Winter Nature Camp
Humber Arboretum day camps are based out of the Centre for Urban Ecology, but campers spend most of their time outdoors making their own discoveries in the woodlands, meadows, and gardens of the Humber Arboretum. Active and engaging, our nature camps are designed for ages 6 to 12 and take place within the northwest part of the City of Toronto.
Shelter building, animal tracking, chickadee feeding, and other seasonal fun awaits campers at Winter Nature Camp.
Winter Break Nature Camp
Due to the timing of the holiday there will be NO Winter Break Camp in 2025
Check back for 2026 updates
Kids aged 6 to 12 are invited to start the new year with three full days of seasonal outdoor fun, led by the Humber Arboretum's Nature Educators. Give your child a chance to get outside and be active while they develop a lasting appreciation for the natural environment.
In 2024 Winter Nature Day Camp runs from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm. Drop off is from 8:30 am to 9:00 am and pick-up is from 3:45 pm to 4:15 pm.
Winter Break Nature Camp activities include:
- Nature walks & forest exploration
- Chickadee feeding
- Owl pellet dissection
- Art & Ecology
- Animal tracking
- Shelter building
- Survival skills
- Snowshoeing, tobogganing, or boot skating (weather permitting)
- and more!
Cost
- Check back for future pricing
If you are registering multiple children a sibling discount will be applied automatically in the system. You will receive $10 off the registration fee.
Please note the above pricing applies to everyone. There are NO additional discounts available for Humber College staff or alumni.
Refund Policy
Any cancellations requested two weeks prior to the start of the camp session will receive a full refund, minus a $25 administration fee; any cancellations requested less that two weeks prior to the start of the camp session will be refunded 50% of the total camp fees.
Meals, Snacks, and Pizza Friday
Campers should bring their own morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack, except on Friday when a pizza lunch will be provided (please still bring Friday snacks, though!).
Please inform us of any food allergies and please do not bring nut products of any kind to camp.
We strive to minimize the amount of waste produced at the Centre, and a key part of that is promoting Litterless Lunches. Please bring only reusable or recyclable containers and utensils. We will ask campers to compost any food waste using our on-site compost bins. For tips, see "How to Pack a Waste-Free Lunch" on Recycle Nation.
Transportation
The Humber Arboretum and Centre For Urban Ecology is accessible by TTC - see our directions page for details.
For those who are driving, pick-up/sign-in and drop-off/sign-out will take place in the Humber Arboretum turn circle. Please remember to have your photo ID.
What to Bring
- Warm coat
- Snow pants
- Scarf
- Toque x 2
- Gloves/Mittens - 2 to 3 pairs for when they get wet
- Long underwear
- A change of pants, in case they get wet
- Winter boots
- Thick socks - several pairs!
- Sweater
- Sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Clean mask (optional)
- Indoor shoes
Campers are encouraged to bring a helmet if they have one for boot skating or tobogganing (weather-permitting). Some extras will be available if required. Campers may also bring their own toboggan if they have one available. Both helmets and toboggans may be brought on Tuesday and stored at the Centre for Urban Ecology for the rest of the week.
Winter Clothing Tips
Whether it’s for coming to camp or just a walk in the woods, here are some tips on how you can best dress for winter weather:
- Wool is wonderful
- Cotton is cold
- Polyester (Polar fleece) is perfect
- Jeans are junk
- Gloves are good but mittens are marvelous
- Insulated boots are indispensable
- Layering is logical
- Under-layers should not be underestimated!
Humber Arboretum Nature Camp is accredited by the Ontario Camps Association.