The Wanuskewin Heritage Park interpretive playground in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, designed by Earthscape Play in collaboration with Crosby Hanna & Associates, was designed as an inviting space for children to explore and challenge themselves while making subtle connections (gathering circles, bison sculpture, rubbing rock) to the cultures and stories of the many Indigenous Peoples who have...
Mentoring Nature Connections is a British Columbia-based blog dedicated to supporting teachers in gaining confidence with outdoor teaching and learning. Resources on this site focus on Reggio-inspired practices, including: Student-led learning Collaboration between parents, teachers, other community members Use of '100 languages' to communicate Environment as a third teacher Teacher as a facilitator Loose parts...
The Lion and The Mouse, a Montreal-based community organization that facilitates outdoor play programs in the city, offers Pop-Up Adventure Playgrounds in line with the work of Pop-Up Adventure Play. By introducing loose parts and inviting children to lead the way, these Pop-Ups encourage the re-appropriation of public space for play and nurture a culture...
Spotlight: Creativity, A 2020 HundrED research report, by the LEGO Foundation and hundrED, highlights leading education innovations from around the world, including the Walking Curriculum, a Canadian initiative led by Gillian Judson that aims develop students’ Sense of Place and enrich their curricular learning through 60 different walks. Check out the full Spotlight Creativity Report here....
Room to Play Consulting, led by Megan Zeni, aims to transform children’s experiences of school through outdoor play and learning, shift perceptions towards play as a legitimate pedagogical approach, and support teachers in getting more kids outdoors more often. Room to Play offers professional development for teachers on all things outdoor play that includes: Cross-curricular...
The Playgroundology blog advocates for a wider variety of play opportunities for kids in public spaces. Since 2010, the blog has published 450 posts about play in various locations around the world that have been read by parents, play enthusiasts, practitioners, and policy makers in over 200 countries. The award-winning blog is referenced by readers...
Bushkids provides training, mentorship, consultancy and advocacy work to support healthy relationships with ourselves, each other, and the Land. Their mentorship program works with teachers, and their students, to help them feel comfortable implementing on-the-Land learning into their pedagogical approaches delivered in the public school system. Learn more about Bushkids here....
Play Training is a workshop led by PLAYLearnThink and is geared towards anyone whose work impacts children. Half-day workshops provide an overview of the importance of play for children's development and guide participants in engaging in loose parts play. Full-day workshops build on the half-day program and offer additional training in play-based concepts such as...
Adventure PlayDays is a program led by PLAYLearnThink that aims to nurture children's global well-being and development through opportunities for self-directed play and learning. Outdoor spaces at schools and communities are filled with loose parts and tools to spark children's imagination, encourage whole family play, and strengthen community ties. PLAYLearnThink also offers Parent Engagement Adventure...
Naturalized Outdoor Play Areas at Schools to Support Physical Activity and Health - A Rapid Review, by Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, was conducted to raise awareness, inform, and shape school ground greening plans, policies and related initiatives. Topics in this review include diversity and quality of play, age and gender variations, interest, ability and...
