Kinship Outdoor Learning Inc.

What Kinship Outdoor Learning Inc. does

Kinship Outdoor Learning Inc. (doing business as Kids In Nature, KIN, KIN Outdoor Learning Centre, and K.I.N. Outdoor Learning Centre) is a privately held Canadian company operating a forest school and licensed childcare business in British Columbia. The company delivers nature-based education and childcare programs rooted in the 8-Shields pedagogical model, serving children from infancy through elementary age (0-12) across four physical locations in South Surrey and Langley. Core programs include Tree School (Fraser Health-licensed full-time daycare for ages 3-5), KINlings (licensed infant/toddler care for ages 0-3), Seedlings half-day program, FLEx-Force after-school nature connection club with school pickup, Home Learners homeschool enrichment, and Xw'Epiteng before/after-school programming operated through the related non-profit Kids In Nature Society. All programs leverage the company's exclusive access to 100 acres of private interpretive forest and farm animals.

The business generates revenue primarily through monthly tuition for licensed childcare and forest school programs, supplemented by transactional revenue from birthday parties (starting at $250), field trip programs ($12-15/child for 2-hour sessions), seasonal day camps (Pro-D Days, summer, spring break), and third-party rental income from a yurt (listed on Hip Camp and Airbnb) and a retired transit bus. Distribution is direct-to-consumer: families reach KIN via website, Facebook, email, and word-of-mouth in the local South Surrey/Langley community, then book registration tours. The go-to-market is highly localized with no app, no API, and minimal digital infrastructure beyond a marketing website.

The company was founded by Joanna Mueggenburg, with co-founders Lara Solbrekken and Jennifer Pollard, and operates with a related non-profit entity (Kids In Nature Society) that runs the Xw'Epiteng program in partnership with Semiahmoo First Nations. There is no disclosed external investment, no headcount data, and no reported revenue. The company's differentiators are the 100-acre private forest asset, the Indigenous reconciliation partnership with revenue sharing, and year-round outdoor programming (100% outdoor time, rain or shine). Strategic positioning is built on experiential environmental education rather than technology, and the business model is operationally simple: licensed, tuition-funded childcare anchored to a single large land asset.

Name

Kinship Outdoor Learning Inc.

Legal name

Kids In Nature

Website

https://kidsinnature.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Kinship Outdoor Learning Inc. (Kids In Nature) is a private Canadian forest school and licensed childcare provider operating 4 locations in South Surrey and Langley, BC. It delivers nature-based programs for children aged 0-12 across 100 acres of private forest, with tuition, field trips, camps, and rentals as revenue streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nature-Based Childcare & Education

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor/Nature/Forest Preschools (EDACABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor / Nature-Based Childcare Centers (EDACAAAO), Outdoor / Nature-Based Before/After Care Programs (EDACAHAJ), Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)

Keywords

• Nature-based childcare
• Forest school programs
• Licensed daycare
• Outdoor preschool
• After-school programs

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Childcare and Education Programs: KIN generates revenue through tuition fees for various licensed childcare and forest school programs including Tree School (full-time daycare for 3-5 year olds), KINlings (infant/toddler care 0-3), FLEx-Force (after-school programs), Home Learners, Seedlings (half-day), and Day Camps. Payment is monthly in advance.
2. Birthday Party Rentals: Birthday party packages offered at the forest location with rates starting at $250 for up to 10 children, plus additional fees for extra children or time.
3. Field Trip Programs: School field trip programs at $15/child for 2-hour sessions, with Into the Wild programs connecting to BC Curriculum.
4. Venue and Equipment Rentals: Retired transit bus ('Queen Orca') available for rental with driver for events, wine tours, and team transport. Yurt available for rental through Hip Camp and Airbnb platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kinship Outdoor Learning Inc. (operating as Kids In Nature / KIN) operates a forest school and licensed childcare centre providing nature-based early childhood and school-age programs across 4 locations in South Surrey and Langley, British Columbia. Core offerings include licensed daycare (Tree School for 3-5 year olds, KINlings for 0-3 years), after-school nature connection clubs (FLEx-Force), homeschool enrichment (Home Learners), half-day programs (Seedlings), day camps, school field trips, birthday parties, and venue rentals, all built around year-round outdoor experiential learning on 100 acres of private forest space.

Product overview

KIN Outdoor Learning Centre is a Forest School and licensed childcare provider operating across 4 locations in South Surrey and Langley, B.C. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of nature-based educational programs and services built around forest school pedagogy. Core programs include Tree School (licensed full-time daycare for 3-5 year olds), FLEx-Force (after-school nature connection club), Home Learners Program (homeschool supplemental program), Seedlings Half-Day Program, KINlings infant/toddler daycare (0-3 years), and Xw'Epiteng before/after school program. The organization provides additional services including birthday parties, field trips, day camps, and facility rentals (yurt and bus). All programs emphasize outdoor experiential learning, environmental education, and connection to nature across 100 acres of private forest space, with access to farm animals including chickens, ducks, horses, goats, and bunnies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tree School: Licensed full-time daycare for 3-5 year olds with nature-based curriculum
• FLEx-Force
• Home Learners
• Seedlings
• KINlings
• Wildwood Program
• Birthday Parties
• Day Camps
• Kids In Nature Society

