SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2025 — Ottawa, Canada – Outdoor play is as advantageous for adults as it is for children and should be integrated more often into healthcare practice, according to new global research released today by Outdoor Play Canada. A three-year study and consultations with more than 200 global experts representing all inhabited continents found...
(This posting was originally published on the HALO website) Congratulations to OPC team members Drs. Mark Tremblay (OPC Board President), Louise de Lannoy (Executive Director) and Maeghan James (Postdoctoral fellow) on their presentations at the International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) Congress, June 11-14, 2025! See the presentations below. Duncan S, Tremblay MS, de Lannoy...
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...
From Dec 7-10, OPC held an intensive workshop in Seoul, South Korea on the 10th anniversary update to the Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play. This 3-day meeting was led by the executive team for this project: OPC Executive Director, Dr. Louise de Lannoy, OPC President, Dr. Mark Tremblay and OPC Secretary, Dr. Eun-Young Lee...
Save the Date! The Breath of Fresh Air Summit 2025 will run from September 25-27, 2025 at the Ottawa Forest and Nature School and Wesley Clover Parks Campground in Ottawa ON! This three-day Outdoor Play Summit will bring together thought leaders, practitioners, researchers, and policy makers from across Canada and internationally to connect and share best outdoor...
Thank you to Sarah Forrest, second year journalism student at Carleton University, for providing this post. Outdoor risky play is key for childhood development, says Canadian Paediatric Society, but it’s not quite so simple. In a statement released on Jan. 25, CPS defined risky play as “thrilling and exciting forms of free play that involve uncertainty of...
This post was originally published on After Babel. Thank you to Dr. Mariana Brussoni, Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia, for providing this post. [Preface from Jon Haidt:] In April 2023 I was invited to give a lecture at the University of British Columbia. As long as I was flying out to Vancouver, I wanted...
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,...
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...
The 2015 Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play served as a galvanizing force for the outdoor play sector in Canada and inspiration for stakeholders globally. It brought together previously disconnected groups from education, community, health, environment, wildlife, ecology, law, and Indigenous rights that collectively shared a passion for outdoor play. The Position Statement provided direction...
