Quality Daycare and Summer Camp Programming That Connects Kids to Nature
CPAWS Manitoba offers outdoor education workshops to help children get outside and appreciate the wonders of nature.
The program is led by Environmental Educator Carly Gray, a certified teacher who has a decade of experience working with children in schools and as a day camp counsellor and dance instructor.
Summer Break programming for daycares, camps and community groups will resume in June 2024. Be sure to sign up for our mailing list so you don't miss a chance to reserve your spot. We expect bookings to open in March.
More than 13,000 students and children benefited from over 750 CPAWS Manitoba outdoor education workshops and activities from May 2021 to August 2023.
We look forward to helping many more children connect to nature in the months and years to come.
Our 2023 daycare offerings included:
- Plants, Trees and all things Green!
- Animals of Manitoba
- Butterfly Mindfulness
- Little Wigglers
- Little Explorers
We expect we will be able to offer workshops at the subsidized rate of $75 for the first workshop and $25 for subsequent workshops in 2024 thanks to the generous support of our funders.
If booking more than one workshop, they should be booked back-to-back with a 10-minute break for sanitizing and set-up.
Workshops are payable by Credit Card or check. You will be sent an invoice via email upon booking. Payment is due the day of the program.
Our daycare workshops run between 45 and 60 minutes (see descriptions below). All workshops can be adapted for both indoors and outdoors and are available to daycares in Winnipeg and surrounding areas (within 50 km).
Connecting People to Nature
How to Book Your Workshop
Daycare and summer camp programming will resume in June 2024. Be sure to sign up to our mailing list so you can secure a spot in a program which typically sells out. We expect to open bookings in March.
Program Offerings Summer 2023
Butterfly Mindfulness
Let’s flow like a butterfly!
In this workshop, children are invited to connect to the present moment through mindful movement while learning breathing techniques to bring calm to the mind and body. We will move through your green space on a sensory nature walk where children
are encouraged to use their senses to take in and explore the world around them. Children will design their own nature journals that comes with additional activities so they can depend their relationship with nature even after the workshop!
Ages 6-12, 60 minutes
Animals of Manitoba
Calling all animal enthusiasts!
In this workshop, children will learn about Manitoba animals and how they move! Children will use a kid-friendly field guide while looking for animal tracks in their greenspace. Don’t worry, we will bring the tracks! Through group games and movement activities, we will explore predator/prey dynamics, adaptations, and what animals need to survive… and thrive!
Ages 6-12, 60 minutes
Plants, Trees and all things Green!
Let’s get curious about trees and plants!
In this workshop, children will explore the different parts of a tree and learn to distinguish between coniferous and deciduous trees. They will have the opportunity to take a closer look at tree cookies and learn the inner world of a tree! Children will explore your greenspace through a nature scavenger hunt and plant their very own seeds to care for and watch grow! We will leave a few tree ID books behind so you can extend the learning beyond the workshop.
Ages 6-12, 60 minutes
Little Explorers
Our preschool program is designed with the little explorers in mind. Children will embark on a scavenger hunt as they notice and collect things found in nature. They will have an opportunity to share their findings as they explore the interconnectedness of the natural world. We
will move and groove with mindful movement and animal sound exploration, followed by a nature-themed craft.
Ages 2-5, 45 minutes
NEW! Little Wigglers
Bugs can be new, different, and sometimes scary. This program is designed to help children build a positive relationship with insects and spark curiosity in the natural world! In this preschool program, children will inspect nature through a scavenger hunt and pay very close attention to the little critters around them. Children will explore the microscopic world through song, movement, and exploration, followed by a nature-themed craft.
Ages 2-5, 45 minutes
Join the Fun
Summer 2021 daycare offerings included scavenger hunts, nature mindfulness, and learning about Manitoba plants and animals. Watch this video to see how much fun everyone had!
How Does Spending Time Outdoors Improve Our Well-Being?
There is a wide array of evidence that shows spending time in nature improves mental and physical health, boosts immunity, and reduces risk of disease.
Connecting with the natural world has also been shown to improve sleep and augment vitamin D levels. And it boosts endorphin levels and dopamine production, which promotes happiness.
Healthy forests, lakes, and wetlands are also working to protect our physical health even when we’re not out in nature. They clean our air, filter our water, and act as a protective shield against the worsening impacts of climate change.
Safety Protocols
CPAWS Manitoba takes the safety of all program participants seriously.
All CPAWS Manitoba staff members have cleared a criminal record and vulnerable sector background check with the Winnipeg Police Department.
CPAWS policy requires that at least one person leading programming which may involve children must be certified in first aid. This applies to staff or to volunteers.
Supporters
This programming was made possible thanks to the generous support of: The Province of Manitoba’s Building Sustainable Communities Program; The Conservation Trust, a Manitoba Climate and Green Plan Initiative delivered by the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation; Eco Canada; The Winnipeg Foundation; TD Friends of the Environment Foundation; Telus Friendly Future Foundation.
