Bingo, new blog posts, campfires en français... and more!
APRIL 2022
"If we want our children to move mountains, we first have to let them get out of their chairs."
— Nicolette Sowder
Dear Friend,
We’ve got lots to be excited about at Take Me Outside this month! The longer days are certainly giving us a leg up into exciting spring events and programs, and we're digging deeper into educators’ stories from the outdoor learning community through our blogs. We have two new blogs featured in this newsletter: one on diverse & inclusive storytelling, and one on how a teacher changed her school's outdoor learning culture though a Take Me Outside Pilot Project. Both are wonderful reads and will certainly spark the inspiration you've been looking for this month! And don't forget: we have new blogs out biweekly on Thursdays!
Get excited for Earth Day on April 22nd! Celebrate Earth Day with us by playing Bingo this week - finding ways big and small to make changes that are healthy for ourselves and the planet. Read on to see the Bingo card, how to participate and win some great prizes! It’s also the perfect time for family-friendly and classroom-friendly activities like adopting a tree or taking up our weekly challenge shared every Sunday on Instagram. This week's challenge is to try a sit spot to be still and listen for just ten minutes. Let us know how it goes for you by following and connecting with us on Instagram!
This time of year marks rapid changes, with many animals migrating, coming out of hibernation, and starting new families. Have you noticed any new creatures in the neighbourhood? Got any tips, resources, or activities to share? We’d love to hear from you! And don’t forget to share your journey with us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram, or info@takemeoutside.ca.
All the best in your outdoor adventures,
- Your Take Me Outside Team
Earth Day: Friday April 22nd
Earth Day is a great time to get outdoors and consider how you can help conserve the special places where you live and play! Your actions – big and small – can help make a difference.
On April 22, celebrate Earth Day with us by playing Earth Day Bingo! Don’t have time in your schedule on the 22nd? You can play our bingo anytime during the whole week starting on April 18th.
Show us how you played by tagging us on Twitter & Instagram, and use the hashtag #TMOEarthDayBingo for a chance to win prizes! Submissions will close on Monday April 25th, and winners contacted via Twitter or Instagram.
Don't miss the 30 Day Walking Curriculum, launching on Earth Day! Open for anyone from pre-K to high school around the world and hosted by ImaginED through SFU’s Faculty of Education, your commitment to heading outside for 30 days straight this spring will help raise money for the Environmental Youth Alliance - $1 for every educator signed up will be donated on your behalf! This year’s goal is 1111 participants and $1111 to a great cause!
How important are the stories we tell about outdoor learning? Story books have a unique power to shape children’s outlook, motivate and inspire them. Children need to see themselves represented in stories of all types to know they have a world of possibilities before them.
Last year, at an environmental education conference, I learned that families of colour and diverse ethnic origins are seldom portrayed in the literature on the outdoors. Although I have often seen a huge diversity of families enjoying parks and natural areas, there are very few books that feature children and families of colour going camping or playing outside in the winter.
My name is Dayna Landry and I am a Grade 4 teacher from Drayton Valley who is passionate about purposeful learning and getting outside. I wanted to be purposeful in our learning and in our focus on the benefits of nature and the outdoors for students. With support from my Admin team, this is how the Take Me Outside Pilot Project was created.
STEP 1: Getting outside in meaningful ways. Each month, classes are challenged to get outside for different learning opportunities. Through cross-curricular connections and an interdisciplinary focus, teachers make this happen. It started small with community walks and exploring our surrounding neighbourhoods. It then began to grow and develop into immersing our students into their surrounding environments and local flora and fauna.
Circling Up With Educators From Coast To Coast To Coast
Join our Canadian Outdoor Learning Partners each month to learn, share and connect around all things outdoor learning. We've taken your feedback and will now be hosting multiple virtual campfires each month - please join whichever session works best for you! Like most campfire chats, we are hoping to have a very open mic forum around topics and format. Whether you're a seasoned outdoor educator, or someone exploring outside learning for the first time, this virtual campfire is your call to be part of a growing community and leave with some great takeaways!
Cost: FREE When: Monthly!
West Coast Campfire: Tues May 3rd | 7pm MT
East Coast Campfire: Thurs May 5th | 7pm ET
NEW ADDITION: Campfire en français!Wed May 18th | 7pm ET
Whether you’re gardening, dog walking, dish washing, or anything in between, we want to share a great podcast called Earthy Chats with you. Full of wide-ranging topics about the outdoor and environmental learning fields, it’s hosted by our friends and long-time educators Ian Shanahan from Green Teacher (who also has his own podcast!) and Jade Harvey-Berrill from The Outdoor Learning Store and Stoked on Science... And episode 10 featured our very own Colin Harris! Check out that conversation here, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
The Outdoor Learning Store is a charitable social enterprise established in 2020 with headquarters in Invermere, British Columbia, in the homelands of the Ktunaxa and Secwepemc people. This beautiful and biodiverse region is situated at the headwaters of the Columbia River on the Western slopes of the Canadian Rockies.
The purpose of The Outdoor Learning Store is to provide easy access to excellent outdoor learning equipment and resources to schools and organizations, while providing financial support for their host charity, the Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN) and added capacity for their numerous Outdoor Learning Partners, including Take Me Outside!
