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Policy Practice Research

State of the Sector Report

  • All
  • COVID-19
  • Cross-Sectoral Connections
  • Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
  • Health, Wellbeing & Development
  • Indigenous Peoples and Place-Based Outdoor Play
  • Outdoor Play Environments
  • Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play
  • Professional Development
  • Research & Data Collection
  • Safety & Outdoor Play

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...

11 May, 2026

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 April 10th 2026, two of us from the SPROUT-able team had the opportunity to attend the Belonging Outdoors: Nature-Based Early Learning-Gathering, listening, reflecting...

05 May, 2026

Thank you to CPCHE for providing this post.  Today is Healthy Environments for Learning Day (HELD)! We’re proud to join over 50 organizations in Canada calling for healthy, sustainable and climate-resilient outdoor learning and play settings for all children. Evidence shows that natural outdoor settings with tree canopies and natural surfacing are not only beneficial to...

23 April, 2026

Trans Canada Trail is conducting a national research study to better understand the current state of trails across the country, including how people use trails, what helps or gets in the way of access, and how trails are experienced in different communities. The survey takes about 10-15 minutes to complete and is anonymous. Take the survey here! Discover...

25 March, 2026

BugQuest is a free national biodiversity engagement program run through the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics at the University of Guelph. The project connects insect sampling and DNA barcoding with schools and community sites across Canada, helping participants explore the insect biodiversity in their own area while contributing to a larger research effort.   Host sites receive a trap...

25 March, 2026

Thank you to Learning by Nature for providing this guest post. Learning by Nature is a national movement of students, teachers, and school communities enhancing and stewarding nature on their school grounds. They support tracking biodiversity on school grounds and making small enhancements at a large scale. Last year, they funded 104 Student Climate and Biodiversity...

17 March, 2026

Thank you to Rune Storli (rus@dmmh.no), Professor in Physical Education and Health at Queen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education, Norway, for providing this post.  This article explores the Granåsen Nature Playground, built in Trondheim, Norway, in the autumn of 2024. The playground was designed using research-based principles and evidence about children’s play, learning and...

10 March, 2026

This article written by Josh Fullan was originally published in Spacing After years of relatively mild winters, the darkest season is once again bringing sustained cold and abundant snow to Canadian cities. And if spring excites thoughts of romance in some of us, then winter is for generalized complaining. Toronto sank into a polar freeze sometime around...

05 March, 2026

This article written by Marnie Power and Linsey Sherman-Zekulin was originally published in The Philanthropist   A partnership between a family foundation and a grassroots charity demonstrates what happens when two organizations trust each other enough to shift power, follow community wisdom, and explore an idea without prescribing what it must become. Three years ago, Playful Mindset and...

20 February, 2026

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...

29 January, 2026
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