Play to Thrive, a white paper produced by Maximum City, makes the case for the fundamental importance of play for children's ability to learn and thrive in the 21st century. The report provides an overview of the current state of global crises, how play may help children navigate these crises, why it is important to...
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...
Funding for Outdoor Play in Canada supports funders and grant seekers in finding common ground and building partnerships to advance the multiple issue areas that overlap with outdoor play. To find out more about current themes and trends, read the full Funding for Outdoor Play in Canada Report here....
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...
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,...
A Common Vision for Increasing Physical Activity and Reducing Sedentary Living in Canada: Let’s Get Moving Report, a national policy document by the Public Health Agency of Canada, provides guidance on ways to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary living. The Common Vision is guided by five interdependent principles: Physical Literacy, Life Course, Population Approach,...
Streets for Pandemic Response & Recovery, by the National Association of City Transportation Officials and Global Designing Cities Initiative, is a report that provides cities with strategies to redesign and adapt their streets for new uses during the COVID-19 pandemic and in recovery. Among their recommendations is the prioritization of policies and network strategies for...
The COVID-19 Well-Being Risk Assessment (COBRA) Study, produced by Maximum City, is an ongoing survey of the behaviours, feelings, and opinions of Canadian children and youth (as reported themselves) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal is to understand the impact COVID-19 related disruptions have on children and youth and identify gaps in support. Regularly updated...
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...
