Dr. Sarah Moore from the Healthy Populations Institute, Dalhousie University, is featured among a series of five whiteboard animation videos focused on ‘Staying Healthy During a Pandemic.’ In her video, Dr. Moore describes the impact of COVID-19 on the movement behaviours of children, where in Spring 2020, less than 3% of Canadian children and youth...
Recess Guardians has launched a free online program for elementary schools across Canada to support the development of leadership skills and confidence in youth through play and physical activity, while staying apart. The program includes video modules to empower youth, teacher-to-teacher communication boards, resources for teachers and parents to engage their youth, and ongoing weekly challenges. Check...
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...
Outdoor Play Canada's Active Toy Guide - the holiday edition - is filled with gift ideas to help kids of all ages burn off steam, chart an outdoor adventure or just experience the joy of movement. Toys are organized into 9 categories: Classics, Family Game Time, Imagine It, Let's Play Ball, Outdoor Fun, Physical Literacy...
Dr. Michelle Stone and her team at Play Outside NS, based out of Dalhousie University, developed an outdoor loose parts play video based on their Summer of PLEY (Physical Literacy in the Early Years) knowledge translation event. The event took place in Summer 2019 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and showcases the many ways children engaged...
This infographic, produced by Muddy Smiles, describes the benefits of hiking for kids' healthy development and well-being, such as encouraging free play, inspiring use of imagination, improving judgement when risk-taking, and bolstering the ability to cope with adversity. Check out this and many more resources from Muddy Smiles, an organization that promotes the vital importance of...
Children at every age need lots of active outdoor play, every day, to grow up healthy, happy, and physically literate. Yet many parents find getting kids outside isn't as easy as it sounds. Active For Life has put together a collection of articles to help parents nudge their children to lace up their sneakers and...
The South Shore Active Communities has developed this infographic on the Adult Role in Outdoor Play, which includes key guidance statements from experts including Outdoor Play Canada's Leadership Group member, Dr. Mariana Brussoni. This work is part of a larger effort to build capacity and understanding about the value and role of Outdoor Play for healthy...
The new imaginative, educational, and playful wildlife series, 'Zamzoom's Animal Adventures', is now available online in Canada for streaming in both the TVOkids website and TVOkids Youtube channel. The series follows Zamzoom, an intrepid space alien, and his robot partner Orbie as they travel around planet Earth discovering wildlife and exploring what makes each species unique, all...
Nature Companion is a free app and website produced by EcoFriendly Sask that provides interesting and easy-to-understand information about >300 plants, trees, birds, animals, insects, reptiles, and amphibians found in Canada's four western provinces. Each short description includes colourful photographs and a Did you know? section with fun facts about each species. The tool is available on...
