2026 Registration Dates:
Summer Camp 2026: Open for Booking
Fall 2026: Open for Booking
Spring 2026: Currently Running
Summer Camp 2026: Open for Booking
Fall 2026: Open for Booking
Spring 2026: Currently Running
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.
Find the right program for your child.
🌳 Forest Play School — Ages 2–5: Your little one's first classroom is the forest. Our early years program runs Monday, Wednesday, and/or Friday, 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 5–11, Mondays: School-aged kids need room to roam. Forest Explorers is a Monday program where children 5–11 explore, take healthy risks, solve problems, and build the kind of resilience that doesn't come from a worksheet.
🌱 Little Sprouts — Toddlers + Caregivers: A gentle introduction to nature play at the Historic Cochrane Ranche. 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 2–5: Your little one's first classroom is the forest. Our early years program runs Monday, Wednesday, and/or Friday, 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 5–11, Mondays: School-aged kids need room to roam. Forest Explorers is a Monday program where children 5–11 explore, take healthy risks, solve problems, and build the kind of resilience that doesn't come from a worksheet.
🌱 Little Sprouts — Toddlers + Caregivers: A gentle introduction to nature play at the Historic Cochrane Ranche. 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 — 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 — 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.