Ball’s Falls Nature School
Four children peaking around a tree
Does your child love nature and exploring the great outdoors?
Ball’s Falls Nature School brings education out into the wilderness!
Ball's Falls Nature School provides an opportunity for students to connect with nature, developing a sense of place and self, while building confidence and engaging in outdoor experiences.
This weekly full-day alternative education program provides students (ages 4 – 11 years) with specialized, small-group, curriculum-linked lessons in math, reading, writing, science, social science, and art - all in an outdoor setting.
Students will continue to build their literacy, numeracy, inquiry and social skills at Nature School, where learning is based on environmental, sustainable, and conservation principles. Nature School days are spent exploring the trails, fields and forests of Ball’s Falls Conservation Area, and engaging in child-led, inquiry-based learning within the Arboretum and Forest Playscape – a safe place for students to play, learn, socialize and be creative within the Carolinian Forest.
Students will get to see the changes and discoveries that come with the seasons in Niagara. With so much time in the great outdoors learning, playing and engaging with nature – this program brings out the best in students and allows for development and opportunities to learn in all new ways. Some students call the program ‘Recess everyday!” because some of the best times we spend learning, are spent outdoors.
At Ball’s Falls, Nature School is founded on the principle that nature is one of the best places to learn and grow.
Who: Students ages 4 – 11 years (as of September 2024)
When: Mondays, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Extended care is available from 8:00 – 9:00 am and 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Session: Monday, January 13, 2025 – Monday, April 28, 2025 (excluding holidays and March Break) (13 days)
Where: The Arboretum at Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
What: A full-day alternative education program. Mornings are filled with Ontario curriculum-based activities which are catered to the learning abilities and individual needs of the students. Afternoons are a time for child-led and inquiry-based exploration and play through the many trails and the Forest Playscape.
2025 Nature School Fees
Fees: $65 per student per day (administrative fee applies)
Extended Care: $13 per day per family
A 50% non-refundable, non-transferrable deposit is taken at time of registration. The remainder of registration fees are due mid-session.
A 10% discount is given when registering more than one child from the same household.
For more information:
natureschool@npca.ca or call 905-788-3135 ext. 322
Winter – Spring 2025: Wonderful Winter to Spectacular Spring
Mondays beginning January 13, 2025
Session ends April 28, 2025 (7 weeks)
Note: Nature School will not run on February 17 (Family Day), March 10 (March Break), or April 21 (Easter Monday).
In this session, students will explore the forest through winter, learning about winter animals, habitats, and hibernation. This season is full of geometry - patterns and shapes like unique snowflakes and animal tracks through the snow. Students will journey the trails and experience snowshoeing and fort-building too – if the weather allows! As the temperatures rise, and the land thaws, students will witness the season turn from winter to spring. The class will observe and record weekly changes in the forest, building on their literacy skills and applying their growing ecological knowledge.