Outdoor Education and Leadership for Team Building

The bus doors open, the pine-scented air hits, and for the next few days, the classroom is 600 acres of Canadian Shield forest. At Camp Muskoka, students trade desks for archery ranges, canoes, survival shelters, and treetop zip lines, and they discover things about their classmates (and themselves) that a regular school day never reveals. For over twenty five years, we’ve welcomed more than 100,000 Ontario students to our Outdoor Education Leadership Centre, just 90 minutes north of Toronto. Every program is curriculum-linked, led by caring, expertly trained staff, and tailored by your teachers to fit your school’s goals. The result is a trip that students talk about for years: more confident, more connected, and a little more kind to each other.

Picture the classmates you see every day, but out of the classroom and into the forest. Over several days at Camp Muskoka, students share cabins, cheer each other across low ropes courses, and work as a team to build a survival shelter that actually keeps the rain out. Our nurturing instructors guide every step, using games, challenges, and campfire laughs to bring out the best in each student. Friendships deepen, quiet kids find their voices, and the class leaves as a stronger community than the one that arrived.

And the itinerary is yours to shape. Your coordinating teacher, along with colleagues and your principal, picks the activities that fit your school’s goals and your students’ needs. Hit a bullseye in archery. Spark a fire from birch bark and kindling. Take on Survivor Muskoka, our team-versus-team survival challenge. Or soar through the treetops on our zip line at the Canopy Aerial Park. Every trip is customized, and every one is packed with the kind of moments students bring up for years.

Ready to see everything on offer? Explore our Programs & Activities.

The laughter, the campfire songs, and the s’mores are only half the story. Behind every activity is a purpose: helping each student discover what they’re good at and what they’re capable of. Whether it’s a quiet kid leading their team through a compass course or a class that finally figures out how to cross the “chocolate river” together, students practice teamwork, communication, trust, and resilience in ways that stick. The trip ends when the bus pulls away. The skills go home with them.

From the moment students step off the bus, they’re part of something bigger. At Camp Muskoka, every detail is designed to help kids feel welcome, supported, and ready to try something new. Our cabins and program spaces are built with care. Our curriculum-linked programming gives every activity a purpose. And our staff, who are warm, dedicated, and trained to bring out the best in every student, make sure no one is left on the sidelines. Here, kids live, share, and grow together in a community that celebrates teamwork and shows them what they can achieve when they lean on each other.

Out here, nobody needs to be the best reader, the fastest runner, or the loudest in the room. The usual pecking order fades away, and every student starts at the same trailhead. The student who struggles with spelling might be the one who lights the fire. The kid who never raises a hand might be the steady voice guiding a blindfolded teammate. For over two decades, we’ve watched classes discover that they have far more in common than they ever realized, and that great things happen when everyone’s strengths are needed. Those lessons don’t stay at camp. They go back to the classroom, where schools carry a stronger culture of kindness, inclusion, and connection into the rest of the year.

Great adventures run on great food, and every student gets to enjoy it. Our professional food service team, led by our Executive Chef, takes care of everything, so students can focus on the fun. Meals are fresh, nutritious, and kid-approved, and they follow Canada’s Food Guide.

We accommodate most dietary needs, and it’s rare that we can’t. Allergies, medical needs, and religious or cultural requirements, including vegetarian, vegan, and Halal, are all welcome. Just note your student’s needs on the registration form and if requested, our Executive Chef will contact you directly to make a plan.

Three hearty meals a day, plus snacks, with second helpings always available
Dietary needs accommodated, with requests submitted through the registration form
Chef-led follow-up: our Executive Chef contacts families directly to confirm the plan
Nut-safe facility

Because teamwork works best when nobody’s hungry, every student is well-fed, included, and ready to take part.

After a full day outdoors, students head back to a cozy cottage with their classmates. It’s part sleepover, part adventure, and always comfortable and safe.

Teachers and students stay in the same building, with separate rooms and separate washrooms. Your school’s supervisors have their own private room within the cottage, close enough for round-the-clock supervision, with privacy for everyone.

Clean, comfortable cottages with heating and air conditioning
Private washrooms and showers in every cottage
Bunk beds for up to 24 students per cottage, assigned by gender
Separate teacher room in the same building, with its own washroom

Safety comes first at Camp Muskoka, in everything we do. From how we design our facilities and program areas to how we select, screen, and train our staff, every detail is built around student well-being. Students are closely supervised, and they learn to be safety-smart too, so they feel confident, prepared, and supported throughout their stay.

Carefully chosen, screened, and trained staff leading every activity
Close supervision throughout the trip
Safety designed into our facilities and program areas
Student safety orientation covering emergency fire procedures, situational awareness, and safe meeting zones.
Programs that meet recognized standards: OPHEA guidelines, OCA standards, and TSSA compliance
A full-service hospital minutes away in Bracebridge

Tucked into the forests of the Canadian Shield in Bracebridge, Ontario, Camp Muskoka feels a world away from the city, but it’s only 90 minutes north of Toronto. Our 600-acre property gives students room to explore, with the comfort and convenience of town close by, including a full-service hospital just minutes away.

