Cook with Oak Learners! Our middle school students learned to bake “Bannock” – bread originated with Indigenous Peoples! Every week students of Lake Shore Campus have a cooking lesson where they learn how to make meals by themselves related to their current unit of learning!
Cook with Oak Learners! This week, our middle school students learned to make “Three Sisters Salad” as part of our integrated unit on Indigenous Studies.
Fall is an amazing time to get outside and explore the brilliant colours and changes as the seasons change. The weather trends towards cooler mornings and sunny afternoons, making it hard to feel prepared with the proper outdoor gear, but it is so important to remember that proper clothing lays the best foundation for building a love of learning outdoors in our children.
Spring is the perfect time to get outside and explore what nature has to offer, from hunting for worms to jumping in puddles. Here are a few suggestions when shopping for spring outdoor gear to ensure your child stays warm, dry, and loving the new life all around this spring.
Engaging children with activities and games like ball games, marital arts, and water sports can be a helpful solution that keeps students healthy physically and can keep them more engaged in the classroom
This winter we have a lot to look forward to! From exploring snow hills to ice crystals to making igloos and snow angels. Help your little learners stay warm and dry this winter so they can continue learning and having fun in comfort. Outside exploration has been proven to lead to a plethora of benefits that helps your child develop crucial skills. At Oak Learners, our students are outside for extended periods of time in all winter weather: snow, rain or shine. Regardless of the forecast, we will continue encouraging our students to explore the natural world around them while pushing boundaries and taking risks.
We live in a changing world, where it is becoming ever-important to take steps towards conserving the Earth’s resources for generations to come. At our school, environmental awareness has always been a priority for both staff and students alike.
The weather is getting warmer and the sun is shining brighter and it helps us all feel a little bit better each day. It’s the perfect time to get outside and take a walk!
Winter lockdown doesn’t have to mean endless screen time and being stuck indoors. There are plenty of ways to get outside and explore the amazing secret hot spots of nature, art and culture that South Etobicoke has to offer. Here are my top 3 local hikes to explore with my own family and our students at Oak Learners!
Dancing is great exercise and form of self expression that promotes physical fitness, creativity, social connections and learning. Not only it is fun and enjoyable, but it also offers a variety of benefits that can contribute to a child’s overall health and well-being. Find out why it’s important for kids to learn how to dance!
Setting goals is an important skill for children to learn, but it’s important to make sure their goals are realistic. Here are some strategies and tips to help children create a realistic New Year’s goal!
Oak Learners is proud to have developed a partnership with long-time members of LEGS (Lakeshore Environmental Gardening Society), a local community-based gardening organization, that provides outdoor education and stewardship enrichment programs for our students! This...
Kids that are more active in summer camp learning, exploring nature, and having memories at camps tend to develop lifelong skills that can be carried over into many aspects of their life.
Comparing and contrasting food is a great way to ask exploratory open-ended questions about how a food engages our senses and later transition to questions on taste. Encourage curiosity and critical thinking by listing observations and making predictions about the squash varieties before you start cooking. Here are some examples from our recent Urban Farming & Cooking Class:
The key to promoting open-mindedness and excitement over trying new foods with kids is providing them as much control and decision-making power as possible. Trust is reciprocal, and as your child feels trusted with decisions and contributing to the cooking process, they’ll feel like they can trust the space to openly assess how they taste something
Zoodles are an accessible way to put your child in charge of the meal’s main event, while making something visually interesting and with a firmer texture then sliced or chopped options. Engage in some sensory exploration by challenging them to make and find the longest zoodle they can, and count the rings remaining on the end of a spiralized zucchini. This recipe is as great for exploring tastes as it is for enhancing fine and gross motor skills!
The versatility of cabbage when cooking with kids cannot be emphasized enough. Whether you’re lighting roasting or sautéing the leaves to introduce some oil and salt tastes, searing cabbage-steaks to absorb some Dijon and maple flavours, or munching on it raw in this egg-free coleslaw recipe, kids have ample opportunities to focus on the many ways it can be prepared and their reaction to the variations, rather than deciding the foods merit based on one flavour profile.
Oak Learners is dedicated to inspiring minds through Arts Education and our Love of Music! We offer a supportive learning atmosphere, working with your child’s unique learning style to inspire their strengths and interests.
Private music lessons are available to learners of all ages from young to old in a variety of disciplines, including Piano, Guitar, Voice, Ukulele, Drums, Percussion, and Composition.