Early Years Get Outside & Play Kit

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: 

1. 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.
2. 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.

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.

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!

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!

The familiar Monarch butterfly is one of over 5,000 species of butterflies found in the diverse ecosystems of North America. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 70 familiar and unique species and includes information on their life cycle and features illustrations of common caterpillars and pupae. This convenient guide is an ideal, portable source of practical information and ideal for field use by educators and learners alike.

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 - teacher tested & approved! :)

This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar and unique species of beetles, bugs, spiders, flies, aquatic insects and everything in-between. It also identifies the differences between different types of invertebrates, the eight major groups of insects and tips on identifying species in the field. Laminated for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information.

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!

Get up close with nature with our 2-Way Nature Viewer! Place an object into the viewer and see the magnified image top & bottom (bottom view from the side). Learning about nature, including aquatic invertebrates, is fun, easy, and clear.

“The two-way nature viewer is the ideal tool for making close observations of living and non-living things both in the classroom and out in nature! My students come alive with wonder and curiosity when they use these magnifiers to observe rocks, sticks, flowers, insects and even aquatic invertebrates using this magnifier (it has a shallow lip that can contain water). It is durable, easy to pack up and bring along on our learning adventures!” – Teacher, Rocky Mountain School District