600 acres of Muskoka forest with dozens of activity areas
Two archery ranges and multiple low ropes courses
Cougar Lake for canoeing
50,000+ square feet of indoor space, so the adventure continues rain or shine
Optional Canopy Aerial Park (additional fee) for students who want to climb and soar through the treetops

Camp Muskoka
1745 Fraserburg Road, Bracebridge, Ontario P1L 1X3

Assist teachers in meeting curriculum expectations
Provide students with one of the most memorable experiences of their lives
Offer skilled leadership, comfortable lodging and great food
Ensure that all programs are designed to offer students unique experiences that allow them to develop leadership and life skills
Help build students’ self-confidence & self-esteem in a fun, safe and supportive environment
Educate students about wildlife and conservation in an effort to foster a greater appreciation for the world we share
Nurture students’ love for the great outdoors and experience all that nature has to offer
Kindle lifelong friendships through the magic of the camp experience

Archery
Can you hit the bullseye? Take aim and find your focus! Students will learn the fundamentals of archery, from stringing a bow and positioning their stance to drawing, aiming, and releasing an arrow. With guidance from trained instructors, participants will build concentration, patience, and confidence as they work toward hitting their target. No experience is needed, and every student will be coached at their own pace.
Canoeing
Steer your own path and use the power of multiple strokes to explore Cougar Lake. Students will be introduced to basic boat and water safety practices and equipment and will learn the basic strokes and techniques necessary to control their water craft.
Canopy Aerial Park*
Build confidence and get your adrenaline pumping in our canopy aerial park. Climb across monkey lines, traverse suspension bridges and soar through the air on our 300 metre zip-line. Our aerial park guides ensure campers have a safe and enjoyable adventure. This program is offered to all students of all ages. *An additional charge will be applied to anyone participating in this program.
Camp Fire
Gather around the campfire! As the sun sets, join us for an evening of songs, stories, and laughter by the glow of the fire. Students will sing camp favourites (moose-themed ones included!) and listen to stories, all while making memories with friends under the stars.
Co-operative Games
Cross the chocolate river! Can your team make it from marshmallow to marshmallow while lava sharks lurk between you and the shore? Students will take on a series of imaginative cooperative challenges, including Hot Chocolate River, Shrinking Island, Blind Conductor, and Toxic Waste. Each one calls for creative thinking, clear communication, and teamwork. Along the way, students will strategize, solve problems together, and cheer each other on as they work toward a common goal.
Coureur Des Bois
“Welcome to our community. What have you brought to trade?” Step into one of the most formative periods in Canadian history: the fur trade. Students will travel the woods with their own set of trade goods, seeking out Indigenous communities to trade for furs. Along the way, they will learn about the skills, knowledge, and diplomacy that made trade relationships possible, and they will experience first-hand the challenges and rewards of life as a coureur des bois. Students will also reflect on how the fur trade shaped relationships between Indigenous peoples and Europeans, including its lasting impacts. Our program begins with a land acknowledgement, recognizing the Indigenous peoples whose traditional territory we gather on.
Forest Ecology Hike
Explore the forest! What animal left these tracks? Why are there marks on that tree? How did these giant rocks get here? Students will discover the wonders of nature on a guided hike through the forests of Muskoka. Using all of their senses, they will investigate the plants and animals that call this place home, comparing what is alike and different and searching for patterns along the way. Students will come away with a deeper appreciation for the diverse ecosystem that is so often unseen.
Blanket Toss
“Group, are you ready? On the “P” of pull, pull and hold!” The Blanket Toss is a team-building activity inspired by blanket toss traditions of Inuit communities in Canada. Students gather around a blanket and work together to lift each participant into the air. Along the way, they will practice trust, communication, and teamwork as a community. Safety is our priority: trained staff supervise and guide the group throughout, and participation is always voluntary.
Low Ropes
Take on the low ropes! Ready to test your teamwork? Students will work through a series of low ropes challenges designed to build communication, problem-solving, and determination. Some tasks call for individual balance and focus, while others depend on the whole group working together. Each element encourages creativity and participation as the group works toward a common goal, and students will discover the power of supporting one another to succeed. Every challenge is led by trained facilitators, and participation is always voluntary.
Orienteering
Find your way! Ready to find your direction? Students will work in teams to navigate our forest orienteering course using a compass, visiting each checkpoint to collect clues and solve a puzzle. Along the way, they will learn how to read a compass, use bearings, identify landmarks, and follow a map, along with the key terms of navigation. Led by trained instructors, this activity builds problem-solving, communication, and teamwork as students find their way from point to point.
Predator and Prey
Predator vs. prey! Who will catch a meal, and who will become one? Students will take on the roles of forest animals in a fast-paced game that brings predator-prey relationships to life. As they chase, hide, and escape, they will discover how animals find food, stay safe, and keep nature in balance. Along the way, students will gain a new appreciation for animals, habitats, and the factors that affect an ecosystem, all while staying active and working together in a fun, positive environment.
Survival Fire Building
Spark your inner fire-builder! Birch bark, tinder, kindling, and fuel wood: do you have what it takes to build a fire from scratch? Students will learn how to build their own survival fires using natural materials found in the forest. Rain, snow, or shine, they will grow in confidence and pride as they watch their fire come to life. Along the way, students will also learn how fire can help keep them warm and safe in an emergency and improve their chances of being found. All fire activities are supervised by trained instructors, with safety rules reviewed before we begin.
Survival Shelter Building
Build your own shelter! Have you ever wondered how to stay warm, dry, and safe in the great outdoors? Students will learn the basics of outdoor survival, including how to build a shelter using natural materials found in the forest. They will design and construct their own shelter, then test how well it protects them from the elements. Along the way, students will learn what to do if they ever become lost and how to improve their chances of being found. Led by trained instructors, this hands-on challenge builds problem-solving, teamwork, and confidence.
Survivor Muskoka
Survivor Muskoka! This is your chance to put your new survival skills to the test! After learning how to build fires and shelters, students will be divided into teams. Working together, they will gather resources, build fires and shelters, and earn points as they compete against other teams in this final challenge. Success depends on cooperation as much as competition, and students will practice communication, problem-solving, and teamwork along the way. All activities are led by trained instructors, with safety rules reviewed beforehand.