Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt, Professor at the University of Ottawa and Chair of the Royal Society of Canada’s Working Group on Children and Schools, recently wrote an Op Ed piece for the Globe and Mail, entitled: ‘Physical activity – the forgotten core area of child development during the pandemic’.

In the piece Dr. Vaillancourt highlights the observation that efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have disproportionately impacted children and youth, due to the closure of schools and after-school programs. Moreover, while much attention has been placed on academic losses and mental health crises over the past year, far less has been paid to the loss in opportunities for physical activity and play. Given the importance of movement and physical activity for mental, physical, emotional, and cognitive development, Dr. Vaillancourt calls for policy makers, educators, and health professionals to prioritize getting children and youth back into outdoor play and sport.

Read the full article in the Globe and Mail here.