YMCA's National Playing to Learn curriculum was expanded upon by YMCA of Southwestern Ontario to shift the focus of the program towards self-directed and unstructured risky play for children, to support children's curiosities and interests while also building their resilience and confidence. Their curriculum is rooted in research on the association between outdoor play and...
The Trottibus is a walking school bus project initiated by the Canadian Cancer Society to help elementary school children walk to school together in the morning, accompanied by parents and volunteers. The program aims to promote physical activity among children, parents, and volunteers, all while reducing car traffic around schools. Just like with a school...
Between 2016 and 2018, EcoKids worked with 6 school communities in the Toronto District School Board to implement the OPAL pilot program. The Transform Lab, led by Dr. Raktim Mitra, Associate Professor in the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Ryerson University, evaluated that pilot project. The researchers found that the OPAL program led...
The Government of Canada has put together the Risk mitigation tool for outdoor recreation spaces and activities operating during the COVID-19 pandemic to assist those responsible for parks and outdoor recreational places and programming (e.g. federal/provincial/territorial and local/municipal authorities, Indigenous leadership, sports and recreation organizations and coaches and leaders) in considering risks associated with operating their...
Active for Life helps Canadians raise physically literate kids. At activeforlife.com parents and educators will find fun activities, engaging articles, and free resources to get kids active, healthy and happy. In this podcast, Dr. Brussoni explores the value of risky play and our perceptions of risk when it comes to kids’ play. She shares ideas about...
This learning brief, developed by Parachute, explains the characteristics and benefits of unstructured outdoor play and risky play. To access the learning brief, visit parachute.ca/en/injury-topic/playgrounds-and-play-spaces/unstructured-outdoor-play-and-risky-play....
This learning brief, developed by Parachute, describes key benefits of playgrounds and play spaces, including the benefits of risky play in these settings. It also guides parents on how they can ensure their child’s safety while also allowing their child to explore and develop. To access the learning brief, visit parachute.ca/en/injury-topic/playgrounds-and-play-spaces/....
The Supreme Court of British Columbia accepted the Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play and 2015 ParticipACTION Report Card as ‘social fact’ and ‘authority’ evidence and ruled in favour of the District of Saanich that it was not negligent in a case involving a child and outdoor play (a game of grounders). Click here to read...
The Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health (CCMOH) Statement supports and endorses the Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play. Click here to read the CCMOH Statement....
As a “How-To Guidebook,” the Outdoor PLAYbook offers a selection of leading research and best practices for school grounds in the following areas: landscape architecture, sustainable design, economic and phasing strategies, child development, injury prevention, and outdoor educational opportunities. The Outdoor PLAYbook was funded by the Vancouver School Board and won an award in 2017 from the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects. The Outdoor PLAYbook is available at www.outdoorplaybook.ca....
