Welcome to Valleyfield joue dehors!

If you’ve never attended a forest school before, it can be confusing. What exactly do we do? What should you bring? How does it work?

Here are the details on our rules, policies, and recommendations for our Forest Play programs.

When you register for a program, you’ll receive all this information along with more detailed contact information (including my phone number) and our meeting location.

Questions? Email me or reach out on FB!

What to bring

Dress your child for outdoor play

Boots are ideal. If not boots, choose closed-toed shoes that are sturdy enough for rough terrain.
Unless it is very warm, cover your child’s arms and legs so that they don’t get scratches from branches and to help protect them from any encounters with poison ivy.
Don’t forget hats, mittens, and coats.
Apply bug spray and/or sunscreen (depending on the weather).
Choose clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. We’ll get dirty!

Pack your child a bag or backpack

Check the weather and use your discretion to choose what’s required for each day. You can choose what you would like to label with your child’s name. If it doesn’t have your child’s name, it may get lost, so that is your own risk.

Change of clothes – Children may get wet, dirty, or muddy, so pack plenty of extra clothing. You may wish to pack additional pairs of socks and mittens as these get wet easily.
Water clothes/shoes – If it is warm, pack water clothes for splashing and playing in the water.
Warm layers – Pack extra layers for your child. Remember that it is often colder near the water, so even if it is warm at your house, pack extra layers for forest school.
Change of shoes – If it is especially wet or muddy, your child may need extra shoes.
Extra bug spray or sunscreen.
Water bottle.
Towel – this is useful if your child gets wet or cold playing in water or mud.

Pack food

You will also need to provide your child with food for the day. Remember that your child may be hungrier than usual because they will be very active. Pack plenty of snacks as well as a lunch.

Lunches will be stored outside, not refrigerated.
We do not have access to a way to heat up food.
If any child in the group has a life-threatening allergy, we will inform all parents and it will not be allowed to bring that food to forest school.

Rules of play

Our rules are designed to protect all participants in the program as well as the environment where we play.

We respect each other. No violence, verbal or physical, is allowed. No discrimination is allowed.
We respect nature. For example, children are not allowed to uproot plants, hit living trees, rip branches off living trees, harm or kill insects or animals, etc. Children are allowed to play with branches that are already down, to hit trees that are already dead, etc. We do not litter.
Risky play is allowed. Children are allowed to climb trees and rocks, to run, and to take other risks. These are constantly assessed by the staff to make sure that the benefits of the play outweigh the risks to the child’s safety. At any time, a forest school teacher can determine that a certain activity is too risky, and the child will need to stop.
Rough play is allowed. Children are allowed to play rough with each other if and only if all children involved consent and feel safe. This is a great opportunity to teach children about boundaries and consent.
All children must be able to see an adult at all times. Children must stay within the boundaries that the forest school teachers set up to keep the group together.
Children do not need to participate in activities. Everyone is free to decide whether they would like to participate or not in any activity.
Foraging is not allowed. We do not eat wild plants during forest school.
Stick play and rock play is allowed. Children are allowed to swing, throw, and otherwise play with sticks and rocks as long as they do so at a safe distance from other children.
We do not share food.
We share any books, toys, or tools brought from home. If you do not wish to share an item, please do not bring it to forest school.
No swimming is allowed. Children may only wade into water up to their knees, maximum. This is because the staff are not certified to keep children safe during swimming.

Learning and development

Forest school does not include structured “lessons”, but a lot of learning is happening!

Forest school teachers often bring material and books to guide children’s learning in particular directions. All of these are open-ended and designed to encourage free play and exploration.

The forest school teacher will document learning taking place through notes, photos, or videos. Every parent can decide how and with whom any photos of their child is shared.

The teachers will record notes of what the children played and what they learned each day. Parents who do not accompany their children to forest school will receive information on what was learned either verbally at pick-up or through email that week.

Policies

Equity, diversity, and inclusion

We are committed to fostering an environment where every child and family feels welcome, valued, and included. We celebrate diversity and strive to create an equitable learning space where differences in culture, abilities, and experiences are honored.

We invite all our families to share their culture as much as they would like to. For example, families are welcome to share stories, books, activities, or crafts from their background. We are happy to host workshops or presentations, and we seek out diverse presenters, especially Indigenous presenters.

We also welcome input of any kind on how we can improve the equity, diversity, and inclusion of our programs.

This is your space. Our first priority is to make sure that you feel fully welcome.

Cancellation

Forest school will be canceled in the event of extreme weather. This is any weather that the head teacher deems dangerous. This could include:

Extreme heat: Heat index at or above 30 C
Extreme cold: Temperature at or below -20 C (with windchill)
Thunderstorms
Icy paths
High winds at 40 km/h or above
Severe weather warnings issued in the area (freezing rain, tornadoes, smoke, etc.)

Forest school may also be canceled if the teacher(s) are sick and no replacement can be found.

The teacher will communicate with parents via text and email before 8 AM on the day of the session if forest school is canceled.

If an unexpected event, such as extreme weather or a sudden illness or emergency (see below), occurs during the forest school day, then the day may be canceled in the middle of the day. All parents must remain available for an emergency early pick up in case of an unforeseen event.

Toileting

When possible, we will bring children to a park toilet. If it is not possible to reach one in time or if they are unexpectedly locked, children are allowed to find a private spot in the forest to pee.

Only staff (not volunteers) will accompany children to the toilet, and only if the child specifically asks for assistance. All staff have received background checks.

