Parks NB: On Our Playground – Mount Carleton Provincial Park

Overview

Parks NB is coming to your own school playground!  In this outdoor learning activity, learners not only will discover provincial facts and explore geographical locations, but they will also engage in physical activities to experience just a small taste of what our New Brunswick Provincial and National Parks offer every day!

 NB Curricular Connections

3-5 Learning Areas

Personal Wellness:

• Strand: Well-Being – Big Idea: Emotional Health and positive identities

Physical Education:

• Strand: Skills & Concepts – Big Idea: Stability and Balance
• Strand: Well-Being – Big Idea: Emotional and Social Skills

Science:

• Strand: Learning and Living Sustainably – Big Idea: Responsible and Sustainable Application

Math:

• Strand: Shape and space – Big Idea:  Measurement 

What You’ll Need

• Parks NB: Mount Carleton PPT (See attached)
• Pencils
• Equipment (listed with each activity)
• Benefits of outdoor play (See attached)

Instructions

Please note:  The majority of this activity is intended to be provided in an outdoor learning environment, however, feel free to adapt and change to meet the needs of your learners and outdoor spaces.

1. The Great Outdoors & My Mental Health: Gather and discuss this question: “What is positive mental health?” Allow learners to suggest and share signs of what positive mental health might look like, sound like, feel like (positive self-talk, good attitude, kindness, confidence, clearness of mind, sound decisions, creative, etc.). Then, ask: “How does learning outdoors contribute to positive mental health?” Allow learners to provide examples, testimonials, and ideas of the correlation between positive mental health and outdoor learning.

*To review the benefits of outdoor play and mental health please see the PDF resource attached. *

2. Parks NB Experience: Before beginning the activities, ask learners: “How many have been to a Parks NB site before? If yes, which one and what did you do there? Which is the closest Parks NB site to us?”  Use slide 2 of the PowerPoint Presentation to refer to the NB map.  Be sure to have learners dressed appropriately for the activities outlined below and have all materials prepared.  There is no particular order of experiences – simply plan according to your preference.  Here are how the experiences are organized:

Parks NB Experience #2: Mount Carleton Provincial Park

Park Highlight: Mount Carleton

Materials Needed

• 1 Meter Stick
• Soccer Field (or large, inclined hill if possible)
• Chart Paper
• Markers
• Various gym equipment (see below)
• Smaller Items (various sizes of balls, pylons, frisbees, etc.) for packing into bookbags
•  Hike Packing Cards – 1 per learner, see printable PDF attached
•  Bookbag – 1 per learner

  Instructions:

1. Mount Carleton Discussion: Discuss: “Mount Carleton is the highest peak in the Atlantic Provinces!  Has anyone ever climbed it, or another mountain?  Can you tell us about your experience.  What is the difference between hiking on a trail in the woods and hiking a mountain?”  Allow learners to discuss possibilities, as well as personal experiences with mountain climbing.
2. Mountain Measuring: Using a metre stick, demonstrate 1 m with it touching the ground and explain: “Mount Carleton is 824m in height, or 824 times this metre stick high.  The mountain may be that tall, but would the trail up to it be straight up (vertical)?  What other natural things might we have to navigate up to the top of Mount Carleton?” Allow learners to suggest: Tree roots, muddy conditions, Rocks/Boulders, Twists/Turns, Puddles, Lake/Rivers barriers to wade through, Natural Obstacles (fallen trees, windy conditions, bugs, beehives), etc.
3. Mount Carleton Obstacle Course: Using the chart paper, design your own Mount Carleton Obstacle Course experience.  Measure a spot on either a soccer field or inclined hill – 10m to have one route up and one route returning to the start.  Then, using a variety of gym equipment, have learners design obstacles and barriers.  With each learner going through the obstacle course (up and back to start), each learner is traveling 20m.  About 41 trips will need to be made to truly climb Mount Carleton. (Feel free to adjust the length of your course to meet your class’ needs). Gather learners and form a line at the start.
4. Create a Packing Pile (a variety of small and medium items – balls, frisbees, random gym equipment) for students to pack in their bookbags, according to the card that they receive. Have the first 2 climbers, demonstrate packing their bookbags with the cards that you give them. Pass out a card for each learner. As soon as a learner finishes, they can return their packing items to the pile for someone else to use. Record your class time and REPEAT – to see if you can beat it OR challenge another class!
   

   Winter Option:

   To build your Mount Carleton Obstacle Course, feel free to sculpt and build with the snow for natural obstacles, as well as natural materials or waterproof materials. Bookbags are optional, as outdoor clothing would create additional weight and challenge.

   Educators who try the learning activity with their class and complete the post-activity survey will be entered into a draw for FREE transportation to a local park.

   Centres of Excellence Learning Support Feedback Form 2025/2026

   Reflection Activity

   Please see the attached PDF for several choices on how you and your learners can reflect upon today’s activity.

   Global Competencies

   Collaboration.pdf

   Communication.pdf

   CriticalThinking.pdf

   Innovation.pdf

   SelfAwareness.pdf

   Sustainability.pdf