Schoolyards Count, produced by Kelly Gallagher-Mackay (Wilfrid Laurier University), Christine Corso (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education), and Tammy Shubat (Ophea), reports on the quality of schoolyards across Ontario using data from citizen scientists. The report provides a review of why schoolyards matter for the health and wellbeing of students, a review of the gaps...
Inclusive Playgrounds, led by the Canadian Disability Participation Project, presents thirteen evidence-informed recommendations for designing inclusive playgrounds to enable participation for children with disabilities, provides a diagram of a potential inclusive playground illustrating how these recommendations can be implemented, and provides a short description of how the recommendations were identified. Check out the Inclusive Playgrounds Resource...
The Greenspace and Ecohealth Toolkit 2017, produced by Ecohealth Ontario, provides resources, guidance and assistance to those interested in making lasting improvements in community health through greenspace provision, access, and design. This resource aims to support policy makers and program deliverers in increasing opportunities for Ontario residents at all life stages to live, work, play,...
WILD CHILD is an free outdoor play program for families run by childREACH in London, ON. The program is run three times per week all year round (no matter the weather) and is held in local wooded areas to support play in natural settings. childREACH recently developed a new component of their program called WILD...
Recreate Place provides strategic planning, facilitation, design services, and activation support for communities that want to engage with children and youth to create better outdoor spaces and neighbourhoods. Child-friendly approaches are at the core of their work. They create age-appropriate, responsive processes that prioritize the meaningful participation of children and young people. They meet children where they are! Learn...
Scouts Canada has partnered with Hydro One to develop the Activity Finder, an online resource to support families in getting outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Activities include building a Quinzhee, creating snow sculptures, and learning to grow vegetables from food scraps. Check out the Activity Finder here. Watch the video from CTV News Ottawa about...
The Alberta Orienteering Association has put together the Neighborhood Adventure, a self-guided adventure for kids and families to get outdoors for some fun in their local neighborhoods. The adventure involves creating a map of your neighborhood, planning a route, and completing challenges online. Learn more and get started on the Neighborhood Adventure here....
In 2017, Peterborough Public Health undertook an extensive review of evidence related to outdoor playspaces for children in response to an observed increase in playground injury rates in Peterborough compared to the rest of the province. The review focuses on evidence related to the benefits of outdoor play, safety and risk, injury prevention, physical activity,...
UpLift for Healthier Generations, a policy initiative focused on unstructured outdoor play for children and youth in Nova Scotia, aims to promote community contribution to physical activity and complement school physical activity policy. The policy development framework of UpLift consists of the following: Examine child health and well-being in communities Develop a definition of unstructured...
Child Friendly Participatory Design by Evergreen is an approach in which experts in the field of child-friendly participation work with schools, municipalities, government, and the corporate sector to innovate sustainable, child-friendly public spaces and experiences. Meaningful involvement of children and young people is at the heart of Evergreen's work. This informational resource includes definitions of...
