April 24th is Healthy Environments for Learning Day, led by the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health & Environment! The 2025 campaign centers on protecting children from extreme heat in schools and child care settings (including outdoor play and learning spaces) in Canada. This campaign has been co-signed by 40+ organizations, including Outdoor Play Canada. Check-out the full...
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...
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,...
The Children, Youth, & Environments Network of the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA CYE) is thrilled to present an online webinar led by Louise Chawla, a Professor Emeritus in the Environmental Design Program at the University of Colorado Boulder. This webinar will explore the numerous benefits of connecting with nature while also addressing the challenges of...
Thank you to Taylor Bradbury, CHEO HALO Research Group Placement Student, Carleton University BHSc, for providing this post. It is widely accepted that time spent participating in outdoor physical activity (OPA) can have a positive impact on adolescent well-being, including mental health1. But how much OPA should youth be getting, and to what extent does it...
Get Outside and Play and Nature Play are hosting the Outdoor Play in the Early Years Conference again this year, May 2-4, 2025, in Calgary. There will be something for everyone. Whether you stay within the fenced yard or venture out to local natural spaces, the 28 sessions will inspire and offer new ideas. The conference starts...
Thank you to Rachel Ramsden, PhD student at the School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, for providing this post. When it comes to children’s experiences at early learning and child care (ELCC) centres, how much outdoor play are children actually participating in – and can it be improved? New research from the...
Thank you to Mads Bølling, Peter Elsborg, Lærke Mygind, Charlotte Demant Klinker, Glen Nielsen and Peter Bentsen for providing this post. Physical activity in schools is not just about keeping children active – it can also play a crucial role in supporting their learning and overall well-being. Many schools, especially in Western countries, have embraced outdoor...
Outdoor Play Canada is thrilled to announce that registration is now open, and we are currently accepting presentation/workshop submissions for the 2025 Breath of Fresh Air (BoFA) Outdoor Play Summit. The BoFA Outdoor Play Summit will once again take place at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, Ontario, from September 25-27, 2025, in partnership with the...
