On October 21st, 2020, Take Me Outside (TMO) Day celebrated its 10-year anniversary, with more than 225,000 students and teachers participating across Canada. TMO activities also extended throughout the year, with the TMO Learning Challenge, a weekly outdoor challenge throughout the school year, and the 2020 Winter Challenge, a mid-winter outdoor challenge. To support educators...
Frontier College Summer Literacy Camps is a play-based learning partnership with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit (FNMI) communities across Canada. Each camp is unique, reflecting the identity, diversity, and priorities of the partner community. Camp programming is designed to inspire a lifelong love of reading. Camp is a community-wide event, featuring participation from parents, Elders,...
Get Outside & Play is an Alberta-based organization that supports nature connection and outdoor experiences for young children. Resources include online training sessions on play and learning, inspirational blog posts, as well as how-to guides on topics such as dressing for the weather, teaching the 4 elements, and outdoor play for parents and children. Check out...
Le Projet Alex, launched by Association québécoise des CPE, is an initiative to support early childhood education services in bringing learning outdoors and exploring education by and through nature. Included as part of this initiative is a Frame of References document that lays the foundation for nature-based education in Quebec, which includes research highlights, their...
The PLEY (Physical Literacy and the Early Years) Project focused on improving physical literacy, physical activity and active outdoor play in Nova Scotia preschoolers through the integration of loose parts. Main findings of this project were summarized in a public-facing report and published in research-grade journals, were shared at the Summer of PLEY event in...
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...
COVID-19 guidance for schools Kindergarten to Grade 12, produced by the Government of Canada, was developed to support administrators and public health authorities in considering potential risks and mitigation strategies associated with the resumption of in-school classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The document provides guidance on topics including: play while maintaining physical distancing, shared recreation...
The Saskatchewan Prevention Institute is an organization that strives for excellence in primary prevention and knowledge translation, transfer, and exchange. Their knowledge products include pages on Play and Risk in Play, with definitions, tips, and resources (including a webinar featuring Outdoor Play Canada leadership group member, Dr. Mariana Brussoni). See the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute's Play page...
Right to Play: A fundamental necessity for healthy development! is a fact sheet co-published by the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children and International Play Association Canada that outlines areas of action to promote children's play. Areas of action include: Promoting awareness among parents, caregivers, education professionals, recreation leaders, planners, decision makers on the importance...
KidActive provided secretariat support for a collaborative leadership model to co-ordinate and gather existing and potential resources, social networks, data, opportunities and insights to further the reach and deepen the impact of the Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play across Canada. KidActive convened the Canadian Outdoor Play Working Group, which evolved into Outdoor Play Canada....
