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This article was originally published by the Canadian Pediatric Society. Safety measures that aim to protect children can become harmful when they are too restrictive, says Dr. Émilie Beaulieu, paediatrician in Quebec City and lead author of a new position statement on the importance of risky play. “Children should be kept as safe as necessary during play,...

Thank you to Dr. Tanya Halsall, the Royal Ottawa, and Laurel Donison, Brock University, for providing this post. Outdoor and nature-based activities promote better health and academic outcomes for children, where the school context represents a critical opportunity to support increased outdoor time. However, outdoor learning is not implemented consistently across school contexts, and as such,...

Thank you to Dr. Tanya Halsall, The Royal Ottawa, for providing this post. Researchers at Carleton University are looking for volunteers for an outdoor learning study. The project aims to examine the experiences of educators and students who are teaching and learning outdoors and decision-makers shaping outdoor learning policies to explore the factors that influence success and...

November 20th is World Children’s Day, UNICEF’s annual day of action for children, by children, marking the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Today and everyday, make space for children and youth to raise their voices on the issues that matter to them. Learn more here!   ...

Thank you to Christina Han, Research Coordinator with the PlayOutside Lab, for providing this post. Dr. Mariana Brussoni and her research team at the University of British Columbia are excited to share https://teacher.outsideplay.org, a free online tool designed to help teachers support outdoor play and learning in elementary schools. The Outdoor Play and Learning tool was...

POSITION: MSc / PhD Studentship Opportunity (through Carleton University)  PERIOD: January 2024 (for 2 years - MSc, 3 years - PhD)   SALARY: MSc: $20,000 annually + $1000 Professional Development Allowance – for two years  PhD: $25,000 annually + $2500 Professional Development Allowance – for three years  REPORTS TO: Dr. Mark Tremblay, Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research...

[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 2023 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"] Honour Award [vc_empty_space height="32px"] The Outdoor Play Canada Honour Award is the highest...

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...

Sold out third biennial Summit hosted at Wesley Clover Parks Sept. 27-29  SEPTEMBER 27, 2023 – Ottawa, Canada – The sold-out Breath of Fresh Air Summit (BoFA – https://outdoorplaysummit.ca/) is a three-day Outdoor Play Summit where thought leaders, practitioners, researchers and policy makers connect – outdoors – and share best practices for promoting and supporting outdoor...

Thank you to Megan Gilbertson from PHE Canada for providing this post. Save the date! The first annual National Healthy Schools Week is October 2-6, 2023! National Healthy Schools Week is a kickoff event for schools to prioritize, plan, and engage in Healthy School conversations early in the school year. This week-long initiative is unique to each...