Most Popular Tools & Resources
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These weather-resistant closed-cell foam sit pads are comfortable and easy to carry. They fit in a student backpack, making it easy for educators to move students into a comfortable learning space outdoors. They stay pliable in cold weather to keep your students comfortable. Please note: If students pick at these, or if they are rubbed on very rough surfaces, this will decrease the life of the sit pad. For a more durable option, check out our more durable and recycled sit pad. "Easy to carry around and access while outside. Kids can carry outdoor learning seats easily with a clipboard." - Teacher, Southeast Kootenay School District 5 Ethical Elements: Options for repurposing sit pad. Read more about our ethical policies & practices. The Inside Scoop: We knew we had to find a good quality but affordable sit pad if we wanted to open an outdoor learning store. After years of cutting up foam camping pads, we found this one! Way more comfortable than a camping pad, and we've tested this one in all conditions, and have had great feedback. -
Help your students focus in on the incredible world of the small! This 3x magnifier is large, durable and user-friendly for all ages. The magnifiers are sourced from a local supplier (see below). Read more about our ethical policies & practices. Keep track of your magnifiers by adding a lanyard to make this a hands-free carry-and-go item for your students. The Inside Scoop: It kills us to see those cheap plastic magnifiers that schools tend to use that get so scratched up. As a result, after months of looking for a magnifier that was durable, strong, scratch resistant and super user-friendly for all ages, we found one right under our noses! Our friends Jaye & Shelli carry this one at their local office supplies shop. And Jaye knows something about strength... he is a Canadian Paralympian for track cycling! Check him out here... Lanyards are sold separately:- We offer an Every Child Matters lanyard with a breakaway function. These are designed by Strong Nations in collaboration with Algonquin artist Don Bonner. It features the message "Every Child Matters" and a feather design.
- We also offer an Explore Your World lanyard with a ‘breakaway’ function is made from organic cotton, so have been grown without pesticides from plants that have not been genetically modified. They are exceptionally soft and 100 percent biodegradable.
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Lightweight and rubber-coated, 10x32 National Geographic binoculars are a perfect observation tool for young nature explorers.- Lightweight and compact
- 10x magnification
- 32mm lens diameter
- 315ft field of view at 1000 yards
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"Fabulous resource to get your kids outside for more than just “a walk” but a walk with purpose and relevance! Great read for educators wanting to embrace outdoor education." - School District 47 Principal Accompanying (Free) Resource: Walking Forward: Indigenous Perspectives in Learning from Place Accompanying Resource: Playing in the Muck and Other Art Activities: Imaginative Art Activities for The Walking Curriculum The Inside Scoop: Gillian has been such a fantastic & enthusiastic person to work with! She conveys her ideas succinctly with clarity, and we were thrilled to be able to work with her on piloting our first ‘Earthy Chat’s podcast! (see below) -
This lanyard with a 'breakaway' function is made from organic cotton, so have been grown without pesticides from plants that have not been genetically modified. They are exceptionally soft and 100 percent biodegradable. They feature outdoor learning images and sayings such as 'Explore Your World' and can be paired with our handheld field magnifier. -
This lanyard with a 'breakaway' function was designed by Strong Nations in collaboration with Algonquin artist Don Bonner. It features the message "Every Child Matters" and a feather design. This can be paired with our handheld field magnifier. If you order these together we will attach them when they go out to you. -
An Integrated K-8 Guide for Discovering Science, Ecology, and Whole-Systems Thinking
The School Garden Curriculum offers a unique and comprehensive framework, enabling students to grow their knowledge throughout the school year and build on it from kindergarten to eighth grade. From seasonal garden activities to inquiry projects and science-skill building, children will develop organic gardening solutions, a positive land ethic, systems thinking, and instincts for ecological stewardship. The book offers:- A complete K-8 school-wide framework
- Over 200 engaging, weekly lesson plans – ready to share
- Place-based activities, immersive learning, and hands-on activities
- Integration of science, critical thinking, permaculture, and life skills
- Links to Next Generation Science Standards
- Further resources and information sources.
- A model and guide for all educators, The School Garden Curriculum is the complete package for any school wishing to use ecosystem perspectives, science, and permaculture to connect children to positive land ethics, personal responsibility, and wonder, while building vital lifelong skills.
