Developed through the Voices of the Future project, funded by the UK Research Council, this toolkit draws on three years of research with families and young children in outdoor spaces. Listening to Children, Listening to Trees explores how outdoor play in places with trees can underpin early childhood practice, and how we can centre children’s...
The American Horticultural Society is pleased to introduce the AHS Youth Sensory Gardening Manual, a free new digital resource detailing how to design inclusive sensory gardens for children that engage the eight senses. The manual was created by AHS and written by Dr. Amy Wagenfeld, professor at University of Washington and past presenter at the AHS...
Developed by Ecosource, the Everywhere Nature Toolkit supports educators, families, and community leaders in fostering children’s connection to nature through outdoor play. Informed by consultations with teachers, early childhood educators, facilitators, and parents across the Region of Peel, the toolkit highlights the benefits of nature engagement, addresses barriers faced in diverse and lower-income communities, and...
This infographic highlights a community-based participatory research planning project led by Dr. Val Carson's team at the University of Alberta, regarding a forest school program at a local public school in Edmonton, Alberta. Download the PDF version here....
ActivePlay.ca, created by Active for Life, offers a rich collection of early childhood education resources designed to help children engage in physically active play every day. The site includes videos, posters, and evidence-informed articles on the benefits of active play available in 11 languages, making it an accessible tool for educators and families across diverse...
Active for Life has released a wide range of free, downloadable posters and activity guides to help families promote children's physical literacy including games, scavenger hunts, bingo cards and much more. These resources are available in 12 languages including Arabic, Chinese, French, Punjabi, Spanish, Ukrainian, Farsi and more! Find all posters here....
The SPROUT-able project aims to enhance the physical and social environments of outdoor childcare programs, support professional development for early childhood educators, and design evidence-based strategies to promote inclusive outdoor play. The SPROUT-able team has put together five videos and tip sheets to help caregivers and families wishing to support children with disabilities in engaging in...
Guidance on Nature Connection - Pre-birth to Age 5 Years A new Inspiring Scotland publication, Starting Out to Play, supports practitioners, working with parents, families, and carers, to make the most of the multiple benefits to health, well-being and learning found in connection to nature pre-birth to age 5. To ensure that all children aged 0-5 years have...
The Risky Play Position Statement for Young Australian Children has united professionals from medical, educational, and playground design disciplines representing government and not-for-profit sectors across Australia in providing an authoritative voice to advocate for risky play in children’s lives. Risky play is an inherent and critical component of young children’s play; yet, within Australia, risky play...
The Learning from Indigenous Perspectives: Land-Based Learning in the Early Years research project was a four-year initiative (2020-2024) based at The School of Early Childhood at George Brown College, Toronto, Ontario. It aimed to incorporate Indigenous perspectives and pedagogies into early years education. The project involved 20 educators from 10 childcare centres across Toronto. As the...
