Out To Play Inc.

What Out To Play Inc. does

Out To Play Inc. is an Ottawa-based outdoor environmental education provider founded in 2020 that operates Forest and Nature School programs, seasonal day camps, and nature-based therapeutic services for children and families. The organization delivers age-differentiated programming — Owl (2.5-4 years), Fox (4-10 years), Wolf (7-12 years), and Tinker Club (10-14 years) — as well as a new Young Learners Kindergarten Program launching for the 2026-2027 school year, March Break Camp, and multi-week Summer Day Camps. Programs are rooted in the Forest and Nature School pedagogical approach championed by the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada, with delivery by certified Forest School practitioners, OCT-registered teachers, and registered social workers offering 1:1 Respite and Child/Youth Counselling.

The company operates three physical footprints: the Nepean/Kanata headquarters at Beetbox Farm (230 Davidson's Side Road) with access to the Ottawa River shoreline, the Kemptville Campus Education and Community Centre (75 Campus Dr) offering bilingual programs on 630 acres, and a seasonal Downtown Ottawa summer camp partnership at the Canadian Museum of Nature. There is no proprietary technology platform; the business is service-led with online registration handled via Jumbula, marketing through a blog, Facebook, Instagram, and email newsletters.

Revenue is generated through registration fees for individual families, with weekly camp pricing in the $350-$440 CAD range and March Break Camp at $385 CAD per child, plus aftercare add-ons at $65/week and the new annual kindergarten tuition. Therapeutic services include direct invoicing to social service agencies, representing a modest B2B channel alongside the predominantly direct-to-consumer model. The company is privately held, bootstrapped, and founder-led by Lara Purvis (Director of Education Programs), with no disclosed external investment, M&A activity, or institutional backing.

Name

Out To Play Inc.

Legal name

Out to Play Inc.

Website

https://outtoplay.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Out To Play Inc. is an Ottawa-based Forest and Nature School provider offering outdoor play-based education, seasonal day camps, and nature-based therapeutic services for children aged 2.5-14 across the Ottawa region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Environmental Education

NAICS

Child Care Services (6244), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Nature-Based / Forest School Early Learning Programs (EDACADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor/Nature/Forest Preschools (EDACABAJ), Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA), Outdoor / Nature-Based Before/After Care Programs (EDACAHAJ)

Keywords

• Outdoor education programs
• Forest nature school
• Nature-based therapy
• Children's summer camps
• Environmental education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nepean

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Forest and Nature School Programs: Year-round part-time and full-time play-based educational programs following the school year from September to June. Programs include Owl (2.5-4 years), Fox (4-10 years), Wolf (8-12 years), and Tinker Club (10-14 years), as well as shorter 6-10 week programs including Saturday Crows and Family Program.
2. March Break Camp: One-week rustic outdoor Forest and Nature School camp experience during March break. Open to ages 5-12 years. Flat fee per camper.
3. Summer Day Camp: Eight-week summer camp programs offered at multiple locations (Nepean/Kanata at Beetbox Farm and Downtown Ottawa at Canadian Museum of Nature). Weekly registration with optional add-ons for extended day care.
4. Therapeutic Services: One-on-one therapeutic services including respite and child/youth counselling delivered by pediatric healthcare professionals (social workers and psychotherapist). Services can be standalone or integrated with school/camp programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Out to Play is a Forest and Nature School organization offering play-based outdoor education and therapeutic services for children ages 2.5-14 in the Ottawa area. Core offerings include age-tiered Forest School programs (Owl, Fox, Wolf, Tinker Club), a new Young Learners Kindergarten Program, seasonal day camps (March Break and Summer), field trips and workshops, and 1:1 therapeutic respite and child/youth counselling delivered by registered social workers and a psychotherapist. Programs are run from three locations across Ottawa including Beetbox Farm, Kemptville Campus, and the Canadian Museum of Nature.

