From 2015-2017, Vivo for Healthier Generations implemented its Play Ambassadors pilot outdoor play program in north-central Calgary. The goals of this program were to: 1) Increase unstructured, outdoor play through the creation of enriching environments for play. 2) Increase the quality of unstructured, outdoor play by training community members as Play Ambassadors in an evidence-based curriculum for...
YMCA's National Playing to Learn curriculum was expanded upon by YMCA of Southwestern Ontario to shift the focus of the program towards self-directed and unstructured risky play for children, to support children's curiosities and interests while also building their resilience and confidence. Their curriculum is rooted in research on the association between outdoor play and...
Between 2016 and 2018, EcoKids worked with 6 school communities in the Toronto District School Board to implement the OPAL pilot program. The Transform Lab, led by Dr. Raktim Mitra, Associate Professor in the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Ryerson University, evaluated that pilot project. The researchers found that the OPAL program led...
In 2016, YYC Plays developed the Calgary Play Charter, a unifying document outlining why we believe play is important and how, in working together, we can create a community that supports and encourages comprehensive play opportunities for all Calgary children. The creation of the Play Charter was generously funded by The Lawson Foundation as part...
Outsideplay.ca is an online tool to help parents and caregivers confidently allow their kids to engage in more outdoor play. It is a collaborative initiative between University of British Columbia(UBC), BC Children's Hospital, and the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit to support parents and practitioners in finding a more balanced approach towards risky play,...
