In 2017, Peterborough Public Health undertook an extensive review of evidence related to outdoor playspaces for children in response to an observed increase in playground injury rates in Peterborough compared to the rest of the province. The review focuses on evidence related to the benefits of outdoor play, safety and risk, injury prevention, physical activity,...
Le Projet Alex, launched by Association québécoise des CPE, is an initiative to support early childhood education services in bringing learning outdoors and exploring education by and through nature. Included as part of this initiative is a Frame of References document that lays the foundation for nature-based education in Quebec, which includes research highlights, their...
The PLEY (Physical Literacy and the Early Years) Project focused on improving physical literacy, physical activity and active outdoor play in Nova Scotia preschoolers through the integration of loose parts. Main findings of this project were summarized in a public-facing report and published in research-grade journals, were shared at the Summer of PLEY event in...
A Common Vision for Increasing Physical Activity and Reducing Sedentary Living in Canada: Let’s Get Moving Report, a national policy document by the Public Health Agency of Canada, provides guidance on ways to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary living. The Common Vision is guided by five interdependent principles: Physical Literacy, Life Course, Population Approach,...
The Benefits of Being in Nature factsheet by the Halifax Regional Municipality and the Nova Scotia Health Authority summarizes evidence on the benefits of being in nature including the benefits of outdoor play for children's healthy movement, which references the Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play. Also included in the factsheet is a list of...
The COVID-19 Well-Being Risk Assessment (COBRA) Study, produced by Maximum City, is an ongoing survey of the behaviours, feelings, and opinions of Canadian children and youth (as reported themselves) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal is to understand the impact COVID-19 related disruptions have on children and youth and identify gaps in support. Regularly updated...
The Street Design Challenge, by Maximum City, aims to engage Canadian children and youth in hands-on design and problem solving in redesigning neighborhood streets. Resources that are a part of this initiative include a Street Design Challenge Guide, Street Design Worksheets, as well as a Glossary of Terms. Learn more about the Street Design Challenge here....
The Playbook 2030: A Guide to Building Canada's Most Livable Region, produced by ActiveCity Collective, is a systematic analysis of how the active economy impacts the economic, human, social, and environmental prosperity of Calgary and the region. Outdoor Play Canada provided feedback on the final draft of the Playbook, highlighting outdoor play as a key...
From 2015-2017, Vivo for Healthier Generations implemented its Play Ambassadors pilot outdoor play program in north-central Calgary. The goals of this program were to: 1) Increase unstructured, outdoor play through the creation of enriching environments for play. 2) Increase the quality of unstructured, outdoor play by training community members as Play Ambassadors in an evidence-based curriculum for...
The 'create nurturing outside environments: supporting infant and young children's free movement and active play' project by Regroupement des Centres de la Petite Enfance de la Montérégie (RCPEM) provided information and training to six pilot communities to address limitations in outdoor play, outdoor play spaces, and parental attitudes to outdoor play. They developed and tested...