Product overview

Out To Play Inc. operates as a Forest and Nature School organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of play-based educational and therapeutic services for children and families in Ottawa, Canada. The core offerings include age-differentiated Forest and Nature School programs (Owl for 2.5-4 years, Fox for 4-10 years, Wolf for 7-12 years, and Tinker Club for 10-14 years), full and part-time play-based programs including a new Young Learners Kindergarten Program (2026-2027), seasonal day camps (March Break and Summer camps in multiple locations), and therapeutic services including 1:1 respite and child/youth counselling. Programs follow child-centred, inquiry-driven, emergent pedagogy focused on connecting children with nature through outdoor play on the land.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Owl Program Year-round Forest and Nature School program for children ages 2.5-4 years featuring wanders through fields and forest with child-centred play, art, storytelling, and gentle scaffolded skill development.
• Fox Program Year-round Forest and Nature School program for children ages 4-10 years offering two play blocks daily, hikes to nature places, circle time, unstructured play with mud kitchen, water play, loose parts, storybooks, art and science provocations.
• Wolf Program Year-round Forest and Nature School program for children ages 7-12 years featuring unhurried child-led playful days, experiential project-based learning, and wilderness skill-building including shelter-building, fire-building, and cooking over fire.
• Tinker Club Year-round Forest and Nature School program for children ages 10-14 years combining project-based learning with youth-led play, gathering, hiking and exploring, including woodwork, art projects, cooking over fire, orienteering and imaginative games.
• Saturday Crows Program Shorter 6-10 week Forest and Nature School program for children ages 4-10 years offered on Saturdays.
• Family Program Forest and Nature School program for children of all ages and their trusted adults, led by an experienced Forest and Nature School practitioner, offering well-supported outdoor play, hikes, circle time, and unstructured play.
• Young Learners Kindergarten Program Hybrid Junior and Senior Kindergarten program new for 2026-2027 school year with month-by-month curriculum, educator-led literacy, math and science threads embedded in outdoor learning and play, available with 2-day, 3-day and 5-day registration options for children turning four or five years old.
• March Break Camp Rustic fully-outdoors Forest and Nature School March Break camp experience at the Out to Play Centre on Beetbox Farm, child-centred, experiential, play-based learning with emphasis on resilience and autonomy for ages 5-12 years.
• Summer Day Camp - Downtown Ottawa Urban Forest and Nature School summer camp at Canadian Museum of Nature featuring storytelling, art and child-centred inquiry-driven experiential outdoor play in the Landscape of Canada Gardens, with science activities led by museum interpreters for ages 5-12 years.
• Summer Day Camp - Nepean/Kanata Rustic fully-outdoors Forest and Nature School summer camp at the Out to Play Centre and The Nest on Beetbox Farm for ages 4-12 years with Forest Friends, Adventure Camp, and 1:1 program options.
• 1:1 Respite Services One-on-one therapeutic respite services for children and youth delivered on the land at the Out to Play Centre by pediatric healthcare professionals.
• Child and Youth Counselling Nature-based counselling services for children and youth provided by registered social workers and a psychotherapist, using an outdoor therapy approach to support mental health and wellbeing.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Beetbox FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOut to Play first opened at Beetbox Farm during the pandemic to offer families safer social experiences with therapeutic support and educational benefits of the outdoor world. Beetbox Farm provided early support for outdoor play and learning. The farm hosts the main Nepean/Kanata location with vegetable gardens, fields, forest play spaces, and access to the Ottawa River shoreline.
• Canadian Museum of NaturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for urban summer camp programming at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Downtown Ottawa. The museum provides facilities for science activities led by museum interpreters combined with Forest and Nature School outdoor play in the Landscape of Canada Gardens and neighboring children's parks.
• Child and Nature Alliance of CanadasupportingOthersOut to Play programs are rooted in the Forest and Nature School approach championed by the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada. Staff complete Forest and Nature School Practitioners certificates through the Alliance. The organization references the Alliance as the authoritative source for Forest and Nature School philosophy.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Through the Sumac: Ottawa-area nature-based therapy practice (Rae, associated with Out to Play's therapeutic team, is connected to this organization). Offers comparable therapeutic services using outdoor/nature approaches for children, youth, and families in the same Ottawa market.
• Outdoor Insight: Ottawa-based nature-based therapy practice delivering outdoor therapy for children, youth, and families. Highly comparable as a peer offering nature-based therapeutic services using similar methodologies; Kevin on Out to Play's therapeutic team is associated with this organization.
• Andrew Fleck Children's Services: Ottawa-based licensed non-profit childcare provider with multiple locations offering early learning, daycare, and early years programming including outdoor and nature experiences. Direct peer in the Ottawa early childhood services market with a similar multi-site model.

Emerging players

• Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa: Ottawa youth services organization operating before/after school programs, day camps, and youth engagement activities with some outdoor programming. Comparable as an Ottawa children's and youth services provider with overlapping customer segments, though focused more broadly than Forest School.
• Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre: Ottawa community health centre offering early years programs, family services, and children's programming with outdoor and nature-based components. Comparable as an Ottawa-area provider of children's services with overlap on therapeutic and early childhood programming.

Others

• Canadian Museum of Nature: National natural history museum hosting Out to Play's urban summer Forest School camp at its Landscape of Canada Gardens. Functions both as a venue partner and as an indirect peer offering children's educational programming in Ottawa; relevant ecosystem relationship rather than direct competition.
• Child and Nature Alliance of Canada: National standards body and Forest and Nature School certification organization in Canada. Out to Play explicitly partners with this organization for practitioner certification and adopts its pedagogical approach; relevant as the governing body for the Forest School space rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of Ottawa: Major Ottawa community organization operating licensed childcare, day camps (including outdoor/adventure programs), after-school care, and youth programming across multiple locations. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping customer base and outdoor programming, but offering a much wider portfolio than Out to Play's Forest School focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OuttoPlayOttawa
• Instagraminstagram.com/outtoplayottawa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/out-to-play

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Out To Play Inc.