Tapiola Outdoor Education Centre

🔥 Registration is OPEN for our Friday kids bushcraft drop ins.

Kids carpentry, firecraft, overnight camping, tracking, fishing, cooking over coals, survival, sheltercraft, bushcraft games, weather wonders, and more!

📅 Fridays, 1:30–3:00 pm, starting September 11
👦Recommended for Ages 7–12 (family drop-in)
💲 $10 per family, per session

Drop-in spots are limited each week, so grab yours here:
https://www.tapiolaoutdoors.ca/bushcraft

Also — we're hiring! We're looking for one more part-time support staff to join us on Friday afternoons, which would let us open up a few more spots for kids in the full day forest school program (Tapiola Wolfpack). Know someone who loves being outside and working with kids? Send them our way.

🌲 Tapiola Kids Bushcraft Drop-In — Looking Back, Looking Ahead 🍂

Fall term 2026 is coming together, and before we lock in the programming we want to hear from you.

Take a look at the activity posters from the last two terms.
So — what would you like to see this fall?

Is there a skill your kids have been asking about? Something you tried as a kid that you'd love them to experience? An activity that was a hit and deserves a repeat? Drop it in the comments or send us a message. We build this program around our families, and your ideas genuinely shape what happens in the woods on Friday afternoons.

Fall term runs Fridays starting September 11th. More details coming soon! 🐺

🌲 We're Hiring! 🌲

Join the Tapiola team as a Forest School Teacher! Lead our Wolfpack kids (ages 7-12) on epic outdoor adventures every Friday. If you're passionate about nature-based education and want to inspire young learners in the forest, we want to hear from you!

📍 140 Pento Road, Thunder Bay
💰 $35/HR | Fridays 8:45 am – 3:30 pm
📅 September 11 - December 18th
Interested? Email [email protected]

Bay

🍂 Fall Term is Coming! 🍂

Tapiola programming is back this fall! Before we dive in, we'd love to hear from you:

What do you think of our programming? Do you have ideas, suggestions, or feedback? Whether it's activities you'd like to see, schedule adjustments, or anything else—please drop a comment below or message us directly. We're always open to change and improvements, and your input helps us build the best experience for our families.

📅 Fall Term Details:

Dates: Fridays, September 11th – December 18th
Tapiola Wolfpack (ages 7-12): Continue building bushcraft skills, confidence, and friendships in the forest
Kids Bushcraft Drop-In Program (Afternoons): Perfect for families to drop in, learn new skills, and share some fun.

More detailed programming and registration information coming soon, but you can always reach out with questions or to let us know you're interested.

🌲 We're Hiring!
We have one teaching position available (Fridays). If you or someone you know is passionate about outdoor education, forest skills, and working with kids—we'd love to talk! Share this post or reach out directly. A formal employment posting will be up soon.

Looking forward to another wonderful fall of exploring the forest, forging friendships, and building skills together! 🌲🔥

Check out the True North Outdoor Learning Program summer camp. Hannah was a supply teacher at Tapiola this spring. She's an amazing teacher and incredibly passionate about outdoor education. This is not a Tapiola program or located at our property, we just want to support outdoor education in Thunder Bay by sharing. Check in with Hannah directly for further details.

The Link

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-mNBUjP95WK0HlULgRJQRDuXdkvE7iPd-KcubWQvgSw/edit?usp=drivesdk

Looking for something fun and educational for your kids to do this Summer? You found it!

Share this with others that might be interested.

🌲 Spring Term 2026 — What a season it's been! 🌲

From campfire cooking in the snow to archery, catapult launches, wood carving, foraging, escape game, and building their own benches — the Tapiola Wolfpack had one incredible spring in the forest.

We put together a little recap of the season for the families who trusted us with their kids this term. Take a look 👇

And the best part? We're just getting started. The Wolfpack returns in September with new skills, new adventures — and a kids' overnight camping trip right here at Tapiola. 🏕️

Follow this page or visit tapiolaoutdoors.ca to stay in the loop on fall registration. We'd love to see you in the forest. 🐺

Some pics and videos from the catapult launch today. The kids built a box fort and we laid siege to it with our homemade catapult and some water balloons.

This Friday our young adventurers went full stealth mode! We explored how predators and prey use camouflage, stillness, stalking, and their senses to survive in the wild — from the patient Canada Lynx to the freeze-in-place Snowshoe Hare.
Then the kids put it all to the test! 🎯

The Stealth Gauntlet: Navigate the obstacle course as silently as possible — while a blindfolded Patrick launched dodgeballs at any sound he heard. One snap of a twig and you're out! 😄

Capture the Flag: Kids vs. Adults, a Tapiola classic. The kids used every trick they'd learned — patience, timing, and pure stealth — to take down the grown-ups. Kids WIN. 🏆

🧠 Stealth is more than a game — it builds body awareness, focus, patience, and observation skills that carry far beyond the forest. It also connects kids to nature in a way no classroom can.

Next Friday — we're breaking out the bows for archery AND launching our homemade Tapiola catapult for the first time! 🏹💥