2026 Registration Dates:
Summer Camp 2026: Last Minute Spots Still Available
Fall 2026: Open for Booking
Winter 2027: Coming Soon
Summer Camp 2026: Last Minute Spots Still Available
Fall 2026: Open for Booking
Winter 2027: Coming Soon
Kids weren't meant to sit still.
In a world of screens and schedules, children are spending less time doing what they're wired for: exploring, problem-solving, getting muddy, and making real friends. Growing Roots gives them that back.
Our child-led, play-based programs take place entirely outdoors, on the edge of Cochrane's forests and meadows. Here, kids build confidence, emotional resilience, and a love of the natural world — one adventure at a time.
"Like any new adventure, my son was clinging to my leg the first day I dropped him off. When I picked him up that afternoon, he was so excited to tell me about what he had discovered and the new friends he had made. The next day he ran right over to the group and didn’t even turn around to wave goodbye! LOL. I highly recommend Forest School for any active little explorers out there!" ~ Allissa Blondin, Happy Mom
Find the right program for your child.
🌳 Forest Play School — Ages 3-6: Your little one's first classroom is the forest. Our early years program runs weekday mornings and afternoons (you choose the days) giving toddlers and preschoolers the space to discover at their own pace, build friendships, and grow in confidence — with warm, experienced educators by their side every step.
Options: Muddy Mondays | Bush Buds | Wednesdays in the Woods
🧭 Forest Explorers — Ages 3–10, Tues, Thurs PM: School-aged kids need room to roam. Forest Explorers is a program where children 3–10 explore, take healthy risks, solve problems, and build the kind of resilience that doesn't come from a worksheet. Perfect for homeschoolers and kindergarten kids who need a little extra outside time with other kids their age.
🌱 Little Sprouts — Toddlers + Caregivers: A gentle introduction to nature play. Little Sprouts is a parent-and-child program for our youngest explorers — a chance to slow down, connect, and play together in the fresh air.
🐴 Ranch Ramblers — K–Grade 6, Friday After-School: No more scrambling for early pickup. We pick up children at Elizabeth Barrett school and bring them to the Historic Cochrane Ranche for an afternoon of outdoor exploration. Perfect for working parents — and even better for kids.
🌳 Forest Play School — Ages 3-6: Your little one's first classroom is the forest. Our early years program runs weekday mornings and afternoons (you choose the days) giving toddlers and preschoolers the space to discover at their own pace, build friendships, and grow in confidence — with warm, experienced educators by their side every step.
Options: Muddy Mondays | Bush Buds | Wednesdays in the Woods
🧭 Forest Explorers — Ages 3–10, Tues, Thurs PM: School-aged kids need room to roam. Forest Explorers is a program where children 3–10 explore, take healthy risks, solve problems, and build the kind of resilience that doesn't come from a worksheet. Perfect for homeschoolers and kindergarten kids who need a little extra outside time with other kids their age.
🌱 Little Sprouts — Toddlers + Caregivers: A gentle introduction to nature play. Little Sprouts is a parent-and-child program for our youngest explorers — a chance to slow down, connect, and play together in the fresh air.
🐴 Ranch Ramblers — K–Grade 6, Friday After-School: No more scrambling for early pickup. We pick up children at Elizabeth Barrett school and bring them to the Historic Cochrane Ranche for an afternoon of outdoor exploration. Perfect for working parents — and even better for kids.
What kids take home (besides mud).
Time outdoors builds something that follows children long after the boots come off. At Growing Roots, kids develop:
A place like nowhere else.
Our main programs run on the north-east edge of Cochrane at the Mount St.Francis Retreat Centre - forests, meadows, and valley views as far as kids can run. Community programs take place at the Historic Cochrane Ranche. A short drive from Calgary, Bearspaw, and Springbank.
Time outdoors builds something that follows children long after the boots come off. At Growing Roots, kids develop:
- Self-confidence through healthy risk-taking and real challenges
- Social skills through unstructured play with peers
- Problem-solving through open-ended exploration
- Emotional regulation through movement, space, and calm
- A lifelong love of the outdoors — rooted early, lasting forever
A place like nowhere else.
Our main programs run on the north-east edge of Cochrane at the Mount St.Francis Retreat Centre - forests, meadows, and valley views as far as kids can run. Community programs take place at the Historic Cochrane Ranche. A short drive from Calgary, Bearspaw, and Springbank.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT: Growing Roots operates in Southern Alberta on the traditional territories of the Stony Nakoda peoples, which includes the Chiniki, Goodstony, and Bearspaw bands, along with the Blackfoot Confederacy comprising the Siksika, Piikani, and Tsuut’ina nations, recognized by Treaty #7, and the Métis of Region 3. We extend our deepest respect and gratitude to the original inhabitants of this land, who have maintained a sacred relationship with this place since time immemorial as the traditional caretakers of the earth, wind, and waters – we humbly walk in your footsteps.