The Lion and The Mouse, a Montreal-based community organization that facilitates outdoor play programs in the city, offers Pop-Up Adventure Playgrounds in line with the work of Pop-Up Adventure Play. By introducing loose parts and inviting children to lead the way, these Pop-Ups encourage the re-appropriation of public space for play and nurture a culture...
Avec l’objectif constant de connecter le plus grand nombre à la nature, la Sépaq a travaillé sur plusieurs projets afin de rejoindre de nouvelles clientèles ou de faciliter l’accès aux territoires. Voici quelques initiatives mises en place: Vendredis grands-parents pour une sortie familiale réussie : L’accès à l’ensemble des parcs nationaux du Québec est gratuit le dernier...
Bushkids provides training, mentorship, consultancy and advocacy work to support healthy relationships with ourselves, each other, and the Land. Their mentorship program works with teachers, and their students, to help them feel comfortable implementing on-the-Land learning into their pedagogical approaches delivered in the public school system. Learn more about Bushkids here....
Naturalized Outdoor Play Areas at Schools to Support Physical Activity and Health - A Rapid Review, by Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, was conducted to raise awareness, inform, and shape school ground greening plans, policies and related initiatives. Topics in this review include diversity and quality of play, age and gender variations, interest, ability and...
Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning is among 8 recipients of the Lawson Foundation's Outdoor Play Strategy 2.0 funding pool. Their project, entitled 'Two-Eyed Seeing Approach to Land-based Play and Co-learning in Early Learning and Child Care Ecosystems' aims to shift post-secondary early childhood education, in-service professional development, and early years programming to advance...
Since 2006, the OCDSB has offered an outdoor education experience to all OCDSB grade 3 and 7 classes through the “Every Student Attends Program”. The OCDSB “Every Student Attends Program” entitles each grade 3 & 7 class in the OCDSB to one free field trip per year to either Bill Mason or MacSkimming Outdoor Education...
The Environmental Educators Provincial Specialist Association (EEPSA) in British Columbia put together a Position Statement on Education Outside the Classroom. In the Statement the authors outline the social, emotional, physical and academic benefits of spending time outside, recommendations on bringing education outdoors, as well as a call to action to discuss their recommendations, directed at...
The Lawson Foundation’s Outdoor Play Strategy is an integral part of their strategic direction and guides their efforts in exploring how outdoor play supports the healthy development of Canadian children and youth. They initially invested $2.7 million in 14 core projects, which grew to $4.5 million in related grants. Through a third-party evaluation, the Lawson...
This winter (and eventually, spring), the City of Calgary is continuing its self-directed, drop-in program that uses natural elements such as snow, tree stumps, tree cookies, branches, twigs and rocks to inspire active and creative outdoor play, and connect people, young and old, to nature, with onsite play ambassadors to inspire play. Parents are encouraged...
Physical and Health Education (PHE) Canada has released a National Position Statement on Recess that calls for educators, administrators, and district officials to consider a new approach to recess in schools across Canada, and provides supporting information to do so. In the Statement, the authors outline the importance of recess for children's social well-being, immediate and...
