Limited spots remaining
Compass Outdoor Education
Winter Camp 2026
Real outdoor adventures across Vancouver every day
Choose Your Favorite Theme
The Secret of Snow
Age: 3-5 and 6-12
Date: December 21
Location: VanDusen Botanical GardenFrom winter plants and hidden buds to seasonal changes, campers explore how nature adapts to colder weather. Through outdoor observation, sensory activities, creative projects, and hands-on discovery, children build curiosity while learning how plants and ecosystems survive through winter.
Inventors & Artists
Age: 3-5 and 6-12
Date: December 22
Location: Vancouver AquariumWhere creativity meets discovery. Campers observe colours, shapes, patterns, and movement in the world around them, then turn their ideas into hands-on art and design projects. Through creative challenges, building, and experimentation, children explore the connection between art, science, and engineering.
Elf Engineers
Age: 3-5 and 6-12
Date: December 23
Location: Science World
Step into Santa’s workshop and become an engineer for the day! Campers explore how simple machines, force, balance, and movement work through hands-on building challenges. From designing structures to testing sleighs and ramps, children develop problem-solving, teamwork, and early engineering skills.
Christmas on the Sea
Age: 3-5 and 6-12
Date: December 24
Location: Vancouver Maritime Museum
Set sail on a winter adventure and discover what life at sea is really like. Campers explore ships, navigation, crew roles, and the challenges of travelling through cold waters while taking part in hands-on building, role play, and team activities inspired by maritime exploration.
Frozen Seas
Age: 3-5 and 6-12
Date: December 24
Location: Vancouver Maritime Museum
Dive into the world of animals that survive in icy oceans. Campers investigate how marine animals stay warm, move through water, and adapt to cold environments through observation, simple experiments, creative projects, and guided aquarium exploration.
Winter Wonder
Age: 3-5 and 6-12
Date: December 30
Location: Granville Island
Discover winter through real-world exploration at Granville Island. Campers observe how the season shapes our surroundings and daily life while taking part in creative challenges, hands-on activities, and team-based problem-solving that encourage curiosity, communication, and exploration.
Galactic New Year
Age: 3-5 and 6-12
Date: December 31
Location: H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
Celebrate the New Year with an adventure beyond Earth. Campers explore stars, constellations, planets, gravity, and space travel through planetarium experiences, rocket activities, models, and hands-on STEM challenges—ending the year with curiosity and imagination.
Crystals & Fireworks
Age: 3-5 and 6-12
Date: January 4
Location: Granville Island
Dive into the world of animals that survive in icy oceans. Campers investigate how marine animals stay warm, move through water, and adapt to cold environments through observation, simple experiments, creative projects, and guided aquarium exploration.
Penguins & Birds
Age: 3-5 and 6-12
Date: January 5
Location: Sparks Academy
How do birds stay warm and protect their eggs in freezing environments? Campers explore penguins and other polar birds through hands-on insulation experiments, animal sorting, crafts, and STEM activities. They’ll test different materials, build and improve a protective nest, and discover how animals adapt to life in the cold.
Icy Ocean Animals
Age: 3-5 and 6-12
Date: January 6
Location: Sparks Academy
Dive into the science of icy oceans while exploring whales, seals, narwhals, and walruses. Campers predict what will sink or float, experiment with different shapes, and use what they discover to design and improve a foil boat that can carry ocean animals across the water.
Build an Igloo
Age: 3-5 and 6-12
Date: January 7
Location: Sparks AcademyWhy can a home made of snow help keep people warm? Campers investigate insulation by testing materials such as cotton, foil, felt, and paper, then use their findings to build a dome-shaped igloo that protects an ice cube from the warmer room. Along the way, children learn about Inuit homes past and present while practising planning, building, testing, and improving.
Polar Bear Party
Age: 3-5 and 6-12
Date: January 8
Location: Sparks Academy
Campers bring together everything they’ve learned during Polar Explorers week for one final engineering challenge. Working in teams, they design a bridge or raft to rescue a polar bear from a melting iceberg, test and improve their ideas, revisit favourite experiments, and share their favourite builds and discoveries.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Our camps are designed for children ages 3–12. We have two levels: Junior Trailblazers (ages 3–6) and Mighty Explorers (ages 7–12).
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We are an outdoor program and go outside in most weather. We ensure children come in with appropriate clothing (raincoat, rain pants, rainboots). We monitor forecasts and communicate with families in advance if conditions become unsafe. In these cases, we will move to a community space that is sheltered from the weather.
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Comfortable outdoor clothing, rain jacket, water bottle, snacks, sunscreen, insect repellent, extra socks and appropriate footwear. A full packing list is sent before the sessions.
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Location maps and meeting points are confirmed by email before each session. We explore multiple locations across the Lower Mainland.
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Absolutely! Our small group format with an experienced Compass team creates a safe, welcoming environment for all children, including those joining for the first time.
If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to reach out using the contact form, and our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
