Research is clear on the importance of regular and repeated access to outdoor risky play. Early learning and child care centres are important environments during the early years, and experiences in these settings provide essential opportunities for children’s outdoor risky play which otherwise they may not have at home. This interactive session will help us build the case about the need for outdoor risky play and get ideas to make positive changes in your work with children. Join and explore the key concepts that support outdoor risky play and how you can begin to incorporate these into your programs and plans. We will work through real examples, focusing on how to support children’s outdoor risky play. Recent research from British Columbia will showcase how child care centres are supporting outdoor risky play through policy, practice and environment modifications. This session will also make available resources and tools to help you get started in your role supporting young children’s participation in outdoor risky play.

Living Inquiries:
Well-being and belonging.
Engagement with others, materials, and the world.

Pathways:
Joy in relationships with people, place, materials and ideas.
Every child is a gift.
Interests and inquiries.
Spaces, objects, and materials.
Time for engagement.

Suitable for students, parents, adult instructors/administrators, intermediate and experienced early care and learning professionals working with children of all ages, from infants/toddlers to school age children, including children with extra support needs.

Facilitator(s): Hebah Hussaina
Hebah is a recent MSc. graduate in the Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences Program supervised by Dr. Mariana Brussoni. Hebah has a strong background in pediatric health sciences research in a variety of settings and is passionate about supporting healthy child development and communities. Hebah’s research interests lie in the intersection of pediatric mental health and outdoor & risky play, especially though the lens of health promotion initiatives and knowledge translation.