A fall or winter trip to Cave Springs is, without a doubt, a great way to bring students outdoors and connect with one another in new exciting ways. It’s a dynamic way to launch a new term or enrich the student experience in the middle or end of a class program. We are a year-found facility and can host your field trip any team of year in cold or warm months.
STEP #1: Plan an Adventure
We are located in Lincoln, Ontario and are beautifully nestled on the Niagara Escarpment with access to the Bruce trail. We offer fun camp experiences for high school and elementary students that emphasize outdoor exploration, team-building and leadership development. Our site includes hiking trails, forests, a pavillion and open areas for small and large group activities. Our indoor spaces include a dining hall, Conference Centre, and heated cabins. To start planning your adventure with us:
- Identify your goals
- Identify the specific outcomes you desire
- Determine which students will be eligible
- Estimate how many students will attend
STEP #2: Confirm the Date
DAY: Begin at 9:30am and stay until 1:30/2:00pm – $35/student
EXTENDED DAY: Begin at 9:30am and stay until 7:30pm – $65/student
OVERNIGHT: Stay for one or two nights – $115/student per night
Students sleep in one of our 6 heated cabins with 7 bunk beds per cabin. Teachers and chaperones can sleep in our Conference Center that sleeps 16 in 4 dorm rooms.
Scheduling is conditional on availability of both our site and program staff. The process begins by letting us know what dates could work for your group. If you are interested in renting the camp and running your own program, contact us for pricing options.
STEP #3: Select Activities
Our activities bring into the outdoors and spark cooperation, critical thinking, and creativity. They encourage communication and leadership skills that are needed for success. Through having fun and working together, students form lasting connections and trust with their peers. Reflection take place during and after activities to identify and apply what is learned. We create a schedule of activities based on the interests of your group. Sample activity offerings are listed below.
Ice-Breakers:
- CIRCLES: An inner circle and outer circle rotate in opposite directions as people match up to answer questions
- MINGLE: Matching up with different sized groups to answer rounds of questions
- NAME GAMES: Tarp Drop; Name Swat; Plate Spinning
- WEST WIND BLOWS: Similar to musical chairs, people learn about one another as they run for open spots
- UBUNTU CARDS: A deck of cards that introduces games that facilitate fun interactions
Teamwork Initiatives:
- Ball Toss: Passing balls in a repeating sequence
- Bull Ring: Moving a cup with strings that everyone holds
- Communication Games: Activities that challenge teams to describe what they see or demonstrate active listening
- Funderbirds: Keeping a feathered toy in the air
- Hellium Stick: Lowering a stick that everyone holds
- Marble Run: Passing a marble with short pieces of track
- Marshmallow Crossing: Navigating a “river” as a group with limited safe space to step on
- Quick Pass: Passing rubber circles as fast as possible around a circle
- Tarp Flip: Turning over a tarp without stepping off the tarp
- Whale Watch: Balancing a group on a platform
Nature and Camp Activities:
- Archery: Learn basic archery with the option to include variations such as apples or balloons
- Campfire: Learn about building campfires; Make s’mores; Prepare at 2 minute talent; Participate in campfire skits and songs
- Drama Games: Play creative drama and storytelling games at our amphitheatre stage
- Forest Study: Explore and identify creatures and plants in the forest
- Nature Art: Design a sculpture or work of art with all natural materials
- Nature Scavenger Hunt: Find items around camp with an option to assigned limitations to team members
- Orienteering: Follow a map to find tiles hidden throughout camp
- Photo Scavenger Hunt: Find items around camp based on close-up photos
- Shelter Building: Work with a small team to create a shelter in the forest
Large Group Activities:
- Amazing Race: Teams work together to complete challenges and accomplish tasks
- Egg Drop: Teams build a contraption that can stop an egg from breaking when dropped from a high distance
- Survival: Carnivores, Omnivores and Herbivores run, search and hide to survive in the wild
- Hiking: Experience the beauty of the Bruce Trail that includes exploring caves and interesting destinations
- Capture the Flag: Work with your team to find and return the other team’s flag
- Smugglers & Spies: Teams try to bring beads across the field without being caught by the opposing team
High Ropes:
- Students wear harnesses and challenge themselves in high climbing activities that are facilitated by trained high ropes professionals
- Availability is conditional on securing high ropes supervisors
- Costs vary depending on group size
STEP #4: FINALIZE PLANS
PLANNING DETAILS
- All teachers and parent volunteers are welcome at no additional cost
- Cave Springs staff lead all activities, but are not responsible for student supervision; Teachers and chaperones are responsible for supervising student behaviour and caring for student needs
- Schools are responsible for bringing enough chaperones to meet school requirements
- For all field trips, students bring a bagged lunch for the first lunch
- Schools are responsible for their own snacks; Cave Springs does not provide snacks
- Leave ample time for the process of obtaining permission from the school administration
- Secure your bus times before finalizing the schedule
- Identify and activity accommodations that are required for individual needs
- Collect any special diet needs that need to be considered and communicate these needs at least one week in advance
SUBMIT YOUR CONTRACT
Your customized plans, once determined, are all included in the contract that is submitted to Cave Springs.
