Prince George, BC
✨ Welcome to Mousewood ✨
Mousewood Forest & Nature Early Learning and Family Centre is now licensed, open, and accepting registrations for September!
Looking for a unique alternative for your child?
No flourescent lights? No big groups?
Highly trained educators? You found it!
This isn’t your typical daycare.
This is Mousewood
a forest and nature school where curiosity leads the way and discovery is free to play.
🌿 Explore our website to learn more.
🌿 Then fill out our waitlist form — we’ll be in touch as soon as a space becomes available.
NOW
OPEN
Need Childcare Now or September?
Need Childcare Next Year?
On This Page
Nonprofits survive
because of volunteers.
What You Can Do
Childcare
Waitlist
Timeline not guaranteed:
Currently: 8 spaces for 1 - 5 year olds
Anticipated Fall/Winter:
Part-time childcare spaces age 3-5.
Morning spaces, age 3-5.
Homeschool spaces, age 5-8.
Hopeful Spring-Summer 2026:
8 spaces for 3-5 year olds
8 spaces for infants and toddlers
Please fill out our waitlist form.
Volunteer
We’re Growing a Community — Come Lend a Hand!
All ages and skill levels welcome. Whether you can help outside, in the office, in the classroom, with events, grant writing, advising, or even on our board, there’s a place for you here.
Once in a while?
More regularly?
You can make a real difference.
We’d love to hear from you!
(Volunteer page coming soon)
Donate
The government has stopped funding new daycares. Please help.
Individuals:
Please visit our GoFundMe page. We are very appreciative of anything you can give.
Companies:
Thank you for your interest! Please contact us for a sponsorship packet.
Careers
We are seeking
an ECE for Fall 2025.
Please send your resume and a cover letter stating why you would like to work in a forest and nature program to
Mousewood Forest and Nature Early Learning and Family Society
Who We Are
Mousewood was incorporated as a nonprofit society in August of 2020. Our society represents a group of passionate volunteers and Board of Directors inspired by the vision to create a new childcare community which is much more than a forest and nature childcare centre.
Mousewood's Purpose
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Introduce Children to Nature: Inspire a lifelong connection and sense of wonder with the natural world by providing children with immersive, hands-on experiences in forests, gardens, and natural settings.
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Deliver High-Quality Care and Education: Provide high quality, play-based, leading-edge programs for children aged 1–12 years inspired by Canadian forest and nature school ideals, and based on the latest research and evidence-based practice.
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Cultivate Inclusivity: Promote an attitude of acceptance of all people. Create accessible spaces, forest classrooms, and gardens that support children, families, and staff in the Mousewood community.
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Strengthen Families: Practice a family-centred approach within Mousewood. Provide the community with weekend programs and special events that promote family bonding, physical and mental health, and connection with nature, land and place.
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Celebrate First Nations Traditions: Honour reconciliation. Seek perspectives and collaborative partnerships. Integrate First People’s Principles of Learning and Indigenous values and beliefs of caring for children based on unique worldviews, distinct languages, cultures, traditions, and practices.
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Support Professional Development: Prioritise critical reflection, collaborative dialogues, and pedagogical narration. Maintain highly qualified staff through continuous education. Train new forest and nature school practitioners.
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Advocate for Children, Families, and Staff: Champion the rights and diversity of the Mousewood community. Ensure all children receive the support they need, even when challenges arise in recognising or addressing those needs.
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Lead in Environmental Sustainability: Set an example in environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.
What are Forest & Nature Schools?
The ethos of Forest and Nature Schools (FNS) is that being connected to nature is healthy and important for humans, especially children. Through child-led and teacher-supported nature play, children can develop skills such as creative and critical thinking skills, risk assessment, self-confidence, self-regulation, cooperation and collaboration, plus physical skills like balance and coordination.
Learn More about Forest and Nature Schools:
Even though Indigenous Peoples of Canada have used similar methods with young children for eons, FNS as we know them began in Scandinavia over 60 years ago. After 1995, they became very popular in the United Kingdom. The first Forest and Nature Schools in BC began in 2011.
It's Prince George's time.
Traditional Land Acknowledgement
Mousewood Forest and Nature Early Learning and Family Society respectfully acknowledges that we live, work, and play on the unceded ancestral lands of the Lheidli T’enneh. The word “Lheidli” means “where the two rivers flow together,” and “T’enneh” means “the People.”
We honour the stewardship of the Lheidli T’enneh over these lands since time immemorial and are committed to fostering respect, inclusion, and collaboration in all that we do. At Mousewood, we strive to create safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces that reflect the values of respect for the land, its history, and its people.
"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together"