Outside Play Lab

One Community's Experiment With a Phone-Free Childhood The Balance Project, a parent-run movement, works to encourage childhood independence and get kids off screens

One Community’s Experiment With a Phone-Free Childhood time.com/7314325/bala...

Thanks for sharing!

⁠Are Playgrounds Too Safe? The Benefits of Risky Play, interview w/our Lab's Rachel Ramsden - E.19, Screen Less Play More podcast: screenlessplaymore.com

Rachel reflects on her PhD research, interviewing young kids about playing outside and what we can learn from children about playground design.

UK children face barriers to outdoor play due to poor planning, says study ‘Fragmented’ policies leading councils to prioritise approval of housebuilding over parks, researchers find

Important research underlining the many ways in which local authority policy making marginalises space for play (house building, finance, austerity, post-covid, Brexit, focus on physical activity, etc.)

But some hope that “thoughtful planning” can work.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

2025 Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play will be released Sept. 25 - marking 10 years since the original statement!

2025 Statement is global in scope & highlights benefits of active outdoor play for all cultures, abilities, communities, and the environment. www.outdoorplaycanada.ca/aop10/

Careers at Let Grow At Let Grow, we are passionate about fostering independence, resilience, and creativity in children. Learn about joining our team.

*JOB POSTING: Let Grow is currently looking for a bilingual (English/French) Canadian School Account Manager to act as a point of contact for schools across Canada, playing a key role in shaping their presence in Canada and supporting schools in implementing Let Grow programs.
letgrow.org/careers/

Exciting book post! First look at a hard copy of the book I wrote with Zoe Sills. #eyfs #riskyplay #edusky

'Stranger Danger' Doesn't Cut It Anymore For Kids. Here's Why, According To Safety Experts. Kids need situational awareness — from crossing the street to navigating the internet. But many parents don't know how to teach it.

"Kids who learn to trust their instincts, pause before reacting and rely on trusted adults are better prepared to navigate both the playground and the online world with confidence and care." www.huffpost.com/entry/teachi...

Rachel Ramsden's upcoming presentations on outdoor play in Canadian early learning & child care centres - including our cross-Canada survey and study focused on children's perspectives on outdoor, risky play.

At the 2025 Breath of Fresh Air Summit | Ottawa, ON
🗓 Sept 25-27 outdoorplaysummit.ca

How to give children the freedom to play all across the city – not just in playgrounds Play should be promoted in cities to bolster children’s right to play anywhere.

‘How to give children the freedom to #play across the city - not just in playgrounds’

My article in @uk.theconversation.com

#Play creates dynamic neighbourhoods, intergenerational encounters, & meaningful participation in #urbanspaces – if only we let it happen

theconversation.com/how-to-give-...

New instant print kids camera from myFirst inspires outdoor play: “We wanted to create something that motivates kids to step outside and see the world through their own eyes. This camera makes every moment an adventure worth capturing.”

www.digitaljournal.com/business/new...

What Adults Forget About Friendship Just catching up can feel stale. Playing and wasting time together like kids do is how you make memories.

"To enjoy the rewards of play, you have to take risks, but adults are often too consumed by self-consciousness to run with someone’s silly idea, let alone suggest one." | 'What Adults Forget About Friendship' By Rhaina Cohen, for The Atlantic getpocket.com/explore/item...

Home - Breath Of Fresh Air | Outdoor Play Summit Breath of Fresh Air Outdoor Play Summit Days Hours Minutes Breath of Fresh Air Outdoor Play Summit At the Ottawa Forest and Nature School & Wesley Clover Parks Campground September 25-27th, 2025 Regis...

We're excited to be taking part in the upcoming 2025 Breath of Fresh Air Outdoor Play Summit, taking place at the Ottawa Forest and Nature School & Wesley Clover Parks Campground, Sept 25-27! outdoorplaysummit.ca

Kids need freedom. Dangerous roads make it hard to grant it. Bigger cars, distracted drivers and worried parents mean fewer kids are roaming freely.

The number of children injured or killed by cars while walking or riding a bike has fallen steadily since the 1970s, but CDC researcher note that this decline is not because streets are safer, but because fewer kids are out and about in the first place.

Everyday Enchantments: In Conversation with Daily tous les jours Daily tous les jours co-founders Mouna Andraos and Melissa Mongiat reflect on 15 years of delightfully unconventional design practice.

