Thank you to Marnie Power for providing this post. This article was originally published in Playful Mindset. If you read early learning curriculum documents across Canada today, you might assume that play has always been central to how we understand children's learning. Many educators certainly knew this long before curriculum frameworks formally acknowledged it. But the policy...
Thank you to Dr. Louise de Lannoy, Executive Director, Outdoor Play Canada, and Kim Hiscott, Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Fleck Children's Services, for providing this post. Why play outside when its cold? What are the benefits? The health benefits of outdoor play are clear and wide-reaching… but what about in winter time? Is it safe to play...
Queen’s University invites you to a special online session, led by Dr. Eun-Young Lee, exploring key insights from the 2025 Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play, with a particular focus on inclusion and mental health. Marking a decade of global evidence, the Position Statement examines the vital connections between active outdoor play and pressing global issues such as...
Dr. Shawnda Morrison gave a presentation on OPC's global 2025 Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play to the World Health Organization Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA) Europe – Environment working group, which focuses on Environmental Approaches to HEPA in the European region. Dr. Morrison's presentation was titled “The 2025 Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play: A...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="center" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][message type="normal" border="no" background_color="#5dc269"]The 2025 Outdoor Play Canada Awards were presented at the biennnial Breath of Fresh Air Outdoor Play Summit at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, Canada.[/message][/vc_column][/vc_row] [vc_empty_space height="64px"] [icons icon="fa-trophy" size="fa-4x" type="normal" icon_animation="" link="" target="_blank" icon_color="#3f8963" position="center"] [vc_empty_space height="32px"] Policy Award [vc_empty_space height="32px"] The Outdoor Play Canada Policy Award recognizes and celebrates...
September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, an opportunity for the public to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools, the intergenerational harm they caused to Indigenous families and communities, and to honour those affected by this injustice. This federal holiday is an effort on behalf of the Government of Canada...
Thank you to Dr Monica McGlynn-Stewart, professor at George Brown College, for providing this guest post. In our recent article we discuss a three-year qualitative research study (2020-2023) in which we explored the impact on early years educators’ knowledge, perspectives, and pedagogies when introduced to Indigenous perspectives on Land-Based Learning in 10 urban preschool early learning...
Celebrating One Year of Outdoor Play at the CCOP On June 26th, the Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play (CCOP) hosted its first-ever Open House to celebrate one year of the Forest Explorers licensed outdoor early learning program and launch of the CCOP at Wesley Clover Parks. Families, educators, and community members joined us for an evening...
Canada’s four-season climate means that spending time outdoors year-round requires a lot of gear — from waterproof rainwear to warm winter layers. While outdoor play is essential for children’s development and well-being, not everyone has equal access to the clothing and equipment needed to enjoy time outside safely and comfortably. High-quality outdoor gear can be expensive...
Thank you to Ivana Polackova, Dr. Louise de Lannoy, and Taylor Bradbury for providing this post. This post is featured on Ciernalabu. Less than five per cent of Canadian teenagers spend at least two hours a day outdoors in physical activity – despite the fact that this very time frame brings significant benefits for their mental well-being...
