Thank you to Cécile Tang (Project Coordinator) and Hannah Raudssus (Project Assistant) with the Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play’s SPROUT-able Project, for providing this post. 

On May 8th and 9th, two of us from the SPROUT-able team had the opportunity to attend and lead two workshops at the Early Years Outdoor Play Conference 2026 held in Espanola, ON. The conference was organized by Our Children, Our Future, and brought together approximately 130 educators at the Anishinabe Spiritual Centre in the LaCloche Foothills of Espanola. The beautiful location of the Anishinabe Spiritual Centre set the tone for the inspiring learning and engagement that occurred over the weekend. Despite the rain, spirits were high, and it was a very enjoyable experience full of connection and rich learning opportunities!

We had the privilege of having a booth with SPROUT-able materials and had the opportunity to participate in following keynote sessions and workshops: 

• Jessica Lajoie – Our Children, Our Future; From Barriers to Possibilities; Making Outdoor Play Work Anywhere 

• Samantha Walker & Teagan Hirsimaki – Risk for Reward: why risk and capability are key program components 

• Natalie Philippe – Public Health Sudbury & Districts & Active Sudbury; Everyday Play to Everyday Practice 

• Inviting the Land: How to create magical outdoor spaces using story, creatures and beginner Anishnaabemowin with Ann Cummings 

• Jouer, Réfléchir, Transférer : Jeux nature pour tous les âges avec Mathieu Lambert 

• Rooted & Regulated – Nurturing Neurodiversity with Nature with Jennifer Labelle 

 In between hosting a booth and attending as participants, we held two workshops. The first, titled “Exploring active outdoor play and learning for children with disabilities through case studies” allowed educators to explore two case studies on supporting children with disabilities. We split the group into small teams, with each team working through one of the two case studies. Educators were highly engaged in the case studies, discussing common challenges they face and sharing resources, strategies, and tools with one another. In this session, it was clear that many educators experience challenges when working with children with disabilities and having a collective space to learn from each other was both beneficial and inspiring.  

The second workshop we held titled “Supporting children with disabilities in active outdoor learning and play” focused on loose parts and how they can be used as a tool for inclusion. We invited educators to create a spot in nature that resonated with them. This spot could either be from their childhood or from the present day. Educators seemed to really enjoy this hands-on experience, engaging with the loose parts and conversing with fellow participants. After creating our special spots, those who wished to share did so with the group. This conversation naturally led to a discussion about loose parts and educators’ experiences using them to support children with disabilities. Key highlights from the conversation included educators’ enthusiasm for loose parts play and sharing that loose parts are a powerful tool for inclusion because they have no set outcomes or restrictions. Educators also shared that they have had great success bringing loose parts outdoors. The group spent some time discussing what exactly falls into the loose parts category. While educators shared differing opinions on what could be considered a loose part, the general consensus was that loose parts are any materials that allow children to make meaning from them, and that do not have a predetermined way to engage with them.  

 Thank you to the OCOF team and volunteers for organizing this conference! We look forward to participating in future editions. If you are interested in similar workshops, please feel free to reach out to our team. 

Overall, the conference was a wonderful and inspiring experience. It was heartening to see so many educators deeply committed to outdoor play and actively working to strengthen their practice. Gathering in such a beautiful, nature-filled setting made for truly meaningful conversations about the value and importance of outdoor play and left us feeling both energized and encouraged. Throughout the weekend, many educators expressed genuine interest in the SPROUT-able project, noting that our resources and materials would be a valuable addition to their practice. Check out our resources here!