Forest School on the Mountain

What is the Forest School Movement?

Today’s children are spending less and less time outdoors and in nature, and are suffering the inevitable consequences on their health and well-being. National educational programs in countries such as Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom have shown that regular contact with nature improves children’s motivation, concentration, motor skills, health, self-confidence and social skills.

We also focus on the benefits of nature for young people in Canada; our health professionals launched parkprescriptions.ca to promote the health benefits of spending time in nature. 

The Forest School movement has taken root thanks to initiatives by parents and associations such as Child & Nature Alliance of Canada and Forest School Canada. Closer to home, daycare services have also adopted this approach by supporting the implementation of the Alex-éducation par la nature project. This teaching method aim to provide an immersive experience that allows children to develop strong emotional ties to their local natural environment and a healthy lifestyle, while fostering their overall development.

The many studies done on this approach highlight the importance of such issues as:

• Creating an affective link with nature 

• Exposing children in urban areas to nature

• Introducing children to nature from a very early age

• The importance of daily contact with local nature

• The importance of having a chaperone to facilitate the experience and make links with the broader natural world

• The role of families

• Parents’ fear of leaving children alone in nature

• The link between nature and health

Les Amis de la montagne’s Forest School on the Mountain seeks to create links between children, nature and Mount Royal. Young members take their first step towards becoming the next generation of mountain custodians as they learn about the natural environment through the seasons and in all weather.

Depending on the age of your child, you can accompany them as they discover Mount Royal or leave them with our experienced educators so that they can enjoy nature throughout the season and become familiar with the mountain’s fauna and flora.

 

Do you offer activities for organized children’s groups and schools?

Yes. Visit our Activities for schools and children's groups page for details.

How do I prepare my child for the activity?

The Parents’ Handbook contains a wealth of information about schedules and meeting points, as well as advice on what you should put in your child’s packsack for the day.

 

DOWNLOAD THE PARENTS' HANDBOOK 2023-2024

(A new version will be issued in September 2024 for 0 to 5 years old activities) 

 

Can I bring my stroller to the weekend family activity?

Yes, but you might be limited in your movements with the group. We recommend using a baby carrier, if possible.

 

How do I make sure that I receive information after registration?

To ensure that you receive our messages after registration, we recommend that you add notifications@amilia.com to your contact list and check your junk mail periodically. 

 

We will email the person in charge of the account before the start of forest school to let them know that the parent guide is available. In the meantime, please feel free to contact us with any questions!

Can my child and his friend be in the same group? 

Regarding age groups, it will depend on their respective ages. If your child and his/her friend are registered in the same age group, they will be together during the activities. However, if they are not in the same age group, they will not be in the same group.

 

Are activities adapted for children or families who do not speak French?

The activities are offered in French, but our educators will be happy to answer your questions in English.

 

Is your Forest School adapted for children with special needs?

Our programming is not necessarily adapted for children with special needs, but we invite you to contact the forest school coordinator at ecoledelaforet@lemontroyal.qc.ca to see if we can accommodate your child. 

We use the registration system Amilia. If you already have an account, registration will be a breeze! 

After registration, to consult the details of your purchases and to modify them if needed, you must download the Amilia mobile application on Google Play or App Store. For help, you can consult the How to use the Amilia app page.

I need help, are there any resources for me?

 

• Help with creating your account: Visit the Create and Verify Your Personal Account page. 

• Help with registration: See the How to Make a Purchase from an Organization page.

 

Is it too late to register my child? Are there spots available?

 

To check availability for the group you are interested in, please visit our reservation system, Amilia. It is always possible to sign up for a waiting list if the group you want is full.

 

I registered my child for forest school, but I want to change the dates. Can I change my registration?

 

We suggest you immediately register your child for your preferred activity (or put him or her on the waiting list, if the desired group is full) to reserve their spot. You will need to download the Amilia mobile application on Google Play or App Store to be able to view the details of your registration(s) and modify it/them, if required. For more help, visit the Comment utiliser l'application Amilia page (in French only).

 

What is your Cancellation Policy?

 

To view the details of your registrations and to cancel them if needed, you must download the Amilia mobile application on Google Play or App Store. For help, visit  the How to use the Amilia app page.

Note regarding cancellations: If you registered very recently, it may still be too early to cancel; you’ll need to wait until the transaction has been confirmed on your credit card  first. Therefore, we suggest you register your child for the desired session now (to guarantee a spot!), and then cancel the undesired reservation a few days later, as soon as it becomes possible in the system. Rest assured that you will be reimbursed for the amount paid without penalty.

The Consumer Protection Act applies.

• Cancellation before the activity begins: You must cancel your registration yourself using the Amilia mobile app. Since sessions haven’t started yet, you will receive a full refund.

  • Please note that it can take up to several days for the refund to appear on your credit card account. The amount will be automatically deposited in the same credit card account that was used for the initial registration.

 

• Cancellation during the activity: You must cancel your registration yourself using the Amilia mobile app.

  • A credit will be issued for the number of days of service already rendered, less 10% of the total price of the days you wish to cancel.

  • Please note that in the event of absence, no credit and no resumption of activity will be possible.

 

I have an unknown technical problem with the reservation system, what do I do?

 

If you are having trouble with the registration system, we invite you to consult the Amilia Customer Help Center.

It is recommended to use a computer rather than a mobile device to complete the registration process. It may also help to sign out of your account and restart the process. 

 

If this doesn’t work, try connecting again after restarting your computer. It is also possible that a different browser will give you better results; we have a preference for Google Chrome. Some clients have told us that the system runs better on their PC computer than on their Apple device.

 

My child does not have a RAMQ card, but we do have private insurance, what do I do?

 

If you do not have a RAMQ card but have private insurance, your child will still be able to attend to the forest school. You will need to provide us with the details of your private insurance. Please send the information to ecoledelaforet@lemontroyal.qc.ca following registration.

 

Can I register my child’s friend on my account? 

 

We strongly discourage enrolling a child who is not yours from your account for several reasons. If you pay for the enrollment of a child that is not yours, you will be the contact person for all children enrolled from your account; therefore you will be the person called in case of an emergency and the child's parent will not have permission to change their medical record or other important information that is provided about the child. 

 

The group is full, how does the waitlist work?

 

The waitlists are managed automatically by the reservation system. There is no charge for this service. If a spot becomes available, an email will be sent to everyone on the waitlist. They will have 24 hours to complete the registration and payment on a first come, first served basis. After this period, the spot will be opened to the public. 

 

We would like to remind you that being on a waiting list does not guarantee you a spot and the movement on the waitlists is very unpredictable. To ensure that you receive the email, we recommend adding notifications@amilia.com to your contact list and checking your junk mail.

 

Can you confirm that I registered my child properly?

 

To consult the details of your registrations, we recommend downloading the Amilia mobile application on Google Play or App Store. For help, you can consult the How to use the Amilia app page.

 

What do I do if I have a payment error notice?

 

You can visit the help center page of our reservation system by clicking here. We are not able to find out why the payment was not accepted, but here are a few things to explore: 

• The payment used was not a credit card. 

• The information entered during the payment did not match the bank information (incorrect mailing address, different card owner name, invalid numbers)  

• You made a typo.

• Your card was declined.

• There was a technical error. Log out of your account (click on "Log Out") and try again later.

• For general information about Forest School: Please email our Head of Forest School at ecoledelaforet@lemontroyal.qc.ca, or call us at 514-843-8240, ext 258. Please note that we answer emails first.
• For questions about the reservation system or concerning a cancellation: Please email your question and phone number to reservations@lemontroyal.qc.ca, or call us at 514 843-8240, ext. 2.