Emergencies

All staff are first aid certified. In the event of a minor injury, staff will treat the injury and call the parents.

In the event of a serious injury or health emergency, staff will call 911 and the parents and one staff member will stay with the child (including accompanying them to the hospital) until the parents or guardians arrive. The other staff member will remain with the other children. If there are too many children for one staff member to supervise safely, then the session may need to be canceled. The staff will call parents for an early pick up.

In the event of another type of emergency that endangers the entire group, all parents will be called immediately. If staff must remove the children from the park before parents arrive, then the staff will communicate the new location to parents immediately. Before holding forest school in any location, the forest school staff will identify a safe indoor location within walking distance that they can go to in case the outdoors is no longer safe.

Staff

All staff are first aid certified and have passed a background check. The lead teacher, Cleoniki Kesidis, is a certified forest school practitioner by the Child Nature Alliance Canada.

Child to staff ratios are 6:1.

Volunteers / Accompanying adult

Parents, guardians, or other family members may choose to accompany the child or to volunteer with the group while their child is there.

Volunteers and accompanying adults will not be left alone with other children not their own, and will never be involved in toileting or dressing children not their own. They are responsible for supporting their child (in the case of an accompanying adult) or for supporting the overall play and learning of the group (in the case of a volunteer), but they are not responsible for safety or group management. That is the staff’s responsibility.

Volunteers are welcome and encouraged to share knowledge and stories with the children.

Risk management

Forest school staff manage risk on 3 levels: site risk, experience risk, and dynamic risk. Our focus is always on assessing risks to see whether the benefit of the activity or situation outweighs any risks present. We do not engage in risky play for its own sake, but only if that type of play gives value to the child.

Valleyfield Joue Dehors allows children to use tools and practice tool use. All children must wear safety glasses while using any tools. Tools include hammers, screwdrivers, and similar – no power tools are allowed. Only one child uses tools at a time, while closely supervised by adults.

Site risk is the risks present at the site where we play. Our site risk/assessment form for Isle de St-Timothe is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bIUb4KCyUP6Ta-cpdj1XRE08qDR8Q8jMea3TcJoamfg/edit

Experience risk is the risk of certain activities. Our experience risk/benefit assessment form is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nNExYcRly1HXRuAuo2MuHYWevj9xwohOSYf3gh6xyPk/edit

Dynamic risk is evaluated while we play, with the children involved in assessing the risk. This is part of how we teach children to keep themselves safe, and it happens continually during forest school.

Child illness

Please do not bring your child to forest school while they are contagious. If they are not contagious but are still feeling unwell, we recommend keeping them at home. Remember that children are outdoors and active during forest school, which is difficult for them when they’re sick.

If your child tests positive for COVID, do not bring them to forest school for at least 1 week and ensure that they have tested negative.

Child protection

We take our responsibility to protect your children seriously. Every staff member of Valleyfield Joue Dehors has taken a Vulnerable Sector background check. Adults who are not staff members (such as volunteers and accompanying adults) will never be left alone with children who are not their own. The head teacher, Cleoniki Kesidis, is certified from the Canadian Center for Child Protection through the Commit to Kids online training.

If any adult or child reports any information that indicates a child may be at risk, either within the program or outside of the program, the head teacher will report this information to youth protection services and/or the police. Any report will be entirely confidential and the child’s safety will be the only priority.

If you have any concerns, please report them to the head teacher as soon as possible.

Behavioral management policy

We are committed to a welcoming, safe environment for all children. There are two main types of behavior that cause serious safety concerns at forest school: violence towards others, and flight from the adults.

Children are learning, and we are here to support them. If a child is violent or runs away from the group, the first step of the forest school will be to work with the child and family to support the child in better behaviors. We believe that children are always doing the best they can.

If after three or more attempts to modify the behavior for everyone’s safety the child is still regularly violent or running away from the adults, then the child may be asked to leave the forest school. This will be for the safety of the child and group. A refund will not be provided.

Inclusion and accessibility

Valleyfield Joue Dehors is an inclusive space. Children who have disabilities, are neurodivergent, or have any other need for accommodation are welcome. Inform us of what accommodations your child needs and we will do everything possible to meet it.

If after the first three sessions your child is not feeling comfortable in the group due to an accommodation need not being met, you may withdraw your child and receive a refund for the remaining sessions.

Absences

If your child will be absent, notify the forest school as soon as possible. See communication section below.

Communication

The forest school will generally communicate with parents via email from [email protected]. Please ensure this is on your email’s safe senders list. The forest school will also communicate with parents via text or calls if a situation is urgent, and will call the emergency contact if the parent cannot be reached during an emergency.

If you have a question or concern, please email the forest school at [email protected]. For an urgent concern, you can text or call the head teacher, Cleoniki Kesidis (phone number available only to registered parents).

More information

For background on the organization and founder, including our values, mission, and vision: https://valleyfieldjouedehors.com/about/

For our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation: https://valleyfieldjouedehors.com/land-acknowledgement/

For more information about forest schools: https://childnature.ca/

VJD is insured through a partnership with Hudson Forest Play. Our insurance policy: https://valleyfieldjouedehors.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/05-Insurance-Certificat-responsabilite-entreprise-2.pdf

Website: https://valleyfieldjouedehors.com/

Email: [email protected]

Contact person: Cleoniki Kesidis (Cleo)

Cleo’s phone number: (available only to registered parents)

Cleo’s first aid certificate: https://valleyfieldjouedehors.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Cleoniki_Kesidis_first-aid-cert-until-2028.pdf

Rules, policies & recommendations