Outreach

Can't come to us - we'll come to you!

Our Outreach Programs include workshops for children of all ages, adults, and seniors. Outreach programs can be facilitated outdoors, weather permitting. 

A full program list is available below by age group, or download the information sheets below.

For more information or to book an Outreach Program, please contact our Education Department:

Phone: (204) 927-6070
Email: education@assiniboinepark.ca.

Once a date and time is confirmed, we will send you a confirmation form and contact you to arrange payment.

Outreach - side column 1.jpg (456 KB)

Preschool & Kindergarten Programs

Each hour-long workshop is broken up into short segments that have students using all their senses to explore the topic of the day. Our enthusiastic instructors arrive equipped with all the necessary materials to guide your children through an energy packed workshop. 

P is for Polar Bear

This program is perfect for little ones to get to know polar bears through play: learn how to talk like a polar bear, build arctic lands with toys and tactile items, feel real fur and bones, and play a musical game to see what it is like for our polar friends living on icy lands.

W is for Worm

Wiggle your way into layers of fun in this program. Cozy up with real worms that live in our traveling compost bin, learn about their cool job as soil farmers, and why we couldn’t live without WORMS!

S is for Seeds

Dance and act like a seed; it’s the coolest thing to be! Play with real seeds to see how they move around to get what they need to grow. Afterwards, students pot their own plant to take home.

Elementary School & Group Programs

No bus to book! Our experienced educators bring some of Assiniboine Park’s most popular programs to you. These programs are also great for Guide and Scout groups.

Each hour-long workshop is broken up into short segments that have students using all their senses to explore the topic of the day. Our enthusiastic instructors arrive equipped with all the necessary materials to guide your children through an energy packed workshop.

Engaging Your Nature Senses (Grades 4 to 8)

Connecting to the land with all our senses is what makes land-based learning a transformative experience. For over ten years, the educators at Assiniboine Park have been refining techniques to effectively connect students emotionally and intellectually with the environment. This workshop will guide students through a series of activities (poetry, photography and land art) designed to stimulate their senses to facilitate deeper connections with the surrounding environment and their sense of well-being. Classes can expect to walk away feeling energized, grounded and inspired to explore the health benefits associated with connecting to nature.

Workshop Length: 2 hours
Workshop Price: $185.00/class & $15.00 mileage – ask us about funding options
Location: This outreach program and can be facilitated in your school yard or a local neighbourhood park.

This program cannot be offered consecutively. 

North American Animal Stories (Grades 1 to 6)

Through storytelling, our educators will introduce our indigenous animals at the Zoo and their importance to Aboriginal beliefs, values, and stories. First Nations and Inuit peoples use storytelling not only as means of entertaining but as a way of passing on information.

Polar Bears (Grades 1 to 2)

Learn about life on the tundra through the eyes of the largest land carnivore. By participating in games and tactile play, students will learn about the polar bear’s amazing adaptations and why ice is so important to this sea bear.

Plant Lifecycles (Grade 3)

Why do flowers have different shapes and colours? How do seeds get from here to there? Why do some animals love visiting flowers? Find out the answers through group activities and plant part experiments to piece together the amazing lives of plants.

The Dirt on Soil (Grades 3 and 4)

This program delves into the nitty-gritty of dirt, its environmental value, and the conservation and preservation of one of the earth’s most precious resources – our soil. Learn the relationships between plants, animals, and soil through role play and hands-on activities.

Aromatherapy with Herbs (Grades 1 to 6)

Celebrate the power of scent with this program geared towards learning how plants help us feel better by simply smelling and being around them. Students scratch and sniff plants that are commonly found in gardens to faraway places. Afterwards everyone makes a lotion with plant essential oils to get a whiff of the benefits of plants.

Chocolate's Sweet History (Grades 3 to 5)

In this engaging program, students dip into a mixture of stories, activities, history, fair trade and culture, centred on the wonderful Mayan discovery – chocolate! (Allergy Alert)

Adult & Senior Workshops

Assiniboine Park offers interactive programs for seniors and adults of all abilities. We use plants to engage the senses and deepen learning experiences that benefit daily living. All programs include hands-on activities that create a meaningful way for people to express their creativity, share life experiences, increase self-esteem, and interact socially.

Maximum number of participants is 25. Programs are 60 minutes in length.

Aromatherapy with Herbs

From the beginning of time scented plants have had many beneficial uses. Participants will warm up with living potpourri aimed at increasing health and well-being. Highly scented program; may bother some people. (Holiday theme available in November and December upon request.)

Culinary Herbs

Learn to identify your herbs and find out which ones make tasty treats. Participants will be engaged with some hand-on activities and have the option of making their own creation.

Chocolate's Sweet History

Colourful visual aids and stories will reintroduce you to the lost origins of chocolate, the culture of the Cacao plant, and the role of chocolate in ancient and modern cultures. Chocolate treats are provided to participants to sample.

Birding 101

Bird watching is one of the fastest growing past times in Canada. Discover the species that could be found in your own backyard and learn some techniques to identify them. Learn about the seeds, feeders and even plants that will help attract them to your yard throughout the year.

A Virtual Journey to Churchill

"Journey to Churchill" with the Assiniboine Park Zoo, as we tour the animals and cultures of the North virtually and discover what makes this new exhibit space so innovative. Get a glimpse of how the Zoo keepers keep the animals engaged in the world around them, and the role our zoo is playing in conservation.

Lunchtime Wellness Workshops

Make the most of your break with Assiniboine Park! We're taking our programming on the road and visiting offices around the city. Three workshop themes to choose from: Herbal Aromatherapy, Herbal Cheeses and Teas, and Herbal Scrubs.

Get away from the everyday. Book a session today.
Call 204 927 6070 or email education@assiniboinepark.ca.

 

Program Fees

  • First program: $150 + GST*
  • Additional consecutive programs: $120 + GST
  • Single mileage fee: $15 + GST within the Winnipeg Perimeter Highway (call for quote outside Winnipeg)

Consecutive programs are defined as programs occurring at the same location on the same day, one after the other.

*excludes Engaging Your Nature Senses program

OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN

OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS

 

 

 

Outreach-side-column-2.jpg (320 KB)Outreach-side-column-4.jpg (47 KB)

 

Policies

Booking & Payment Policies

  • All groups must pay the full fee before their registration is confirmed.
  • Groups who fail to pay the fee in a timely manner will lose their time slot.
  • All prices are subject to change.
  • Payments can be made with credit or cheque made out to “Assiniboine Park Conservancy”.
  • Outreach programs are not available during the month of May and June.
  • Programs are winter weather dependent. Programs may have to be rescheduled due to road conditions.
  • We are able to provide a maximum of two outreach programs per day.
  • The maximum number of participants per program is 25 people.
  • Additional participants will be charged $5 + GST/participant per program (max. five additional participants)
  • We are unable to accommodate more than five additional participants.

Cancellation & Weather Policies

  • Contact education@assinboinepark.ca or call 204-927-6070 as soon as possible. Program booking staff will work with you to find another date or time that is available.
  • We ask that you cancel a booking at least fifteen (15) business days in advance of the scheduled program. Cancellations with less than 15 days’ notice will be charged a $35.00 administrative fee.
  • We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule any program. A full refund will be issued if the Education & Programming Department cancels your tour or program.
  • All programs run regardless of rain, snow or shine, with the exception of severe weather conditions (thunderstorms, high wind chills, unsafe travel conditions, school closings). Contact us about possible cancellations on the day of your program if you are unsure.

Assiniboine Park
& Zoo Maps

Zoo Map Park Map