Products and services

• Tree School Fraser-Health licensed full-time daycare for children aged 3-5 years, delivering inquiry-based learning through play and hands-on discovery with a curriculum rooted in seasonal natural happenings on a private forest property.
• KINlings Daycare Fraser-Health licensed small home-style daycare operating as an 8-space centre in Brookswood, Langley, for infants and toddlers aged 0-3 years, featuring nature-designed backyard play and daily community walks to nearby Brookswood forest.
• FLEx-Force After-School Program After-school nature connection club for school-aged children offering forest learning and exploration, including school pickup from Noel Booth, Belmont, East Kensington, and Xw'Epiteng Elementary schools, with afternoon activities on the 100-acre private forest property.
• Home Learners Program Elementary-aged homeschool program (ages 5-12) following the 8-Shields model of learning with a forest-themed curriculum, providing agricultural-based, supplemental nature and social enrichment with up to 24 registration spots.
• Seedlings Half-Day Program Four-hour half-day forest and farm program for 3-5 year olds spending 100% of time outdoors rain or shine, focusing on plant species identification, animal track identification, survival skills, and inquiry-based learning through play.
• Xw'Epiteng Before/After School Program Licensed before and after school program operated by Kids In Nature Society servicing Xw'Epiteng Elementary in association with Semiahmoo First Nations, creating meaningful connections between children, nature, and cultural heritage.
• Wildwood Field Trip Program Into the Wild school field trip program providing 2-hour meaningful forest classroom experiences connecting with BC Classroom curriculums, tailored to grade-level BIG IDEAS including plant identification, animal life cycles, shelter-building, and crafting.
• Field Trips Educational field trip programs for schools connecting classes with BC Classroom curriculums through forest experiences at $15/child for a 2-hour program including wildlife tracking, plant identification, animal safety and care, and shelter-building activities.
• Day Camps Day camps offered during Pro-D Days, Summer, and Spring Break (9:00am-3:00pm), focusing on agricultural and social learning, animal care, plant identification, arts and crafts, and field trips, operating rain or shine.
• Birthday Parties Nature-inspired birthday party experiences at the outdoor learning centre starting at $250 for up to 10 children, including self-led scavenger-hunt ideas, playground access, heated private party yurt, fire-pit, petting zoo with farm animals, and interpretive forest walk.
• Yurt Rentals Private yurt available for rent for special events, listed on third-party platforms Hip Camp and Airbnb, providing unique outdoor accommodation experience.
• Queen Orca Bus Rental Retired Coast Mountain transit bus available for rental with a licensed class-4 driver for birthdays, weddings, wine tours, and sports team transport.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Semiahmoo First NationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKIN operates on the traditional territory of Semiahmoo First Nations and is committed to reconciliation. The partnership includes Indigenous knowledge integration into curriculum, sharing a portion of program revenues with Semiahmoo initiatives, land-based learning philosophies, language recognition (hnqeminem), and creating opportunities for Semiahmoo knowledge keepers to share with the forest school community.
• Gabriel Farms - Hazelmere Pumpkin PatchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounder Joanna Mueggenburg and Farmer Shari from Gabriel Farms co-founded the PAC of East Kensington Elementary and inspired the creation of the EKology Program, the first outdoor education program led by Surrey School district 36.
• Surrey School District 36minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKIN's founder helped inspire the creation of EKology Program, the first outdoor education program led by Surrey School District 36, demonstrating educational partnership and district-level recognition.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wild Child Forest School: Canadian outdoor/forest school serving young children with similar immersion-style nature programming; directly comparable in product offering and pedagogy.
• Earthbound Kids: Ontario-based nature education and forest school provider offering outdoor programming for children — directly comparable to KIN's forest school pedagogy and target age range.
• Saplings Outdoor Forest School: BC-based forest school offering nature-based early childhood programs; competes with KIN directly for outdoor preschool families on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.
• Little Forest Folk: UK-based forest school operator running outdoor nurseries for 2–5 year olds; the international archetype that KIN's Tree School and Seedlings programs most closely resemble in operational model.

Others

• Forest School Canada: National body that defines curriculum and trains forest school practitioners in Canada; KIN operates within its pedagogical framework (8-Shields), making it an ecosystem/standards peer rather than a competitor.
• Outward Bound Canada: Canadian outdoor experiential education provider for youth; not a direct childcare competitor but a comparable outdoor-pedagogy operator that sets the adjacent market for outdoor learning in BC.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Global licensed childcare and early education operator; competes for the same parents as KIN in urban Canada but from a center-based, broadly scaled model rather than outdoor immersion.
• YMCA Child Care (British Columbia): YMCA operates licensed childcare and out-of-school-care programs across BC; KIN's FLEx-Force and Home Learners compete with YMCA after-school programming for elementary families in Surrey/Langley.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kinoutdoorlearning

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kinship Outdoor Learning Inc.