STEP #5: Enjoy Cave Springs Camp
Students and teachers can enjoy a day away from regular routines in a new and stimulating environment. Good memories are created and learnings from the field trip can positively impact relationships and engagement at school. A field trip at Cave Springs is a worthwhile investment for experiential learning, class moral and student engagement.
Group 1
9:30 Arrival
9:45 Team Initiatives 1
10:20 Nature Activity 1
10:55 Team Initiatives 2
11:30 Lunch
12:00 Nature Activity 2
12:30 Large Group Activity
1:15 Campfire & S’mores
2:00 Departure
Group 2
9:30 Arrival
9:45 Team Initiatives 1
10:20 Nature Activity 1
10:55 Team Initiatives 2
11:30 Lunch
12:00 Team Initiatives 2
12:30 Large Group Activity
1:15 Campfire & S’mores
2:00 Departure
Group 3
9:30 Arrival
9:45 Team Initiatives 1
10:20 Nature Activity 1
10:55 Nature Activity 2
11:30 Lunch
12:00 Team Initiatives 2
12:30 Large Group Activity
1:15 Campfire & S’mores
2:00 Departure
Group 1
9:30 Arrival
9:45 Welcome and Intro Activities
10:15 Team Initiatives 1
11:00 Nature/Camp Activity 1
11:45 Lunch
12:15 Team Initiatives 2
1:00 Nature Activity 2
2:00 Amazing Race
3:15 Snack
3:30 Nature/Camp Activity 3
4:15 Two minute talent preparation
5:00 Dinner
5:45 Large Group Activity
6:30 Campfire & S’mores
7:30 Departure
Group 2
9:30 Arrival
9:45 Welcome and Intro Activities
10:15 Team Initiatives 1
11:00 Nature/Camp Activity 1
11:45 Lunch
12:15 Team Initiatives 2
1:00 Nature Activity 2
2:00 Amazing Race
3:15 Snack
3:30 Nature/Camp Activity 3
4:15 Two minute talent preparation
5:00 Dinner
5:45 Large Group Activity
6:30 Campfire & S’mores
7:30 Departure
Group 3
9:30 Arrival
9:45 Welcome and Intro Activities
10:15 Nature/Camp Activity 1
11:00 Team Initiatives 1
11:45 Lunch
12:15 Team Initiatives 2
1:00 Nature Activity 2
Amazing Race
3:15 Snack
3:30 Nature/Camp Activity 3
4:15 Two minute talent preparation
5:00 Dinner
5:45 Large Group Activity
6:30 Campfire & S’mores
7:30 Departure
DAY 1
Group 1
9:30 Arrival
9:45 Welcome and Intro Activities
10:15 Team Initiatives 1
11:00 Nature Activity 1
11:45 Lunch
12:15 Team Initiatives 2
1:00 Nature/Camp Activity 2
2:00 Amazing Race
3:15 Snack
3:30 Nature/Camp Activity 3
4:15 Two minute talent preparation
5:00 Dinner
5:45 Large Group Activity
6:30 Campfire, Two Minute Talent & S’mores
7:30 Departure
Group 2
9:30 Arrival
9:45 Welcome and Intro Activities
10:15 Team Initiatives 1
11:00 Nature Activity 1
11:45 Lunch
12:15 Team Initiatives 2
1:00 Nature/Camp Activity 2
2:00 Amazing Race
3:15 Snack
3:30 Nature/Camp Activity 3
4:15 Two minute talent preparation
5:00 Dinner
5:45 Large Group Activity
6:30 Campfire, Two Minute Talent & S’mores
7:30 Departure
Group 3
9:30 Arrival
9:45 Welcome and Intro Activities
10:15 Nature Activity 1
11:00 Team Initiatives 1
11:45 Lunch
12:15 Team Initiatives 2
1:00 Nature/Camp Activity 2
Amazing Race
3:15 Snack
3:30 Nature/Camp Activity 3
4:15 Two minute talent preparation
5:00 Dinner
5:45 Large Group Activity
6:30 Campfire, Two Minute Talent & S’mores
7:30 Departure
DAY 2
8:30 Breakfast
9:15 Large Group Game
10:00 Nature/Camp Activity
10:40 Egg Drop Assembly
11:30 Egg Drop
12:00 Lunch
12:30 Nature/Camp Activity
1:10 Pack up
1:45 Depart
8:30 Breakfast
9:15 Large Group Game
10:00 Nature/Camp Activity
10:40 Egg Drop Assembly
11:30 Egg Drop
12:00 Lunch
12:30 Nature/Camp Activity
1:10 Pack up
1:45 Depart
8:30 Breakfast
9:15 Large Group Game
10:00 Nature/Camp Activity
10:40 Egg Drop Assembly
11:30 Egg Drop
12:00 Lunch
12:30 Nature/Camp Activity
1:10 Pack up
1:45 Depart
