Health, Wellbeing & Development

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...

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...

Take Me Outside Day is back for its 13th year, helping raise awareness and advocating for outdoor learning by helping educators and learners feel inspired to head outside and learn beyond the four walls of a classroom!  From Oct 16th - 20th, thousands of educators and learners will come together to participate in a week of...

Thank you to Dr. Ole Sando, Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Education and Health at Queen Maud University in Trondheim, Norway, for providing this post. Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) institutions offer young children an environment with play opportunities that contribute to their development. The complexity of early childhood learning led to the...

In the last ten years, we have seen a groundswell in outdoor and nature-based preschools and an abundance of outdoor play-based learning programs situated on or near school grounds across North America. The possibilities for play are endless, yet the challenges many educators face are equal in measure. It is important to think through our...

The Outdoor Learning Store is partnering with over 70 other non-profit partners to offer Free Fall Outdoor Learning Virtual Workshops! Sign-up to join some/all of these 60-min sessions: Naturally Inclusive: Engaging Children of All Abilities Outdoors Wild Learning: Practical Ideas to Bring Teaching Outdoors Outdoor Learning through Patterns in Nature Connecting Children...

We're happy to share the launch of Ottawa's first "Outdoor Play Grief Support Group," now open for Fall Registration! Our partner at Playful Mindset is "disrupting adverse childhood experiences and supporting children's mental health through outdoor play and play-based learning." This first Outdoor Play Grief Support Group, facilitated by multidisciplinary playmakers, provides a space where children...

This post was originally published by the Outdoor Learning Store. August 9th is the International Day of Indigenous Peoples. The 2023 International Day of Indigenous Peoples, under the title of “Indigenous youth as agents of change for self-determination”, revindicates the role that indigenous youth must occupy in decision-making while recognizing their dedicated efforts in climate action, the search...

Organizations that provide physical activity programs for individuals with disabilities are often required to do evaluations to secure funding, show impact to board members and stakeholders, and understand their ability to grow. However, programs are difficult to evaluate due to their complexity and competing organizational priorities. There are also very few resources to support evaluation...