We are seeking nominations for the Outdoor Play Canada Board Finance Committee! See terms of reference for the Finance committee in the affiliated link: Finance Committee. Purpose The purpose of the Finance Committee is to assist the President, Executive Director, and/or the Board of Directors of Outdoor Play Canada (OPC) by acting on behalf of the full...
Going outdoors with young children is beneficial. Indigenous people have learned on the land for many generations. Many outdoor early childhood programs have been modelled after Scandinavian and Northern European programs where children spend the majority of the day outside. In the last 15 years outdoor and land-based (OLB) early childhood programs have expanded across...
This article was originally published in Children, Youth and Environments 36(1), 2026 When we published our paper “Environmental Scan of Child and Youth Outdoor Play-Based Projects, Programs, Activities and Services Available in Canada during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” pandemic-related restrictions were in full swing in Canada, and thankfully, educators and administrators were reacting by bringing the learning...
Louise de Lannoy1, Brianna Nasrallah2, Nicholas Hayhow 3, Ulises Charles-Rodriguez4, Kimberly Squires5, Zainab Badruddin6, Justin J Lang2,7, Shawnda A Morrison8, Po-Yu Wang9, Mark S Tremblay1,2, Eun-Young Lee1,2,10,11 provided this post (affiliations can be found at the end of this post). We, as a global society, have shifted our lives such that the vast majority of our...
This post was written by Louise de Lannoy, Michael Down, Javier Sayavera, Peter Bentsen, Richard Larouche, Eun-Young Lee, Leigh Vanderloo, Lærke Mygind, Trish Tucker, Avril Johnstone, Alessandra Prioreschi, Stephanie Prince Ware, Maeghan James, Arlene McGarty alongside the other 11 co-authors of this manuscript (see all names and affiliations below). Highlights Active outdoor play is linked with...
The importance of outdoor play and learning in the lives of children and communities has never been greater. Growing evidence reveals the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social benefits of outdoor activity for children. Despite these benefits, trends toward indoor lifestyles, urbanization, digital entertainment and schooling, and safety concerns have led to a notable decline in...
This article was originally published by Let Grow. Canadian schools begin implementing Let Grow’s independence-building programs, supported by new leadership and philanthropic backing nationwide. CANADA, January 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Let Grow, the nonprofit championing childhood independence, has moved its Canadian expansion plans into action. Canadian schools are now implementing programs such as the Let Grow Play Club...
We are now accepting nominations for the Outdoor Play Canada Board of Directors and Subcommittees! Please see details below: We are looking for individuals to join our Board of Directors who are: OPC members (this is a requirement; if you're not a member, please join to be eligible for consideration (it's free!): https://www.outdoorplaycanada.ca/join-us/ Involved in outdoor play initiatives in...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="center" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][message type="normal" border="no" background_color="#5dc269"]The 2025 Outdoor Play Canada Awards were presented at the biennnial Breath of Fresh Air Outdoor Play Summit at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, Canada.[/message][/vc_column][/vc_row] [vc_empty_space height="64px"] [icons icon="fa-trophy" size="fa-4x" type="normal" icon_animation="" link="" target="_blank" icon_color="#3f8963" position="center"] [vc_empty_space height="32px"] Policy Award [vc_empty_space height="32px"] The Outdoor Play Canada Policy Award recognizes and celebrates...
September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, an opportunity for the public to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools, the intergenerational harm they caused to Indigenous families and communities, and to honour those affected by this injustice. This federal holiday is an effort on behalf of the Government of Canada...