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These lightweight & affordable backpacks allow each student to store & transport their outdoor learning equipment & resources. The size of main pouch is 45cm high x 32.5cm wide x 25cm deep. Straps can be manually adjusted for length. They are suitable for grades 3+ (including teachers!) but can be adjusted to make shorter for younger/smaller students. Care Instructions: Hand wash in cold water with like colors. Hang or lay flat to dry only. Do not machine wash, do not machine / tumble dry. Do not bleach. Ethical Elements: Made from recycled pop bottles, and sourced for a socially ethical supplier. Read more about our ethical policies & practices. The Inside Scoop: After looking at dozens of options, this one rose to the surface as one that was affordable, modelled sustainable practices, fit a variety of ages, and have an adequate volume. And we were very pleased to work with a company that has very high ethical standards to source this! Are your Basic Backpack straps a little long for the little ones? Never fear! The straps are incredibly easy to adjust! Watch how below! -
Standard mesh dip nets are perfect for collecting small fish, tadpoles, and aquatic invertebrates. This net features a rigid vinyl-coated twisted wire handle that can be bent if required. If blue nets aren't available due to high demand, we will send red nets instead unless you indicate otherwise in your order notes. The Inside Scoop: We looked high and low for months for a basic aquatic dip net that was affordable and available in the quantities that we'd require. In the end, our friends at WildBC were able to direct us to a company that's in our area, and is great to work with! -
Our clipboards are durable, weatherproof, and made from recycled plastic! This easy-to-write-on surface provides a simple option for turning the outdoors into your classroom. 🙂 "The plastic clipboards are a game changer for outdoor ed." - Teacher, Southeast Kootenay School District 5 Ethical Elements: Made from recycled plastic, and sourced from a company that has exceptionally high social and environmental standards. Read more about our ethical policies & practices. The Inside Scoop: After looking high and low for a recycled clipboard, we were so glad to find this one with a local company with such high standards. While a bit higher cost than run-of-the-mill clipboards, we know it won't disappoint!
Most Recently Added Tools & Resources
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Take Me Outside works collaboratively with other organizations, school boards and individuals to encourage children and youth to spend more time outside through various projects and initiatives. TMO is a registered non-profit that has been operating across Canada since 2010. Please Note: Teacher Apparel is offered directly through Take Me Outside - not on Canada's Outdoor Learning Store. When you click the link you'll be directed to your page, and our discounts/gift cards are not valid on that page. -
Purchase a gift card for yourself, or someone else (great teacher gifts!). If purchasing for someone else, you can select 'Send Gift Card to someone?' and they will receive notification of this gift. In either case, we will also email a beautiful .pdf gift card with their name, amount and gift card code. This can be printed if you want something to 'give' to the recipient. 🙂 -
To help educators tackle this essential but challenging topic with K-8 students, this new book includes 20 age-appropriate activities that can be undertaken at home, in school classrooms, outdoor spaces and in the community. Within the 80 pages of this large format paperback, you will find many useful pathways to guide young people towards an understanding of this complex topic. Its detailed, practical activities are designed to enhance climate literacy and to increase understanding of renewable energy, sustainable transportation and technologies, and the many ways that individuals and communities can reduce their carbon footprint. The collection includes activities that introduce basic concepts of climate literacy, such as energy forms, urban heat islands, and the difference between weather and climate. Walking school buses, green commuting challenges and public transit investigations are a few of the transport-related activities. Building model solar cars and solar cookers and studying passive solar house design are a few of the energy-oriented activities included in the book. Rather than overwhelm young people with the daunting challenges facing humanity, the book’s focus is to help them to appreciate the many solutions that individuals, organizations and governments are already implementing to mitigate climate change. The overall goal of the book is to introduce basic concepts and to help cultivate a sense of wonder about the natural world. 74 pages Ethical Elements: Printed on 1oo% post-consumer recycled paper, and offered in partnership with Green Teacher - a non-profit organization dedicated to helping educators, both inside and outside of schools, promote environmental awareness among young people aged 6-19. Read more about our ethical policies & practices. The Inside Scoop: We have a long and strong relationship with Green Teacher, dating back to working with Tim Grant when he was editor, and now with Ian Shanahan as the current editor. Providing resources like this one that are ‘by educators for educators’ was a no-brainer – it is wonderful to be able to share stories from the field! -
