Join the Outdoor Recreation School and Gary’s Custom Fishing Rods while you visualize and construct your personalized keepsake. Each participant will receive a six-foot, medium light graphite rod blank. You will get to select between spinning and bait casting rod design. All participants building a rod must register and pay. Participants aged 18 and under must be accompanied by an adult actively engaged in assisting their child; this adult can also register to build their own rod while assisting their registered child or simply assist their child during the program at no additional fee. This program is entirely indoors. $150/person.

In Extreme Fishing Camp – Ice Fishing Edition, participants will learn to ice fish different bodies of water in search of various species like: panfish, northern pike, walleye and more! Try different techniques and hone skills while learning from experienced Outdoor Recreation School instructors. Learn how to check frozen water for thickness and quality. Try a hand auger, different types of rods and reels, bait applications, tipups and basic flasher-style electronics. Drop-off and pick-up on each day of camp will be at Fish Lake Regional Park. Transportation to specific fishing locations within the Park District will be provided by Outdoor Recreation School staff during camp hours. Warm, waterproof boots are strongly recommended for each day of camp. $325/person.

Explore the trails, meet new friends, and experience the whole-body benefits that Nordic pole hiking provides while exercising in nature. Outdoor Recreation School instructors educate on the Nordic walking technique and lead a weekly pole hike. Explore a mix of paved and unpaved trails in French Regional Park, Fish Lake Regional Park and Baker Park Reserve. Please wear sturdy shoes or light hiking boots for hilly terrain and potentially muddy ground. $48/person.

Discover the hidden world beneath the winter landscape. Families will learn how animals survive winter, search for life under the snow, explore frozen lakes and try out ice fishing. $24/student.

Bring a historic diary to life by following in the footsteps of young Ezra "Fitch" Pabody, a teenager who lived near what is now Lake Minnetonka Regional Park in the 1880s. Using his daily diary entries as inspiration, we'll explore the woods, cook maple syrup and visit the historic Schmid Farmhouse Ruins. Fish from the shores of Lake Minnetonka, net and observe insects, and more as we learn about nature and the history of the area. $24/student.

Join the Outdoor Recreation School and Pioneer Midwest to learn how to apply glide wax to your skis. Get your skis ready for the cross-country ski season and learn or refine the skill of hot waxing. In this course you will get to see how a professional wax technician applies glide wax and then wax your own skis with their support and guidance. Bring one pair of modern cross-country skis and, and we will provide the rest. Blue wax will be provided; if you would like a different wax, you may bring your own melt-on wax. Classic skis, waxed, skin or fish scale and skate skis are welcome. $25/person.