After a school year that saw students spend hours in front of screens and little time playing outdoors, a shift appears to be happening this summer break. With many parents continuing to work from home, and summer camp programs closed or limited in capacity, children are suddenly experiencing the freedom to roam on their own. In...
On July 16th, 2020, Outdoor Play Canada Project Manager Dr. Louise de Lannoy spoke with CBC Ottawa regarding the reopening of outdoor playgrounds in Ontario. "When children are outdoors and when they’re playing, it gives them a sense of agency, a sense of control. It’s also important in times of stress and adversity to help them...
Thank you to Louise Zimanyi and Olga Rossovska, Professors of Early Childhood Education at Humber College, for providing this post. Two 150-year old crack willow trees surrounded by 250 acres of Carolinian forest, one of Canada’s most biologically diverse ecosystems, are the heart of The Willows forest nature program for children at the Child Development Centre...
On July 15th, 2020, Active Bradford hosted the virtual JU:MP (Join Us: Move Play) Play Symposium 2020 to explore play in the modern world with like minded people. Outdoor Play Canada Research Manager Louise de Lannoy spoke at the event about the founding of Outdoor Play Canada, its mission, and strategic direction moving through the...
In an article for the Ryerson City Building Institute, Ryerson Associate Professor, urban planner, and Outdoor Play Canada Leadership Team Member, Dr. Raktim Mitra describes the findings of his latest research on the importance of access to safe and welcoming outdoor space and maintaining healthy movement behaviours among Canadian kids during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a...
Press Release: Summer homework – get kids outside and recalibrate healthy lifestyles A national survey commissioned by ParticipACTION shows evidence of collateral damage to the lifestyles of Canadian children and youth consequent to public health restrictions imposed to help contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Restricted access to playgrounds, schools, childcare, playdates, and instructions to “stay home” have...
In a recent story for the newly-launched New Brunswick tourism website, Dr. Willi Broeren, a family doctor in Fredericton and an outdoors enthusiast, put together a compelling list of 8 benefits of spending time in nature, pulling from research in psychology, epidemiology, neuroscience, and medicine. The list includes: Spending time in nature makes us happy Access...
In a recent blog post for the Child & Nature Network, Trish O'Kane, lecturer at the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont, discusses her personal path to discovering nature as a source of healing, how her experiences motivated her to create a community-based course for undergraduate students to connect...
In a recent article for The Conversation, Negin Riazi, PhD Candidate, and Guy Faulkner, Professor, in the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia, discuss the importance of independent mobility for children's mental and physical health and development, the impact of COVID-19 on children's ability to get outdoors freely, as well as the...
In a note at the request of the Play Safety Forum (including Play England, Play Scotland, Play Wales and PlayBoard Northern Ireland), Professor David Ball, Tim Gill and Andy Yates summarized evidence on the effect of restricting children's play as it relates to 1) reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission, and conversely, 2) negatively impacting...