This practical resource book offers tips and tricks to help any teacher develop variety in their teaching. One of the keys to a happy and creative classroom is getting out of it, and this book will give you the confidence to do it. It contains a wealth of ideas that allow teachers and parents to encourage outdoor learning and improve student participation. All you need is your coat, a passion for learning– oh, and bring the kids too! "This is an amazing resource for grades K-5 teachers. The book even includes examples of outdoor monthly calendars of easy things you can add to your schedule starting from the first day of school and a handy chart that helps to cross reference ideas to subject areas. After reading the book (and keeping it within reaching distance), any teacher should feel confident in starting the outdoor learning process for both themselves and their students." Juliet Robertson is one of the world's leading education consultants who specializes in outdoor learning and play. She works at a national level delivering training, giving keynote speeches, leading and supporting innovative outdoor projects and writing content for websites, documents and case studies. She is passionate about enabling schools, play organizations and early years settings to provide quality outdoor learning and play opportunities for children and young people. 214 pages The Inside Scoop: Ever since we hosted UK author Juliet Robertson in hosting in-person professional development sessions (photo below) we've been hooked! Juliet is a pro at providing easy to access ideas applicable to a range of ages and types of educators. -
Take your class on a tracks and traces wildlife scavenger hunt! This Animal Tracks & Traces Guide provides a beautiful simplified field reference to the tracks, signs, and scat of over 65 familiar North American species. It also features a ruler and and is laminated to provide weather resistance. Ethical Elements: Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Read more about our ethical policies & practices. The Inside Scoop: We have used these guides for decades with students of all ages. And a few years ago we worked with our partners in British Columbia to get these out to test them with 200 classes, and had great reviews! -
This 72 card set highlights 65 plants from the Pacific Northwest (Cascadia). Offering beautiful colour images, these cards provide traditional Indigenous plant uses and feature several Indigenous languages. While these are somewhat weather resistant, we recommend you keeping them in a ziplock bag (or equivalent) for safe keeping. Ethical Elements: These cards are offered in partnership with Strong Nations - an Indigenous owned and operate store and publishing house. Read more about our ethical policies & practices. The Inside Scoop: We have had so many educators rave about these! One of our store's Indigenous advisors brought this to us, and we jumped on the opportunity to partner with Strong Nations to offer this. A fantastic resource! -
Ethical Elements: Printed on post-consumer recycled paper. This resource is offered in partnership with Natural Curiosity, an initiative to develop and disseminate an inquiry approach to environmental learning, reaching public school educators and making a difference in school communities across Turtle Island. Read more about our ethical policies & practices. The Inside Scoop: We first became aware of Natural Curiosity's work at the NAAEE conference in Ottawa in 2014. Since then we've worked closely with their team to offer a variety of workshops and training opportunities for educators. -
This small pocket sized field guide titled '?a-kxam̓is q̓api qapsin' (All Living Things) features 23 common BC plants, including beautiful colour images, their description, habitat, and traditional uses by the Ktunaxa people (British Columbia, Montana, Idaho, Washington). Ethical Elements: This resource is offered in partnership with the Ktunaxa Nation Council which has the vision of having strong, healthy citizens and communities, speaking their languages and celebrating who they are and their history in our ancestral homelands, working together, managing their lands and resources, within a self-sufficient, self-governing Nation. Read more about our ethical policies & practices. Pages 51 -
These journals feature all-weather & recyclable writing paper that sheds water and enables you to write with a pencil anywhere, in any weather conditions. A versatile option for any conditions that Mother Nature throws at you! Colours: We have access to both yellow and green, but access to colours varies considerably from our supplier and so we will provide you with the colour available at the time of order. Ethical Elements: Recyclable paper. Offered in partnership with Take Me Outside, a Canadian non-profit organization committed to raising awareness and facilitating action on nature connection and outdoor learning in schools across Canada. 50% of the proceeds of this go to Take Me Outside Canada. The Inside Scoop: We know that writing outside can be a limiting factor for outdoor learning, especially in the rainy season! So we were thrilled when our friends at Take Me Outside got in touch with a solution. We know that this will help many to take their learning outside, despite the varied weather our country offers us! -
These weather-resistant closed-cell foam sit pads are comfortable and easy to carry. They fit in a student backpack, making it easy for educators to move students into a comfortable learning space outdoors. They stay pliable in cold weather to keep your students comfortable. Please note: If students pick at these, or if they are rubbed on very rough surfaces, this will decrease the life of the sit pad. For a more durable option, check out our more durable and recycled sit pad. "Easy to carry around and access while outside. Kids can carry outdoor learning seats easily with a clipboard." - Teacher, Southeast Kootenay School District 5 Ethical Elements: Options for repurposing sit pad. Read more about our ethical policies & practices. The Inside Scoop: We knew we had to find a good quality but affordable sit pad if we wanted to open an outdoor learning store. After years of cutting up foam camping pads, we found this one! Way more comfortable than a camping pad, and we've tested this one in all conditions, and have had great feedback.
