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OMFS Blog

Layering = Happy Kids

October 30, 2017 By Mel VanPypen

Forest School families often hear us ask if children are dressed in their warm layers. This isn’t just small talk, this is a significant part of ensuring we have happy kids in the forest!  Many adults who are active in colder weather know this system well, but sometimes we forget the importance of doing the same for children. It isn’t always as simple as big bulky snowsuits, layers have an integral role in staying warm in all seasons.

As some colder weather settles upon us, this seems like a perfect opportunity to explain the why, what, when, where and how of this system.

WHY
Layering our clothing provides many benefits in all weather. In colder weather it is an essential part to outdoor fun. Layering helps to trap warm body heat where it belongs – next to the body, it also works to keep cold weather out. A non cotton base layer wicks away moisture and insulates the body. A fleece or wool mid layer works to trap body heat and regulate the body temperature. The outer layer’s job is to keep the wet and cold out, while releasing the inner perspiration.

WHAT
First off, the golden rule: NO JEANS OR COTTON!  Jeans dry slowly and trap the cold close to the body while cotton absorbs water quite well and holds it close to the skin.
Base layers – synthetic or wool long johns (aka thermals). A heavier weight can be used in colder weather to help insulate.
Mid layers – fleece or wool pants and sweaters for late fall-winter-early spring. This layer does not need to be fancy – any fleece or wool will do the trick!
Outer layers – rain or snow suit (ideally waterproof).
Extremities – warm wool socks, waterproof insulated boots and mittens; warm wool or synthetic toque; neckwarmer in colder weather.
WHEN
This system is primarily used during the fall, winter and spring. We tend to rely on this system in weather where a jacket is required, decreasing the weight of the mid layer on spring and fall days. When children spend full days outside, it is an important part of being comfortable, warm and dry.

WHERE
The question we often come across at Forest School is: where do I get these items. Our advice is to try and buy a good base and outer layer and don’t worry about the quality of the mid layer. If you have a knitter in your family, that can be perfect for this layer. MEC has excellent children’s base layers at a reasonable price, but sometimes these can be even found at used clothing stores for excellent deals. One trick we at OMFS try is typing MEC into the buy and sell section of Kijiji when searching for children’s gear.
HOW
We know that getting children to buy into this system can sometimes be a challenge. Layers can feel bulky and uncomfortable if your child is sensitive to the feeling of certain clothing. Our best advice is to snip tags, choose colours your child may like, and try some practice runs experimenting with which options your child is most likely to put on, rather than struggling on the morning of forest school. Children can always remove a layer when they are warm, but once cold, it is often difficult to warm up.

We know that when a child has a warm core, their extremities stay warmer. When our core is warm our bodies release warm blood into the extremities. On the opposite end, when our core is cold it tries to hold onto that blood to keep the inner organs warm and the extremities become cold. Cold fingers and toes are a struggle when you’re trying to have fun in the outdoors and our first hand knowledge tells us that we can prevent this challenge by the above listed system. Proper layering systems do in fact lead to happy children!

 

Fall 2017 Registration

March 24, 2017 By Mel VanPypen

Our fall 2017 registration opens online next Friday, March 31st at promptly 8:00am. 

Visit our program pages www.oromedonteforestschool.ca/omfs-program-offerings to learn about what we offer this coming fall.

We will be taking time stamped registrations next Friday on a first come first served basis.

Please note that you may need to be placed on a wait list but we will aim to work through that list and try to create more spaces.

If you have any questions about the registration process or our programs, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at info@oromedonteforestschool.ca

Winter/Spring Registration

November 1, 2016 By Mel VanPypen

The Winter/Spring session opens for registration at 8:00am on Tuesday November 1st, 2016, for new families looking to join the OMFS community!!!

If you’re hoping for a space in our Forest Preschool, Kindy or School programs, tomorrow, Tuesday November 1st, is the day!

Preschool: Tuesday mornings
Kindy: Tuesday/Wednesday mornings or afternoons
School: Wednesday full days

Spaces are quite limited due to almost all current families continuing into the next session! But, we do have a couple openings! With enough interest we may even offer another day, so spread the word!

Please visit the program pages at our website for complete details:

oromedonteforestschool.ca/omfs-program-offerings/

If you have any questions, please get in touch and we will be happy to help you pick the best program for your child’s needs.

Shine On!
Melanie & Lindsay
OMFS Founders & Educators

DROP INS…

September 7, 2016 By Mel VanPypen

We would like to thank you for all your interest and questions about attending our programming on a drop in basis and want to take a moment to clarify a few things.
 
We offer Drop In Attendance in the following programs: Forest Friday & Forest School.
 
*The Forest Friday spaces will be quite limited due to space and parking restrictions at our new location. We know that many families were hoping to participate on a drop in basis and we do wish that we could accommodate more of you.  We currently anticipate 2 weekly spaces at $15 per space. Information regarding this program can be found on our Forest Friday – Parent & Child Progam page. 
 
*The Forest School spaces will be based on our pre-registered numbers. We currently anticipate having 2-4 spaces available weekly at $55 per space.  Please refer to our Forest School Program page for details on this program.
The Process: 
1. We will post to our Facebook page each Friday by noon letting everyone know the number of drop in spaces we will have available the following week in both programs.
2. You can request your space for the coming week via an email to info@oromedonteforestschool.ca
3. A confirmation email will follow letting you know if a space is available and reserved for you.
4. Once your space is confirmed we will ask that you e-transfer the payment for that week.
**If payment is not received by Sunday at 8pm, we will offer your space to the next person on our list.
We hope this helps to clarify the process and look forward to a fantastic start to our programming next week!
Melanie & Lindsay
Please note: No discounts or space guarantees are given for drop in attendance. 

Registration

June 22, 2016 By Mel VanPypen

Our pre-registration process has begun and we are quickly filling our spaces for Fall 2016. If you have pre-registered, we will be following up with invoices sent to your email address for your deposit very soon. 

Our Forest Friday program has just one space left at this time. If you are wanting to come for drop in to this program, we will still be open to drop ins at $15/day.

Our Forest Preschool program has been condensed to run on Thursday mornings only at this time. If you are interested in filling one of our remaining few spaces in this program, please consider registering very soon. We will wait-list children following these final spots and if required, we will re-open Monday programming.

Forest Kindergarten and Forest School registrations are still coming in! We are excited to be offering both morning and afternoon programming on Tuesday/Wednesday for children aged 4-10!

If you have any questions about any of our programming, please feel free to email or call prior to your registration. We are here to answer questions, to discuss the programming with you or direct you to more information if you require. Please be sure to review our Parent Handbook as well, as it contains a great deal of detail about the logistics of OMFS.

To reach us please email oromedonteforestschool@gmail.com or call 705-817-3338 and leave a message. One of us will be back in touch soon.

Thank you!

Forest School Family Information Sessions

June 7, 2016 By oroadminforests

We would like to invite all interested families to attend our first Forest School Family Information Session. This first session will take place on Wednesday June 15th at Carly Hall, at 6:30pm.

Carley Community Hall is located between line 8 & 9 at 396 Warnminster Side Road, here in Oro- Medonte.

Please come with any questions you may have about forest school, about the program we are offering, or any other questions you may have. Our Founders/Outdoor Educators will be here and will share all of the details needed in order to be ready for registration.

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