500 Days in the Wild is a new film that follows filmmaker Dianne Whelan through her six-year (a jaunt longer than the originally anticipated 500 days!) journey to cover the entire 24,000km of the Trans Canada Trail without a motor – by foot, bicycle, canoe, and kayak. Her story is one filled with joy and...
This post was originally published on After Babel. Thank you to Dr. Mariana Brussoni, Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia, for providing this post. [Preface from Jon Haidt:] In April 2023 I was invited to give a lecture at the University of British Columbia. As long as I was flying out to Vancouver, I wanted...
We are now accepting nominations for the Outdoor Play Canada Board of Directors! Please see details below: We are looking for individuals to join our Board of Directors who are: OPC members (this is a requirement; if you're not a member, please join to be eligible for consideration (it's free!): https://www.outdoorplaycanada.ca/join-us/ Involved in outdoor play initiatives in Canada (i.e.,...
SaskOutdoors was recently interviewed by CBC on why it is important to get outdoors in the winter, how to do so safely, and where to go for resources to support outdoor play in all seasons. In their chat, Justine Wheeler, Outdoor Play Coordinator for SaskOutdoors, gave a shout-out to Outdoor Play Canada and the Outdoor...
Momentum is building at an international scale around taking a more playful approach to learning in schools. To document this movement, Edutopia put together a Making Learning More Playful video series, documenting how six schools in four countries adopted a playful learning mindset. Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School (PETES) was among the four filmed, where principal...
Get Outside & Play is co-hosting their second annual Outdoor Play in the Early Years Conference! See details below. Dates: April 12 (evening) & April 13 (all day) Location: Calgary, Woodcliff United Church, and Edworthy Park Cost: $210 + GST Children need to be outdoors. This conference will inspire educators to be outside with children in a way that...
This article was originally published by the Canadian Pediatric Society. Safety measures that aim to protect children can become harmful when they are too restrictive, says Dr. Émilie Beaulieu, paediatrician in Quebec City and lead author of a new position statement on the importance of risky play. “Children should be kept as safe as necessary during play,...
Thank you to Dr. Tanya Halsall, the Royal Ottawa, and Laurel Donison, Brock University, for providing this post. Outdoor and nature-based activities promote better health and academic outcomes for children, where the school context represents a critical opportunity to support increased outdoor time. However, outdoor learning is not implemented consistently across school contexts, and as such,...
Thank you to Dr. Tanya Halsall, The Royal Ottawa, for providing this post. Researchers at Carleton University are looking for volunteers for an outdoor learning study. The project aims to examine the experiences of educators and students who are teaching and learning outdoors and decision-makers shaping outdoor learning policies to explore the factors that influence success and...
November 20th is World Children’s Day, UNICEF’s annual day of action for children, by children, marking the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Today and everyday, make space for children and youth to raise their voices on the issues that matter to them. Learn more here! ...
