Canada’s four-season climate means that spending time outdoors year-round requires a lot of gear — from waterproof rainwear to warm winter layers. While outdoor play is essential for children’s development and well-being, not everyone has equal access to the clothing and equipment needed to enjoy time outside safely and comfortably.

High-quality outdoor gear can be expensive — especially for growing children and for adults new to the outdoors. This presents a barrier in many early childhood education settings: when children arrive without weather-appropriate clothing, educators often have no choice but to shorten outdoor time or stay inside entirely on colder or wetter days.

At the Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play, we’re working to change that.

The Outdoor Gear Library: What It Is and Who It’s For

To remove barriers to outdoor learning and play, we’ve developed an Outdoor Gear Library at our Forest Explorers program that provides seasonally appropriate clothing and equipment for:

• Children in the Forest Explorers program
• Educators in the program, including supply staff
• Families, as a backup resource for those that do have gear but may need to replace wet or lost items during the day (families are also welcome to borrow items for longer periods of time when needed)

Children’s Gear Available:

• Base layers
• Socks
• Boots
• Sweaters
• Snowsuits
• Mittens
• Neck warmers
• Toques
• Sun shirts
• Rain suits (muddy buddies)

The gear library has been generously funded by Walton’s Trust, the Ottawa Community Foundation, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and Patagonia Ottawa. The goal of this program is to ensure that all children — whether or not their families can supply gear — can participate fully and comfortably in outdoor learning and play.

Expanding Access for Educators

Educators also need access to proper gear to facilitate year-round outdoor play, but not all staff own or can afford it. This is especially true for:

• Supply educators, who may work in outdoor programs irregularly and therefore haven’t invested in gear
• Educators new to Canada, who may be unfamiliar with the specific gear required for Canadian seasons

To support them, we are expanding the adult section of our gear library. Thanks to our recent partnership with Patagonia Ottawa, we’ve been able to add rain jackets for every educator in our program. Our first priority was securing winter gear such as snow pants and sweaters, and we’re continuing to grow the library season by season.

Tips and Tricks We’ve Learned Along the Way

To manage gear lending efficiently, we’ve developed a few systems that have helped:

• QR Code Tracking: We use QR-coded labels and an inventory system to keep track of large items like coats and boots. This helps us know who has borrowed what, and which items are most in demand.
• Simplified Tracking for Small Items: Smaller items like mittens and hats aren’t tracked individually to reduce administrative overhead and ensure the process stays simple for educators and families.

Looking Ahead: Sustainability and Equity

We’re committed to growing our gear library in ways that support both environmental and social sustainability. Our future goals include:

• Partnering with retailers to offer discounts on outdoor gear, making it more affordable for educators and families
• Hosting clothing swaps for educators and families to promote reuse and reduce reliance on buying new
• Expanding access to gear libraries across more childcare centres

Everyone deserves the chance to learn, play, and thrive outdoors — no matter the weather or their budget.