Homeschool Programs
Tiffin's Homeschool Program is designed for homeschool families who want to spend structured time outside to develop a sense of wonder, appreciation and respect for the natural world.
Parents and guardians are invited to bring their children to the Tiffin Centre for Conservation where we take care of the programming so that families can spend time learning outside together. There will be one lesson a month on a Friday, and families can sign up for a package of 3 sessions.
All children aged 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult, however parents are welcome to stay for programming for all ages.
Activities
Tiffin's Homeschool Program will take place one Friday a month and we have exciting activities planned for each of those days. Below is the outline for each lesson:
Session 1
Friday October 14th, 2022 - Hike the Bluffs
Location: Nottawasaga Bluffs Conservation Area
8861 Nottawasaga 15/16 Sdrd., Clearview Township
A guided hike of the
Nottawasaga Bluffs while the leaves are changing colours. Visit 'The Tomb' with head lamps and read inscriptions from decades ago on 'The Wall' as we climb in and around the Niagara Escarpment.
Friday November 11, 2022 - Team Dynamics
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation
8195 8th Line, Utopia ON L0M 1T0
Join us for a day of learning how to work as a team. Try traversing across the wire cable, swing on the Tarzan rope and balance the large teeter/totter as a big group. How? Through team work, patience and good communication.
Friday December 16, 2022 - Play a game of 'Predator vs. Prey'
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation
8195 8th Line, Utopia ON L0M 1T0
Roll play a wild animal, trying to survive in their natural habitat. While looking for enough food and water to survive by looking for stations, make sure you avoid the predators, who are also looking for food.
Your second program will be geocaching. We have 20 GPS units with our own course onsite. After teaching a lesson on how to geocache, you can head out to give it a try.
Session 2
Friday January 13, 2023 - Wilderness Winter Survival
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation
8195 8th Line, Utopia ON L0M 1T0
Do you know how to stay warm in the winter? Build a snow shelter, learn how to start a fire, collect and purify water at the Tiffin Centre.
Friday February 17, 2023 - Pre-Family Weekend Fun
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation
8195 8th Line, Utopia ON L0M 1T0
Get outside in the snow at the Tiffin Centre and beat the winter blues with Snowshoeing, Kicksledding, and play a game of 'Snowsnakes'. If we don't have snow, we will switch out our equipment needs to Geocaching and hike to see our resident porcupines.
Friday March 24, 2023 - Maple Syrup
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation
8195 8th Line, Utopia ON L0M 1T0
An experiential tour of the Tiffin Centre's working sugar bush displaying the Indigenous, pioneer and modern-day maple syrup making through stories, demonstrations, and hands-on activities. The fascinating world of tree science will also be explored.
Session 3
Friday April 21, 2023 - Earth Day
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation
8195 8th Line, Utopia ON L0M 1T0
Come on out and help us celebrate this beautiful world we live in by creating some land art, water colour painting, nature games and more.
Friday May 26, 2023 - Wilderness Survival
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation
8195 8th Line, Utopia ON L0M 1T0
Shelters and navigation. Learn what you should do to stay safe if you were lost in the woods, and learn how to not get lost through learning how to orienteer with a map and compass.
Friday June 23, 2023 - Pond Dipping and Flower Hunting
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation
8195 8th Line, Utopia ON L0M 1T0
Participants will explore the fascinating world within ponds as they dip nets in search of aquatic life. Through hands-on discovery, students will investigate and identify the survival needs and life cycles of various pond animals. By sharing their discoveries at the Tiffin "Zoo", students will have an opportunity to compare common characteristics and the amazing adaptations of pond creatures for life under water.
Your second program, a wild flower hike and games. We will have flower maps on hand and email a digital copy to all participants ahead of time.
Schedule
Families can attend Tiffin's Homeschool Program for half a day, or the entire day! Here is the timetable
- Morning Program: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Lunch Break: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
- Afternoon Program: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Fees and Registration
Lessons must be purchased in packs of three
- 3 pack of half day lessons: $38.00
- 3 pack of full day lessons: $56.00
- 3 pack of 'drop-off' lessons for youth aged 11-17: $90 (additional registration details are required as an adult will not be onsite with youth with this option)
Registration for children aged 10 and under
All children aged 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Full registration is not required as an adult will be onsite with them. Please
visit NVCA's Payment Portal directly to submit payment. Parents/guardians are not required to register.
Registration for children 11 or older
Children aged 11 or older have the option to be dropped off for homeschool programs. Of course, parents are welcome to stay.
If you have never dropped off your child for Tiffin's Homeschooling program, please be sure to register your child through this link as we will require additional information than the children who are staying onsite with their parents/guardian.
After that, please visit NVCA's Payment Portal to register for your child. Parents/guardians are not required to register.
Instructions for using NVCA's Payment Portal
Using the '+' and '-' buttons, please select the number of children you are registering for. Choose the homeschool program your family would like to attend by using the "Select One" box under Select an Option. After you are satisfied with yours selection, please add your order to your cart.
To complete payment, select the cart icon and proceed to checkout.
For parents staying onsite with their children, full registration is not required. Please go directly to the payment page and include the names and ages of your children in the 'Add a Note to the Seller' box in the checkout page.
FAQs
Is a paper ticket required for this event?
No, a paper ticket is not necessary!
What is the refund policy?
If you cannot attend 1 of the 3 sessions you have paid for, please email outdoored@nvca.on.ca to request a different week you would like to attend in one of the other sessions.
For example, if you cannot attend the Team Dynamics on November 11 (Session 1), you have the option of attending Wilderness Winter Survival on on January 20, 2023 (Session 2).
Is there any food for purchase?
For those staying and eating lunch during our program days, please note that there is no food available for purchase. We also ask participants to be mindful of our litterless lunch policy and deposit any food-related garbage or recycling off-site (donations to our compost, however, are always appreciated!). Water fountains are available to fill up re-useable water bottles.
Do I need to accompany my (teenaged) children to this event?
Children ages 11 or older can be dropped off for programming. If your child is aged 10 and under and you can assign supervision of your children to another adult who will be participating. We ask that you indicate the name of the individual who has accepted this responsibility in the payment page.
What if I pay extra to drop-off my teenaged children to this event?
We do require that all children aged 10 and under to have an adult supervisor on-site and participating in our programs in case of unforeseen incidents (sickness, injury, etc.).
If your child is aged 10 and under and you can assign supervision of your children to another adult who will be participating. We ask that you indicate the name of the individual who has accepted this responsibility in the payment page.
What if it rains or snows?
All of our programs run rain, snow or shine. Please come prepared for outdoor activity and dress appropriately for the weather.
Can I bring my dog to this event?
While leashed dogs are allowed on NVCA trails, we ask that they do not accompany you during programming times.
My friends will also be attending this event. Can we request to be placed in the same group/class?
Due to the number of participants and the nature of our programs, we cannot guarantee placement with other registrants.
