Thank you to Dr Monica McGlynn-Stewart, professor at George Brown College, for providing this guest post. In our recent article we discuss a three-year qualitative research study (2020-2023) in which we explored the impact on early years educators’ knowledge, perspectives, and pedagogies when introduced to Indigenous perspectives on Land-Based Learning in 10 urban preschool early learning...
Celebrating One Year of Outdoor Play at the CCOP On June 26th, the Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play (CCOP) hosted its first-ever Open House to celebrate one year of the Forest Explorers licensed outdoor early learning program and launch of the CCOP at Wesley Clover Parks. Families, educators, and community members joined us for an evening...
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...
Thank you to Ivana Polackova, Dr. Louise de Lannoy, and Taylor Bradbury for providing this post. This post is featured on Ciernalabu. Less than five per cent of Canadian teenagers spend at least two hours a day outdoors in physical activity – despite the fact that this very time frame brings significant benefits for their mental well-being...
Thank you to Dr. Kerry Crofton for providing this post. This article was originally published in Mindful. In the summer of 2014, I participated in the first-ever digital detox retreat, Camp Grounded in Northern California. My camp name was Momma Zen. Each morning, I led mindfulness practice to ease the adult campers’ edgy tech cravings, guiding them through simple breath...
This posting was originally published on the HALO Research Group website Congratulations to Brianna Nasrallah for presenting her Master’s research on the 2025 Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play at Carleton University’s Health Science Research Day! Brianna was also awarded the 2025 Best Graduate Poster! Brianna’s poster reviewed the development of the Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play and...
The Outdoor Play Canada 2025 Awards will be presented at this year’s Breath of Fresh Air Outdoor Play Summit! If you know of an individual or organization that has demonstrated exceptional commitment and leadership in the promotion of outdoor play, nominate them for an OPC award! Award categories include: 2023 OPC Honour Award Dr. Mariana Brussoni...
We have exciting news, Outdoor Play Enthusiasts! Due to popular demand, we've extended the deadlines for both Breath of Fresh Air (BoFA) workshop proposals and Early Bird registration! New Deadlines: Workshop Proposals: You now have until Friday, April 11th, to submit your proposal! We are seeking presentations and workshops, a mix of sessions that will be hands-on or minds-on for attendees,...
As part of our commitment to equitable access and national representation, Outdoor Play Canada is pleased to announce two grants to support attendance at the Breath of Fresh Air (BoFA) Summit 2025! The BoFA Travel Grant will support travel to the 2025 Breath of Fresh Air (BoFA) Outdoor Play Summit in Ottawa, Ontario, for up to 15...
Thank you to Iryna Demchenko for providing this post. This post summarizes a service spotlight article titled “Celebrating a decade of the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance and its Global Matrix initiative,” recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Regular physical activity is important for children's growth and development. However, in the last decades,...