"So the apparently frivolous work around play and joy is really critical right now, so that we can start coming together again." Interview with Mouna Andraos and Melissa Mongiat, founders of the Montreal-based design studio Daily tous les jours www.azuremagazine.com/article/ever...

The @outsideplayubc.bsky.social has a resource page that covers topics such as outdoor play, playground designs, children's independence, risky play, and more!

You can find infographics, books, podcasts, radio interviews and other resources related to outdoor play.

www.outsideplay.org/resources

Thanks very much for the mention, @eccrc-msvu.bsky.social !

Our kids’ recess at school is essential to well-being and learning — and shouldn’t be scaled back Time to play, move, connect with peers and breathe is a vital part of learning and essential to academic motivation.

Our kids’ recess at school is essential to well-being and learning — and shouldn’t be scaled back
theconversation.com/our-kids-rec...
#Play #ECinCanada @theconversation.com

Risky play is defined as thrilling and exciting activities. It's a type of play where #children test their limits, explore boundaries, and develop valuable skills like risk assessment, problem-solving, and resilience.
#publicspace
#outdoorplay
#riskyplay

What Kids Told Us About How to Get Them Off Their Phones Children who were raised on screens need more freedom out in the real world.

You can also access the article via www.yahoo.com/news/article...

What Kids Told Us About How to Get Them Off Their Phones Children who were raised on screens need more freedom out in the real world.

What Kids Told Us About How to Get Them Off Their Phones
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv... | By Lenore Skenazy, Zach Rausch & Jonathan Haidt
👉 Plus, what adults can do - article mentions our online tool helping parents support outdoor play ✨ www.outsideplay.org/tool-microsi...

Sounds like your children's early opportunities to do 'dangerous things' continued to serve them well as they got older...

This Innovative Playground Balances Risk and Reward Sara Jackman Playground announces itself with a colourful medley of interactive elements along the Jackman Institute of Child Study.

"Part of the school’s philosophy is about risk-taking as a fundamental part of creating confidence." Principal Richard Messina | In @novakovicto.bsky.social 's article on the outdoor play space at Toronto's Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study www.designlinesmagazine.com/sara-jackman...

Mariana Brussoni: “El juego arriesgado fortalece la autoestima y la tolerancia a la frustración en los chicos” Frente al mandato de la supervisión adulta constante, la especialista de la Universidad de Columbia Británica (Canadá) defiende los juegos que implican cierto riesgo físico e incertidumbre. Asegura qu...

Mariana Brussoni, talking to @infobae.bsky.social (Argentina) about importance of children's risky play: “El juego arriesgado fortalece la autoestima y la tolerancia a la frustración en los chicos” www.infobae.com/educacion/20... @mbrussoni.bsky.social

YouTube video by Take Me Outside Megan Zeni - Tedstyle Talks - National Outdoor Learning Conference 2025

Outdoor play and learning in elementary schools (K-7) | Tedstyle Talk by Megan Zeni @roomtoplay.bsky.social - as part of Take Me Outside National Outdoor Learning Conference 2025 www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Tae...

"Let Your Kid Climb That Tree" - Henry Abbott looks at the importance of children's risky play, including connection to injury prevention in professional athletes, via @theatlantic.com

[ Also available here: www.aol.com/let-kid-clim... ]

New national Risky Play Position Statement released in Australia!

"This Position Statement challenges the current Australian narrative around risky play and highlights a benefit-risk approach to risky play for all young children."

www.playaustralia.org.au/national-ris...

Children are far better off playing in the sun than sitting in a stuffy classroom Is it really any wonder so many young people are suffering from anxiety and depression when schools are wrapping them up in cotton wool?

Children are far better off playing in the sun than sitting in a stuffy classroom www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07... | Also available via MSN www.msn.com/en-ca/lifest...

Just out 📣 in @JEnvPsych- 'Differential Effects Of An Urban Outdoor Environment On 4-5 Year Old Children’s Attention In School' - with @GemmaGoldenberg, Molly Atkinson,
@jan_dubiel
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Let Kids Be Loud In Defense of Outdoor Play

"But play is essential, and play is loud. Kids yelp, squeal, cheer, chant, and crash into things. That’s how they express joy, test boundaries, and connect with one another." Katherine Johnson Martinko: Let Kids Be Loud. In Defense of Outdoor Play | After Babel www.afterbabel.com/p/let-kids-b...