Programmes éducatifs en nature – Promises are coming true

Last month, we reported on the progress of the CPE Forêt project in 2024. We told you that this new year would be full of promise. Today, we’re delighted to tell you that those promises are already starting to take shape!

February marks a key milestone: our training course on outdoor pedagogy in early childhood centres has been entirely filmed! This filming will enable us to support even more educators by offering them an accessible and inspiring training tool.

But that’s not all! The CPE Forêt program is expanding: this year, all Carrefour francophone early childhood centers will benefit from access to nature outings. A great step forward that will give even more children the chance to explore and grow at the rhythm of the great outdoors!

We invite you to take a behind-the-scenes look at this training, find out more about our next steps and follow the adventures of the little ones in our early childhood centers.

Outdoor education training: a key step towards 2025

To support educators in implementing outdoor education in their early childhood centres, we have launched a ground-breaking three-day training course, filmed over three days. Designed as an accessible tool for teams, the course brings together experts and passionate speakers who have, each in their own way, contributed to the growth of the CPE Forêt project.

Among them, Lynda Jones (educator at Boréal des tout-petits) and Anne-Marie Yao (educator at Scène des tout-petits), both involved in the project since its conception, shared their valuable field experience. Mathieu Lambert and Erick Dubois, the driving forces behind the program’s development, also took part in this initiative, alongside Céline Kerampran, who initiated the CPE Forêt project.

To enrich this training, we were privileged to welcome Pierre Harrison, founder of PLAY Learn Think, an expert in child-directed play, spare parts and adventure playgrounds. Stéphane Gauthier, General and Cultural Director of the Carrefour francophone, and Mélanie Lelièvre, teacher and Coordinator of training at Collège Boréal’s Services à l’enfance, also contributed their expertise and advice. Finally, the Centre éducatif des Premières Nations, Métis et Inuit, represented by Eric Dupuis and Richard Meilleur, enriched the training by highlighting the wealth of Aboriginal knowledge.

Four modules to structure learning

Shooting on Friday!

This training includes four modules, each designed to provide educators with an understanding and concrete tools that will enable them to integrate outdoor pedagogy into their practice:

“The context”: Presentation of the CPE Forêt project – its origins, evolution and impact on early childhood centres.
“What is play?”: Definition and exploration of various theories of play. This module also includes psychological notions and practical examples.
“What is outdoor education?” A look back at the history and foundations of outdoor education, and the sharing of practices that promote learning in nature.
“Examples of activities”: Concrete, toddler-friendly activities for integrating the outdoors into early childhood centers.

Filming anecdote!

Filming this training course in the middle of winter was an adventure! The conditions outside were cold, but that didn’t stop us from shooting mostly in nature. Fortunately, we were able to count on Studio123’s Christian Pelletier, whose well-placed jokes warmed up the atmosphere and relaxed the whole team before each take.

Many thanks to the Studio123 team, who have been with us on this project since the very beginning, and who have enabled us to realize our dreams.

Promises taking shape in the field

Pierre Harrison and Erick Dubois changing the world.

In addition to training, concrete initiatives are taking shape in each of our early childhood centres this year.

First of all, outdoor outings will be gradually introduced in all Carrefour francophone centres. Thanks to the commitment of our educational teams and the support of our families, our little ones will have even more opportunities to discover nature through the seasons. Whether exploring the forest, observing weather changes or simply playing outdoors, each outing enriches their development and their connection with the natural world around them.

In addition, a broader access to aboriginal culture will be introduced, with the support of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education Centre. The goal? To make all Carrefour francophone centres aware of Aboriginal traditional knowledge and cultural practices, through online workshops to which educational staff will have access. This openness will undoubtedly encourage respectful and enriching learning for all.

Finally, sharing the CPE Forêt model with French-speaking early childhood centres other than those of the Carrefour francophone is a major step forward for us. What we have successfully developed and tested, thanks to the families who put their trust in us, our educational staff and our partners who support us, can now inspire other educational environments. This sharing of practices and knowledge is a wonderful recognition of the work we’ve accomplished, and a unique opportunity to bring outdoor education to a wider audience of children.

The seeds sown in recent years continue to grow, and we can’t wait to see where this adventure takes us. One thing’s for sure: 2025 will be a year of action and expansion!

Enjoy winter, even in cold weather!

Winter doesn’t hold back our little ones, who are always delighted to get outside! As soon as temperatures allow, children can enjoy the great outdoors, exploring the snow in all its forms: playing and observing animal tracks.

Of course, the climate imposes certain constraints, and we always take care to ensure the comfort and safety of our little ones. At Carrefour francophone, outings are adapted according to weather conditions: from -22°C, the duration of outings is reduced to avoid prolonged exposure to the cold, and children are not allowed outdoors when temperatures drop below -29°C in wind chill.

A parallel with Denmark is in order. It was in this country that the “outdoor school” teaching method was devised in the early 1950s. In 2018, figures show that almost 20% of kindergarten classes offered this kind of teaching. Children go outside in summer and winter, handling small saws and knives, playing in nature and climbing trees. It’s in this country that children are regularly exposed to the cold in winter, even when they’re asleep!

Research conducted by a Danish and Swedish research team (Nilson, Bentsen, Grahn and Mygind, 2018) demonstrates the many benefits of this mode of learning. Children evolving outdoors develop a stronger immune system, benefit from a better intake of vitamin D, and are less prone to infections, asthma or allergies. What’s more, the physical activity encouraged by this environment promotes better overall health and reduces the risk of childhood obesity.

Source: https://journals.openedition.org/ries/10285

However, there is one major difference between Denmark and Sudbury: the climate. While Denmark enjoys relatively mild winters, with an average winter temperature of 0.5°C, February is often the coldest month, but with an average of 0.0°C. Here, we’re faced with more rigorous temperatures, often well below zero.

So we have to adapt our practices to this reality. Despite the cold, we go out whenever conditions allow, as you can see from the photos below. Winter is an exceptional playground and learning ground, as long as you know how to prepare for it!

Carrefour francophone would like to say thank you

Our project partners: PLAYLearnThink, Collège Boréal, Centre éducatif des Premières Nations, Métis et Inuit et la Pavillon Shkode (Coeur du feu); our research partners: Child and Family Social Innovation Centre and our funder: Employment and Social Development Canada.