Quality Daycare Programming That Connects Kids to Nature
CPAWS Manitoba offers outdoor learning workshops to help children get outside and appreciate the wonders of nature.
The programming was developed by Environmental Educator Avery Kash, a former high school science teacher who has a decade of experience working with children and youth aged 5 to 18 as both a classroom teacher and a camp director.
Our daycare offerings include:
- Plants, Trees and all things Green!
- Animals of Manitoba
- Butterfly Mindfulness
- Little Wigglers
- Little Explorers
Daycare workshop costs are as follows:
- $65 for one workshop
- $85 for two workshops
- $100 for three workshops
- $135 for full day - five workshops
If booking more than one workshop, they must be booked back-to-back with a 10-minute break between for sanitizing and set-up. Workshops are payable by Credit Card. You will be sent an invoice via email upon booking. Payment is due the day of the program.
Daycare programming will resume in June 2023. Our online booking page is now open for 2023!
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).
Nearly 8,400 students and children benefited from 416 CPAWS Manitoba outdoor learning workshops and activities at schools and daycares across Manitoba from May 2021 to December 2022.
We look forward to helping many more children connect to nature in the months and years to come.
Connecting People to Nature
How to Book Your Workshop
Daycare programming will resume in June 2023. 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 or April.
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 Manitoba staff members voluntarily disclose that they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We adhere to all public health recommendations and guidelines.
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 Winnipeg Foundation.
