During the COVID-19 closure of the Andrew Fleck Ottawa Forest and Nature School, the education team launched a blog to continue nurturing the connection between children, their families, the land, and each other. With school and some programs back up and running, the blog has morphed into a place to share specific supports to Take the...
On June 13, 2020, the Education Hub, based out of New Zealand, hosted an early childhood education (ECE) webinar entitled 'The importance of outdoor play and how to design outdoor spaces in ECE' featuring OPC Leadership Group Member Dr. Mariana Brussoni. This webinar covered the latest research on outdoor play, risky play, and play in...
Adapted with permission from Ottawa Public Health. Ottawa Public Health has put together a guideline on how to get active and get outside safely during COVID-19. They provide guidance on precautions to take when using sidewalks, streets, multiuse paths and dog parks. The guideline also includes a useful chart to help identify who can be safely active...
Wild About Vancouver (WAV) is developing a series of outdoor lessons and blogs to help support Canadians in getting active while at home. WAV is normally the home site for the WAV Outdoor Education Festival, a free public outdoor education festival offering practical ways to get children and adults outdoors more regularly. Given these uncertain...
These "how to" guides are intended to help municipalities and organizations improve play in their communities. They are based on the experiences of The City of Calgary who, since 2016, facilitated the creation, signing, and ongoing appraisal of the Calgary Play Charter as well as the development and implementation of a Mobile Adventure Playground....
This learning brief, developed by Parachute, explains the characteristics and benefits of unstructured outdoor play and risky play. To access the learning brief, visit parachute.ca/en/injury-topic/playgrounds-and-play-spaces/unstructured-outdoor-play-and-risky-play....
This learning brief, developed by Parachute, describes key benefits of playgrounds and play spaces, including the benefits of risky play in these settings. It also guides parents on how they can ensure their child’s safety while also allowing their child to explore and develop. To access the learning brief, visit parachute.ca/en/injury-topic/playgrounds-and-play-spaces/....
The Supreme Court of British Columbia accepted the Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play and 2015 ParticipACTION Report Card as ‘social fact’ and ‘authority’ evidence and ruled in favour of the District of Saanich that it was not negligent in a case involving a child and outdoor play (a game of grounders). Click here to read...
Led by a team of researchers, early childhood educators, governmental agencies, and professionals in BC, the Seven Cs is an informational guide for early childhood educators, designers, administrators, and parents. The goal of Seven Cs is to help people design outdoor play spaces that support the development of young children and integrate the unique qualities...
As a “How-To Guidebook,” the Outdoor PLAYbook offers a selection of leading research and best practices for school grounds in the following areas: landscape architecture, sustainable design, economic and phasing strategies, child development, injury prevention, and outdoor educational opportunities. The Outdoor PLAYbook was funded by the Vancouver School Board and won an award in 2017 from the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects. The Outdoor PLAYbook is available at www.outdoorplaybook.ca....
