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Policy Practice Research

Browse all content related to outdoor play and Research.

This article was originally published in Children, Youth and Environments 36(1), 2026 When we published our paper “Environmental Scan of Child and Youth Outdoor Play-Based Projects, Programs, Activities and Services Available in Canada during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” pandemic-related restrictions were in full swing in Canada, and thankfully, educators and administrators were reacting by bringing the......

02 July, 2026 /

Thank you to Owen Wiseman, director of Nature Quant, for providing this post! Beyond Access: Why Outdoor Play Needs Healthier Nature, Not Just More Space As a healthcare provider, I spend a lot of time talking with families about the foundations of health: sleep, movement, nutrition, stress, social connections, and daily routines. But one theme......

29 June, 2026 /

Thank you to Laurel Donison (Lecturer) and Marlene Frederick (Kindergarten Teacher and Forest School Course Instructor) with King’s University College at Western University for providing this post. Trail Blazers: King’s University College is implementing a Forest School Pedagogy and Practice course in the Childhood and Youth Studies Department.   A new trail is being blazed......

25 June, 2026 /

Louise de Lannoy1, Brianna Nasrallah2, Nicholas Hayhow 3, Ulises Charles-Rodriguez4, Kimberly Squires5, Zainab Badruddin6, Justin J Lang2,7, Shawnda A Morrison8, Po-Yu Wang9, Mark S Tremblay1,2, Eun-Young Lee1,2,10,11 provided this post (affiliations can be found at the end of this post).   We, as a global society, have shifted our lives such that the vast majority......

14 May, 2026 /

This post was written by Louise de Lannoy, Michael Down, Javier Sayavera, Peter Bentsen, Richard Larouche, Eun-Young Lee, Leigh Vanderloo, Lærke Mygind, Trish Tucker, Avril Johnstone, Alessandra Prioreschi, Stephanie Prince Ware, Maeghan James, Arlene McGarty alongside the other 11 co-authors of this manuscript (see all names and affiliations below). Highlights Active outdoor play is linked......

11 May, 2026 /

Trans Canada Trail is conducting a national research study to better understand the current state of trails across the country, including how people use trails, what helps or gets in the way of access, and how trails are experienced in different communities. The survey takes about 10-15 minutes to complete and is anonymous. Take the survey......

25 March, 2026 /

BugQuest is a free national biodiversity engagement program run through the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics at the University of Guelph. The project connects insect sampling and DNA barcoding with schools and community sites across Canada, helping participants explore the insect biodiversity in their own area while contributing to a larger research effort.   Host sites receive......

25 March, 2026 /

Thank you to  Dr. Richard Larouche, Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of Lethbridge, for providing this post. Which factors predict outdoor play in Canadian 7- to 12-year-olds?   Previous studies and literature reviews have consistently found that children who spend more time outdoors are more physically active and generally have better physical,......

23 January, 2026 /
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Environments, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Health, Wellbeing & Development, Outdoor ECE, Outdoor Play Environments, Physical Activity, Policy, Practice, Research, Risky Play, Safety & Outdoor Play, Statement, The Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play

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Kids with regular access to unstructured, child-directed outdoor play form a lasting, positive relationship with nature.