In their newest article for The Conversation, Dr. John J Reilly, Professor of Physical Activity and Public Health Science, University of Strathclyde, and Dr. Mark Tremblay, Professor of Pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, discuss how children's outdoor play was in decline before the pandemic and now is in danger of becoming...
Thank you to Natasha Parent (PhD Student, University of British Columbia) for providing this post. Outdoor play – such as climbing, jumping, running or collecting things in nature – plays a critical role in children’s healthy development. However, over the past few decades, there has been a substantial decline in the amount of time Western children...
ReImagine RREC (Renew, Retool, Engage, Contribute) is a national COVID-19 recovery initiative led by the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA) and its partners and is supported by Sport Canada and the Government of Canada. ReImagine RREC aims to support administrators, policymakers, practitioners, and volunteers working in recreation, parks, and community sport to return to sustainable...
On February 17th, Strong Minds Strong Kids is hosting a webinar entitled 'How Nature Benefits Kids and Youth', featuring clinical psychologist Dr. Robin Alter. In the webinar Dr. Alter will discuss the evidence on the strong connection between nature and mental health and wellbeing. For more information and to register: How Nature Benefits Kids and Youth...
Thank you to Dr. Mark Tremblay, chair of Outdoor Play Canada, for providing this post. Active outdoor play for children and families is an ideal antidote for COVID-19 transmission and coping mechanism for related restrictions - provided that public health guidance is followed. Outdoor play can help to cope with, contain, and combat COVID-19 – but...
Thank you to Professor Helen Dodd (University of Reading) for providing this post. When children play in an adventurous way, climbing trees, riding their bikes fast downhill, jumping from rocks, they experience feelings of fear and excitement, thrill and adrenaline. In our recently published conceptual paper, Dr Kathryn Lester and I argue that these experiences, as...
Lawson Foundation invests $4.95 million in 8 demonstration projects, including Outdoor Play Canada, to build adult capacity to support outdoor play in Early Learning and Child Care The Lawson Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of the second phase of its Outdoor Play Strategy and an investment of $4.95 million in 8 demonstration projects,...
In a recent article for The Conversation, Professor Patrick Lewis and Master's student Whitney Blaisdell from the University of Regina, describe preliminary findings from their survey on play (or the lack thereof) during the pandemic, and provide recommendations on how to support play at home as we move forward into the new year. The authors make...
The Sustainable Cities and Landscapes Annual Conference, hosted by the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, aims to exchange ideas and engage in activities focused on sustainable city-landscape interactions. Topics covered in the virtual 2020 conference included: children, youth, and the environment, Indigenous knowledge and wisdom, sustainable urban design, urban-rural linkages, and vulnerable resilient and climate justice...
The Government of Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Parks Council and Mount Royal University’s Institute for Environmental Sustainability, recently announced the launch of the Pan-Canadian Parks and Protected Areas Research Network. The Network is made up of scientists, researchers, Indigenous knowledge holders, students, and parks and protected areas specialists and managers, who collectively will...
