Tapiola Outdoor Education Centre

08/16/2026

🌲 Tapiola Kids Bushcraft Drop-In — Looking Back, Looking Ahead 🍂

Fall term 2026 is coming together, and before we lock in the programming we want to hear from you.

Take a look at the activity posters from the last two terms.
So — what would you like to see this fall?

Is there a skill your kids have been asking about? Something you tried as a kid that you'd love them to experience? An activity that was a hit and deserves a repeat? Drop it in the comments or send us a message. We build this program around our families, and your ideas genuinely shape what happens in the woods on Friday afternoons.

Fall term runs Fridays starting September 11th. More details coming soon! 🐺

08/12/2026

🌲 We're Hiring! 🌲

Join the Tapiola team as a Forest School Teacher! Lead our Wolfpack kids (ages 7-12) on epic outdoor adventures every Friday. If you're passionate about nature-based education and want to inspire young learners in the forest, we want to hear from you!

📍 140 Pento Road, Thunder Bay
💰 $35/HR | Fridays 8:45 am – 3:30 pm
📅 September 11 - December 18th
Interested? Email [email protected]

Bay

08/10/2026

🍂 Fall Term is Coming! 🍂

Tapiola programming is back this fall! Before we dive in, we'd love to hear from you:

What do you think of our programming? Do you have ideas, suggestions, or feedback? Whether it's activities you'd like to see, schedule adjustments, or anything else—please drop a comment below or message us directly. We're always open to change and improvements, and your input helps us build the best experience for our families.

📅 Fall Term Details:

Dates: Fridays, September 11th – December 18th
Tapiola Wolfpack (ages 7-12): Continue building bushcraft skills, confidence, and friendships in the forest
Kids Bushcraft Drop-In Program (Afternoons): Perfect for families to drop in, learn new skills, and share some fun.

More detailed programming and registration information coming soon, but you can always reach out with questions or to let us know you're interested.

🌲 We're Hiring!
We have one teaching position available (Fridays). If you or someone you know is passionate about outdoor education, forest skills, and working with kids—we'd love to talk! Share this post or reach out directly. A formal employment posting will be up soon.

Looking forward to another wonderful fall of exploring the forest, forging friendships, and building skills together! 🌲🔥

07/03/2026

Check out the True North Outdoor Learning Program summer camp. Hannah was a supply teacher at Tapiola this spring. She's an amazing teacher and incredibly passionate about outdoor education. This is not a Tapiola program or located at our property, we just want to support outdoor education in Thunder Bay by sharing. Check in with Hannah directly for further details.

The Link

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-mNBUjP95WK0HlULgRJQRDuXdkvE7iPd-KcubWQvgSw/edit?usp=drivesdk

Looking for something fun and educational for your kids to do this Summer? You found it!

Share this with others that might be interested.

06/30/2026

🌲 Spring Term 2026 — What a season it's been! 🌲

From campfire cooking in the snow to archery, catapult launches, wood carving, foraging, escape game, and building their own benches — the Tapiola Wolfpack had one incredible spring in the forest.

We put together a little recap of the season for the families who trusted us with their kids this term. Take a look 👇

And the best part? We're just getting started. The Wolfpack returns in September with new skills, new adventures — and a kids' overnight camping trip right here at Tapiola. 🏕️

Follow this page or visit tapiolaoutdoors.ca to stay in the loop on fall registration. We'd love to see you in the forest. 🐺

06/13/2026

What a day! Friday was packed with games and adventures from start to finish. To beat the heat, we made another trip down to the river to catch crayfish and explore the shoreline — always a favourite.
Our afternoon turned medieval! The kids learned about archery and catapults, two technologies that shaped history for centuries. Catapults were siege engines used in medieval warfare to hurl projectiles over castle walls, while the bow and arrow served hunters and armies alike for thousands of years.
Then came the fun part: the kids built their own box fort, and we put our homemade Tapiola catapult to the test by launching water balloons at them in their stronghold! 💦 We squeezed in a couple of rounds of archery before the rain rolled in and we all ran for cover.
Another wonderful day at Tapiola, check out the recap video below!
Next Friday is our last Friday of the spring term before we break for summer.

06/13/2026

Some pics and videos from the catapult launch today. The kids built a box fort and we laid siege to it with our homemade catapult and some water balloons.

06/07/2026

This Friday our young adventurers went full stealth mode! We explored how predators and prey use camouflage, stillness, stalking, and their senses to survive in the wild — from the patient Canada Lynx to the freeze-in-place Snowshoe Hare.
Then the kids put it all to the test! 🎯

The Stealth Gauntlet: Navigate the obstacle course as silently as possible — while a blindfolded Patrick launched dodgeballs at any sound he heard. One snap of a twig and you're out! 😄

Capture the Flag: Kids vs. Adults, a Tapiola classic. The kids used every trick they'd learned — patience, timing, and pure stealth — to take down the grown-ups. Kids WIN. 🏆

🧠 Stealth is more than a game — it builds body awareness, focus, patience, and observation skills that carry far beyond the forest. It also connects kids to nature in a way no classroom can.

Next Friday — we're breaking out the bows for archery AND launching our homemade Tapiola catapult for the first time! 🏹💥

05/31/2026

What a fantastic Friday at Tapiola Forest School!
With temperatures rising, we embraced our hottest day of the season by heading deep into the cool shade of the forest. The kids explored one of Tapiola’s many winding trails. From there, we made our way down to the river to cool off and see what we could find. The kids had a blast catching crayfish and exploring the shoreline, where they stumbled upon dozens of golf balls that had made their way downstream from the nearby golf course. What started as a chance to cool off quickly turned into an unexpected treasure hunt!
We wrapped up the day with our Kids Carpentry program, where the children worked together in small groups to build sturdy wooden benches from start to finish. Along the way, they learned how to safely use tools, practiced measuring and construction skills, and experienced the satisfaction of seeing a project through to completion as a team.
One of the best parts of the day was watching the kids build confidence as they learned new skills, solved problems together, and created something they could be proud of. From forest adventures and riverside discoveries to teamwork and carpentry, it was a day packed with learning, laughter, and accomplishment.
Next week our program focuses on forest stealth and a game of capture the flag!

05/24/2026

This past Friday’s program was all about foraging! 🌿
The kids spent the day learning about seasonal foraging opportunities, including how to harvest responsibly and safely.
After our lesson, we headed into the forest where the group successfully found wild leeks, fiddleheads, and even chaga. Discovering edible plants growing naturally in the forest brought so much excitement and curiosity to the group.

Our afternoon featured a foraging scavenger hunt game, where printed foraging items were scattered throughout the forest and field. The kids earned points for collecting safe edible items and lost points for picking dangerous or non-edible species. They did an amazing job applying what they had learned and showing great judgment out on the land.

It was a wonderful day of outdoor learning, teamwork, and connecting with nature through one of humanity’s oldest skills.

Foraging can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but it must always be approached with knowledge, care, and respect for the environment. We’re proud of how engaged and thoughtful the kids were throughout the day!