Covid-19 Resources

Resources from COEO

Like many of you, COEO has been adapting to the restrictions of the pandemic and finding new ways to promote & support outdoor education.

We created a YouTube channel, where you can watch recordings of the two free webinars we’ve hosted during the pandemic: Taking Your Kindergarten Students Outside and Engaging Students in Nature-Based Programming Online.

An Outdoor Learning Tips resource document was compiled and has been widely distributed. Please share this with any educators you know looking for advice on taking their students outside.

We started a monthly webinar series, free for COEO members to attend and available on a sliding scale for non-members. More details about upcoming webinars can be found here.

Other Helpful Resources for Outdoor Education During Covid-19

Many great organizations have worked to create resources for outdoor education that are compatible with online learning, homeschooling, or physically distanced schoolyard learning. Here you will find activity write-ups, lesson plans, videos, worksheets, and virtual field trip opportunities from organizations across the province. If you or your organization has created any resources that you would like to have included please let us know, as we’d be happy to expand this list.

Peel District School Board – Learning Naturally

Toronto District School Board –  Learn from Home

Royal Botanical Gardens – RBG at Home offers accessible, diverse and entertaining learning opportunities for all ages. New resources being added each week, in English and French.

Hardwood Nature School – Homeschool Resources Blog

Ontario Nature – Nature Notes (age 10-12) and Nature Guides (all ages) 

Learning for a Sustainable Future – Learning Inside Out

NPCA Outdoor Education – At Home

Earth Rangers –  Eco Activities

Toronto Zoo – Zoo to You

Outdoor Council of Canada has posted a collection of guidelines and supporting documentation to assist outdoor programs care for their participants and implement effective COVID-19 adaptations. *NOTE* – These documents related to outdoor activities come from a diversity of sources and each program will have to refer to and use the provincial and regional government guidelines that are most relevant to their particular context.

Association of Experiential Education (AEE) has launched a monthly series of open space roundtable forums for experiential educators to come together and chat informally in a shared space of collaboration, support, and connection. All are welcome from any area of practice or interest! No membership is required to participate.

Summer Camp Professionals COVID-19 Slack Group

Travis Allison, founder of the summer camp pros Facebook Group has started a slack group for all camps and outdoor education centers. This group connects folks from different communities, provides tips, tricks and webinars on how to run online programming and is a great place to ask questions, share resources and learn. To sign up for the Slack group, CLICK HERE

Access to Online Webinars

From the Ontario Teacher’s Federation (OTF) HERE

From the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) HERE

Websites Worth Visiting

Ecokids Sponsored by Earth Day Canada, Ecokids is an award-winning national website providing online and top-notch environmental education resources for teachers and for students over 14 years of age.

Focus on Forests: The Ontario Forestry Association has just launched a new website that provides quality lesson plans and activities for educators centered around forest ecosystems.

Scroll to Top