Power of Play – Watch NOW!
The Power of Play documentary is now out! Watch unusual inter-species animals play and communicate, as top play scientists examine the root and importance of play among humans and animals....
31 January, 2019
Professional Development
Canadian Parks Conference set to take place October 2019!
Save the date! The 2019 Canadian Parks Conference is set to take place in Quebec City on October 7 to 10. Join over 400 Canadian and international professionals and partners from all sectors of society who plan to meet and make positive change to support healthy nature and healthy people, for our generation and the one to come. The conference is focused on expanding Canada’s collective awareness, understanding and appreciation of the...
23 January, 2019
The Power of Play: releasing January 20th
On January 20th, 2019 at 8pm, The Nature of Things will be releasing a documentary called The Power of Play. In addition to talking about the importance of play in children, the documentary touches on play in mammals, amphibians, reptiles and even insects! We know humans and pets love to play, but it is interesting to watch some unusual...
08 January, 2019
Risk, fear and excitement: why kids NEED it
Mariana Brussoni, an injury prevention researcher and developmental psychologist at the University of British Columbia is concerned we are keeping our kids too safe. Children require the mental and physical space to figure out appropriate risk levels for themselves, writes Dr. Brussoni in an article titled Why kids need risk, fear and excitement in play. It is...
21 November, 2018
Unleashing the Power of Play: Research from the International Play Association 20th Triennial Conference
From November 1-15, EVERYONE can download a copy of the Special Issue of Children, Youth and Environments at www.jstor.org/stable/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.28.issue-2 Please share this important journal with everyone....
01 November, 2018
Healthy Parks, Healthy People Forum set for May 2019 in Ottawa
With a growing body of evidence supporting the link between a healthy environment and healthy society, the Healthy Parks, Healthy people movement which originally launched in Australia, has expanded to receive global attention. In May (1-2) 2019, Ottawa will be hosting the two day Healthy Parks, Healthy People Forum to bring together parks and recreation professionals,...
22 October, 2018
Levelling the Playing Fields: Strategies to Promote Outdoor Play 2018 Roundtable
From September 27th-29th, 2018, the University of British Columbia Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies hosted the Levelling the Playing Fields: Strategies to Promote Outdoor Play 2018 Roundtable. The goal of the roundtable was to develop a (research) strategy for systematically creating opportunities for outdoor play in schools and communities in Canada. Learn more about this...
27 September, 2018
Report Sheds Light on Outdoor Education in City Parks
"The Classroom in Open Air" Project, by Naomi W. Reichstein The Classroom in Open Air Project, by Naomi W. Reichstein for the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, aimed to examine which Vancouver-area schools use parks, which parks are most popular for school use, which subjects are taught outdoors, and what other school-based activities occur in...
02 August, 2018
Gathering Strength: Framework for Recreation in Canada 2018 Forum
From May 8-10, 2018, the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association hosted The Gathering Strength: Framework for Recreation in Canada 2018 Forum, to build relationships, continue dialog and work in cooperation towards achieving the values, goals, and priorities identified in the 2015 A Framework for Recreation in Canada – Pathways to Wellbeing. Forum sessions focused on...
08 May, 2018
2018 Parks Summit – Activate Ottawa Parks
On April 21st, 2018, Ecology Ottawa hosted their annual summit, with the theme Activate Ottawa Parks. The goal of the summit was to foster relationships between people in the community, generate ideas for ongoing participation, and build momentum to make Ottawa parks even better. Learn more about the 2018 Summit here, and about other events hosted...
21 April, 2018