing
  • Problem-solving

Sessions are all fully supervised so you have peace of mind when dropping your child off for the day.

Let’s begin

Choose your child’s age:

Ages 3-5 (birth years 2020-2022)

Little Forest School

Nurture your child’s relationship with nature and pique their interest in the environment with our Little Forest School sessions. The combination of child-led, interactive educational elements with fun and games will foster socialization, communication, problem-solving, and observational skills while building their confidence and adaptability.

 

Typical themes covered in this age group:

  • Bugs
  • Animals
  • Trees
  • Weather
  • Birds

DATES: Mondays 

Term 1: September 15 – December 8, 2025

Term 2: January 12 – May 25, 2026

TIME: 9am – 12pm

COST: Term 1: $441.00 | Term 2: $514.50 | Both: $955.50

* All children must be fully potty trained to attend Forest School. Child must be 3 years of age by the start of the term for which they are registered.

The program does not run on the following dates: October 13, November 10, December 15, December 22, December 29, January 5, February 16, March 16, March 23, April 6 & May 18.

Registration Opens May 20

Ages 5-7 (birth years 2018-2020)

Nature Explorers

Our Nature Explorers program encourages your child’s early appreciation of nature. These immersive, hands-on lessons lay the foundation for kids to develop a deep connection with nature, helping them grow into confident, grounded, and environmentally-conscious adults.

 

Typical themes covered in this age group:

  • Fall Semester: Salmon/ Mushrooms/ Migration/ Cooking
  • Winter Semester: Hibernation/ Geology/ Navigation
  • Spring Semester: Pollinators/ Trees and Plants/ Wetlands

NEW Two group options for Nature Explorers: Tuesday OR Thursday

TUESDAY GROUP:

DATES: Weekly on Tuesdays starting September 16, 2025 until May 26, 2026

TIME: 9:30am – 2:00pm

COST: $1,764 +gst

Registration Opens May 20

Please note the program does not run on the following dates: September 30, November 11, December 16, December 23, December 30, January 6, January 27, March 17 & March 24.

THURSDAY GROUP:

DATES: Weekly on Thursdays starting September 18, 2025 until May 28, 2026

TIME: 9:30am – 2:00pm

COST: $1,827 +gst

Registration Opens May 20

Please note the program does not run on the following dates: October 2, December 18, December 25, January 1, January 8, January 29, March 19 & March 26.

Ages 8-10 (birth years 2015-2017)

Forest Adventurers

At this age, your child will start to appreciate a deeper connection to nature. Our Forest Adventurer program works to strengthen this bond and foster meaningful interactions between kids and the natural world. Sessions take a deeper and more scientific approach to the connection between youth and nature. We’ll challenge your child to explore their place in the world while also empowering them to be more independent and sustainable humans.

 

Typical themes covered in this age group:

  • Fall Semester: Salmon/ Mushrooms/ Survival skills
  • Winter Semester: Hibernation/ Migration/ Climate patterns
  • Spring Semester: Biodiversity/ Navigation/ Outdoor cooking

DATES: Weekly on Fridays starting September 19, 2025 until May 29, 2026

TIME: 9:30am – 2:00pm

COST: $1701 +GST

Registration Opens May 20

Please note the program does not run on the following dates: October 10, October 24, December 19, December 26, January 2, January 9, February 13, March 20, March 27 & April 3.

Ages 5-12 (birth years 2013-2020)

Forest Club

Multi-age program designed for siblings.

Our Forest Club program is designed for siblings ages 5-12 who wish to focus on learning across multiple ages. These sessions emphasize peer learning, mentorship, role modeling, and social play, fostering a strong sense of community. Additionally, this program is open to individuals as space allows. It also welcomes those who have aged out of our other programs but still have a passion for forest school and wish to take on a mentorship role.

 

Typical themes covered in this age group:

  • Fall Semester: Life of a Tree/ Mushrooms/ Survival skills
  • Winter Semester: Hibernation/ Animal behaviour/ Cooking
  • Spring Semester: Biodiversity/ Navigation / Plants

DATES: Weekly on Wednesdays starting September 17, 2025 until May 24, 2026

TIME: 9:30am- 2:00pm

COST: $1,827 +GST

Registration Opens May 20

Priority is given to sibling registrations first.

Please note the program does not run on the following dates: November 5, December 17, December 24, December 31, January 7, March 18, March 25 & May 13.

Ages 12+ (birth years 2013 +)

Forest Leaders

Our Forest Leader peer mentorship program is for those forest school students who have aged out of the program, but wish to stay involved as mentors and develop their leadership skills. Participants will take on a peer leader role within one of our Nature Explorers (ages 5-7) groups, helping to guide and inspire younger students. There are very limited spaces in this program, and selection is based on a candidate’s fit.

 

Learning outcomes for this age group:

  • Learning how to model positive behaviour and problem-solving.
  • Developing confidence in guiding and supporting younger peers.
  • Learning to work collaboratively with both peers and adult mentors.
  • Learning how to inspire younger students to care for the environment.
  • Building resilience, adaptability, and self-confidence.

DATES: Weekly on Tuesdays OR Thursdays from September 16/18, 2025 until May 26/28, 2026

TIME: 9:30am- 2:00pm

COST: $300 +GST

Applications Open on May 20

Interested participants must apply to be a part of the program, and will be accepted only if deemed a fit for the program. Applicants may be required to complete a short interview to determine fit. Previous forest school experience, or other outdoor experience required.

What parents and teachers are saying about Forest School:

“I am the grandmother of a 10 year old child on the autism spectrum and attend the Thursday Wild and Immersive 10-13 group as his interventionist.   This is the first program that he has felt at ease in and showed signs of acceptance and success.  Kjersten and Julie are the kindest and most adaptable leaders.   They are attentive to the needs of all the children and it is evident that the children are comfortable and engaged in the environment.  I stand back and observe my grandson’s interactions with the other children and intervene if he is having a problem.   I’ve also observed how happy the children are in the program and how the leaders interact and intervene when necessary. I wish there was something like this when I was a child.”

“Such a great programs for families looking to get their children connected with nature, and increasing their appreciation of the world around them. The programs are fun and interactive, and the staff are all knowledgeable and excited to be with the kids. We love the nature walks they put on during the holidays!”

“A wonderful program of day camps and week long camps for kids (and parents) looking for an outdoor education experience and whole lot of fun in the forest! Lots of smiles! Highly Recommend.”

“I have sent my son here for two years in a row (summer camps and March break camp) and then my daughter this year as well. It’s worth the drive – the kids come home exhausted and happy. They are active, learning about the outdoors and doing fun things like building forts/shelters, capture the flag games, learning about animals in the wild and water safety. I almost hate to recommend the camp because the registration will fill up more quickly than it already does!”

“My son has been going to Wild and Immersive programs for 3 years now and we love it!! The educators and environment is exactly what EVERY child needs! My son loves the variety of activities, learning about our environment and is excited to go to each of his classes/camps! I cannot say enough about how much we love and appreciate programs like this!”