This post comes from Ms. Alison Whiting, Research Analyst with the Engineering Health Lab, University Health Network A research team based at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network in Toronto, is conducting a study on national/provincial park accessibility in Canada. The intended outcome of this research is to make recommendations to improve access at these...
Thank you to Dr. Tanya Halsall (University of Ottawa) and Dr. Louise de Lannoy (Outdoor Play Canada) for providing this post. This article was originally published in The Conversation. An important incidental change that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic has been our collective rediscovery of the outdoors. As we begin building back better, we have an opportunity...
Thank you to Roula Zougheibe, PhD Candidate at Curtin University, Australia, for providing this post. Active children and neighbourhood safety Children build up their recommended daily physical activity through organised sport, playing, walking, cycling and/or scootering to local destinations in their community. Our study “Is there a correlation between children’s outdoor active mobility behaviour and neighbourhood safety?...
July 29, 2021 A new report from the Lawson Foundation and Outdoor Play Canada, 'Funding for Outdoor Play in Canada' - released today - identifies funding trends as well as current and potential funders of outdoor play. Based on an environmental scan, a grant seeker survey, and interviews with funders, this report outlines the drivers of...
Congratulations to OPC Leadership Group member, Dr. Mariana Brussoni, on her new appointment as Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) at the University of British Columbia! Dr. Brussoni's appointment follows the recent leadership of Dr. Marin Guhn and Dr. Kim Schonert-Reichl, as well as the leadership of Dr. Clyde Hertzman, the founding director of...
Thank you to Dr. Nicholas Ravanelli and Dr. Shawnda Morrison for providing this post Are you feeling the heat this summer? The Active Heatwave study is being conducted by Dr. Nicholas Ravanelli (PhD, CSEP-CEP) and Outdoor Play Canada member Dr. Shawnda Morrison (PhD, CSEP-CEP), to investigate how children and adults perceive ambient temperature changes throughout the summer. Why...
On Friday, June 18th, OPC's Dr. Louise de Lannoy presented at the 2021 Virtual Play Conference, an annual educational conference held by the US Play Coalition. This year, due to pandemic restrictions, the conference was held online from April 1st to June 30th, 2021 with weekly networking events and presentations, recorded and available for viewing...
Thank you to Dr. Lauren Pinault, Statistics Canada, for providing this post. Greenness is linked to good health It may not surprise you to learn that living in areas that are surrounded by greenness, such as large trees, gardens, and natural vegetation, can be beneficial to our health. We have previously shown that higher levels of greenness around the home are associated with a lower risk...
You are invited to complete an anonymous survey on the major priorities and actions for the Canadian outdoor play sector (e.g., outdoor play oriented education, research, policy, organizations, community & youth programs) moving forward over the next five years. This survey is being done as part of a larger Outdoor Play in Canada State of the Sector Report, which will serve as an account...
Thank you to Susanna Abraham Cottagiri, Carleton University, for providing this post. The Public Health Agency of Canada estimates that only 9.3% of Canadian children and youth between the ages of 5 and 17 meet the recommended physical activity guidelines of 60 mins of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day. Active school commuting behaviours, such as walking...
