* click on the title of each activity to see curriculum links and more details about each activity.
Your students will gain practical and experiential skills in building healthy relationships and communities. Hidden Acres is partnering with The Ripple Effect Education (TREE) to offer this new programming. TREE staff bring expertise in peace building, conflict resolution and social-emotional learning to the natural Hidden Acres setting to equip students with the tools they need to build peace within their classrooms and communities.
Your students will be introduced to the skill of shooting with a bow and arrow. They will learn about things like fletchings and nocking points as well as how to correctly and safely use a bow and shoot an arrow. They will be given guidance by our staff throughout the activity to help each one be successful.
Develop your student’s creative capabilities and manual dexterity. Your students will be led by our staff in an engaging craft that will encourage them to use their imaginations to create keepsakes from their outdoor education experience at Hidden Acres.
The canoe is a significant part of our Canadian heritage. Your students will learn the basics of this still popular method of recreation and transportation. Guidance will be given by our staff throughout the activity to help each student succeed.
Use this popular challenge element to give your students an opportunity to take risks, develop trust and increase self-esteem. They will learn about the equipment used at the climbing wall as well as instructions for staying safe. Then they will have a chance to choose the level of difficulty of wall and attempt to master all three of our walls; the flat wall, the box and the slant.
Tap into your student’s creative side! Your students will use their imaginations to develop creativity, confidence and communication skills through drama and theatre arts activities.
At the low ropes course, students will explore communication, balance, trust, taking initiative and leadership all while having fun. Using elements like the “Wild Woozy”, “Low V”, “Whale Watch” and the “Spider’s Web”, they will have opportunities to foster teamwork and learn to care for the emotional and physical safety of others.
Participate in fun activities that encourage an awareness of nature and the environment by exploring local habitats through a variety of nature trails or by visiting our Nature Centre with a one-way bird-watching window and nature displays.
There two different orienteering activities you can choose from:
This is a great introduction to orienteering, a unique and challenging sport that combines physical fitness, strategy and persistence. Students will learn how a compass works and the proper techniques for using it. Then, using the compass and a map of the camp, they will have the opportunity to take bearings and navigate from point to point exploring the grounds at Hidden Acres.
Students will learn how to read a map and orient themselves to north using a compass. They will also learn the basics of tree identification by looking at the leaves, needles and bark of the trees. Using the map and compass they will navigate around the camp and learn to identify a variety of native tree species.
Students will work in groups, along with leaders, to learn how to build a fire and cook food in the great outdoors. They will first learn what is needed to start a fire and the best ways to successfully build one only using materials found in nature.
Outdoor Skills/Shelter Building
Take a hands-on approach to learning about survival structures. Students will learn about structural integrity, insulation, and basic outdoor survival skills. Then, with the guidance of staff, they will take what they've learned and try their hand at building their own debris shelter.
Take your students on a cross-cultural learning experience! Students will play games, sing songs, learn language and phrases, and sample foods to help learn about the culture, geography and history of another country. Some of the countries that our staff have experienced and then shared about in recent years include Japan, Ukraine, Poland, Guatemala, China and Zambia.
The country that is studied will be determined through conversations between the classroom teacher and camp staff.
Get your students moving by enjoying sports and games like basketball, soccer, ultimate Frisbee, beach volleyball, Nine-Square-in-the-air, Frisbee golf, Ga-Ga Ball, parachute activities, road hockey and more.
Swimming
Take a fun, refreshing dip in “Lake Laverne”.
Have fun while working through a variety of challenging activities that demand strategic thinking, effective communication, leadership, teamwork and co-operation. Thought provoking and engaging debriefing at the end of activities will help students understand leadership roles and will foster a close knit and trusting team.
Students will be able to enjoy the open fields and bush areas while playing fun and energetic games that require a large portion of the camp property (e.g. Capture the Flag, Clue, Survival, etc.)