Frequently Asked Questions
General
- Small backpack that your child can carry.
- Full reusable water bottle
- Litter free lunch (Nut Free) (Summer programs only)
- NUT free snacks - Please pack a few snacks for the day. We encourage the kids to eat when they are hungry, so they are welcome to take a break whenever they need one. This usually leads to a few snack breaks during the day 🙂
- We are a nut free/nut aware program, however we are in a public space and cannot guarantee that the area is completely nut free.
- Extra socks, in case they get a little wet/muddy - There is a little stream that the groups often like to explore.
- Extra pants/shorts - in case they get wet.
- Electronics
- Toys
- Umbrellas - Hands free to explore!
- Anything that they might not want to get lost or is special to them.
- Sun hat
- Sunscreen and bugspray
- TOP - T-shirt or thin UV long sleeve (Light colours are best for the heat)
- Sweatshirt/fleece (Spring - cooler weather)
- TOP - Rain jacket (Rainy weather)
- BOTTOM - Pants or shorts - loose fitting and light (Long pants prevent tick and bug bites.)
- BOTTOM - Rain pants - For muddy and wet days
- Running or hiking shoes - NO sandals or crocs
We will send out exact meeting locations prior to the start of your program.
- We follow a similar rhythm each program, however these experiences are introduced to spark creativity, imagination and play. We are always open to shifting plans and expanding on the children’s ideas.
- A typical day includes;
- Check in with the group
- Group games
- Snack - Break
- Exploration (Chava Farms - Adventures with the animals)
- Lunch
- Creative experience
- Gardening program (Chava Farms) - Twice a week
- Snack
- Storytelling
- Sit spot (A quiet moment before we head home)
- We maintain a minimum of 2:12 ratio. If we have children who require extra support, we will do our best to provide a 3rd teacher.
- Regarding our OAP supported programs will have have a ratio of 3:12
No, unfortunately, they need to be 4 years old by the time they start the program. This is a government requirement.
Our educators have a variety of backgrounds from teachers, ECE’s, outdoor educators, naturalists etc. All of our educators will participate in our specialized training and are all required to have Basic First aid and CPR training and an up to date Vulnerable sector check. All staff carry an Epi pen and first aid kit.
Yes, we would love to discuss options about our private group or school group programs.
Private Group Form
Registration and Cancellation
Yes, you are welcome to drop into a program as long as we have space. Feel free to shoot us an email to check and we will send you all of the details! [email protected]
- Yes! We have been collaborating with Kerry Maisels Behavioural Consulting who has helped us develop our staff training so that we are able to provide more inclusive and supportive programs for children on the Autism spectrum. Kerry and her team will guide you through the assessment process to ensure that we can provide the best support for your children through their experience.
- If you are registered in a program at our Cedarvale or Markham locations you will be able to apply.
Learn More on Chava Farms
We do not want finances to be a barrier to participation, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss a payment plan that works for you at this time.
- Roots 2 Rise Outdoors reserves the right to cancel a program due to weather, scheduling, staffing etc. with no refund. As long as we have space, you are always welcome to drop into another program.
- Cancellation 30 days or more before the program start date, a refund will be issued, minus the $50 non-refundable deposit.
- Cancellation 15 days before the program start date, a 50% refund will be issued of the full cost of the session.
- There will be no refund issued once the program begins.
- There will be no refund issued if a participant misses a day.
- As long as we have space, you are always welcome to drop into another program if you miss a day.
Health and Safety
Depending on the location we will have access to a public washroom or outhouse. If there is no access to a washroom, we will guide them through a “tree pee.” Our staff will always have a “toilet kit” available with necessary items for their needs. Children will always be supervised when going to the washroom, however, children are expected to independently handle restroom procedures.
We value being outdoors in all weather! We will make sure to send all families a list of what to wear for all kinds of situations. We will have some kind of shelter or covered space set up, so that the groups have a dry place to have their snacks. However, please ensure your children are ready to get muddy!
We are nut aware, as most of the spaces that we use are shared spaces, we cannot guarantee that there has not been people or groups with nuts.
Yes