Join Dr. Mariana Brussoni and Dr. Megan Zeni this November for a free 60-minute virtual workshop on Supporting Risky Play in Schools 🌿 Learn how educators and schools can create space for challenge, confidence-building and meaningful risky play. Register: outdoorlearning.com/events/categ...

We’re excited to see risky play featured in The Economist! 🎉 The article highlights the importance of letting children be children and Scandinavia’s approach to play. Read it here: www.economist.com/europe/2026/...

In praise of Scandinavia’s risky and dirty playgrounds

Kids stand to gain from a few bumps, bruises and mud-splatters

economist.com

Want to raise resilient kids? Let them take risks. | The last Show with David Cooper, guest Dr. Mariana Brussoni - interview segment youtu.be/uP_saaTXYX4?...

Want to raise resilient kids? Let them take risks.

YouTube video by The Last Show with David Cooper

youtu.be

I shall watch this with interest. There's no way to get 60% of kids actively travelling to school without disrupting current patterns of car-based mobility. This includes making all urban streets safer, not just those right outside schools www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Ministers want 60% of pupils in England ‘actively’ travelling to school by 2035

Exclusive: Transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, says cycling and walking plan focuses on ‘everyday travel needs’

theguardian.com

"In classrooms, community spaces, and moments of uncertainty, play helps girls learn, connect, and feel like themselves again." | By Kiana Beharry plancanada.ca/en-ca/storie...

Play-based learning: why play matters for girls in crisis and conflict

Supporting girls through play-based learning fosters resilience, confidence, and leadership—even in the toughest environments.

plancanada.ca

Faut-il laisser les enfants prendre des risques? youtu.be/7VdBkl1OcT0

Faut-il laisser les enfants prendre des risques ?

YouTube video by franceinfo

youtu.be

Study links risky play to quicker, smarter decision-making | Interview with Dr. Mariana Brussoni @mbrussoni.bsky.social www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/vi...

Study links risky play to quicker, smarter decision-making

Your Morning Vancouver speaks to University of British Columbia professor Dr. Mariana Brossoni about the relationship between risky play and decision-making.

ctvnews.ca

The benefits of "risky play" for kids | Mariana Brussoni's interview on The Jill Bennett Show @globalnews.ca globalnews.ca/bc/program/t...

"New research from UBC and Queen Maud University College (Norway), led by Dr. Mariana Brussoni reveals that kids who take more risks on the playground make faster, safer decisions in traffic." pediatrics.med.ubc.ca/2026/05/19/k...

Kids who take risks at play make faster, smarter decisions in traffic - Department of Pediatrics

New research from UBC and Queen Maud University College (Norway), led by Dr. Mariana Brussoni reveals that kids who take more risks on the playground make faster, safer decisions in traffic. A new stu...

pediatrics.med.ubc.ca

Kids who take risks at play make faster, smarter decisions in traffic | Mariana Brussoni's interview on CBC's On The Coast about risky play, including recent virtual-reality based research www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

© CBC/Radio-Canada 2026. All rights reserved.

cbc.ca

"We find that there is a broad culture of low autonomy and low unsupervised play that pervades the United States." From: www.afterbabel.com/p/state-of-c... - based on findings from a recent Institute for Family Studies survey

The State of Childhood in the U.S.

A new survey of U.S. parents by the Institute for Family Studies suggests that kids are still overprotected in the real world and underprotected online.

afterbabel.com

Active Play and Why Risky Play Matters More Than You Think | Dr. Mariana Brussoni talks with Dr. Emily Greenwald (Feb. 2026 episode of Dr. Emily's podcast) www.activeplayeveryday.com/episodes/ris...

Active Play and Why Risky Play Matters More Than You Think - Episode 2 — Active Play Every Day

Why risky play is essential for kids. A pediatrician and researcher explain how active play builds confidence and resilience.

activeplayeveryday.com

Backing risky play: a pathway to building a child’s strength and resilience thesector.com.au/article/back...

Backing risky play: a pathway to building a child’s strength  and resilience

While many playgrounds are becoming increasingly cautious and controlled, Queensland  Childcare Services is backing a riskier approach, giving children more opportunities to climb,  balance and explor...

thesector.com.au

NEW ARTICLE [open access]: ‘There are so many good things outside, let me tell you’: Children’s qualitative perspectives of outdoor play affordances at early learning and child care | By Rachel Ramsden, Emily Jenkins, Sally Thorne, Ian Pike & Mariana Brussoni journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

Parents Who Hover Too Much Usually Raise Kids Who Struggle With These 5 Things Later On | @mbrussoni.bsky.social : "being put in a position where they have to figure things out independently helps kids develop their executive function" www.yourtango.com/family/paren...

Parents Who Hover Too Much Usually Raise Kids Who Struggle With These 5 Things Later On

According to child health experts, helicopter parenting, in which parents hover too much, can be detrimental to kids' development because it limits their independence, which is integral to brain and b...

yourtango.com

Today is Healthy Environments for Learning Day! We are one of over 50 organizations in Canada calling for healthy, sustainable and climate-resilient outdoor learning and play settings for all children. To learn more, visit: healthyenvironmentforkids.ca/held/2026-ca... @cpche.ca

2026 Campaign: Outdoor Learning Settings - Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment (CPCHE)

Welcome Healthy Environments for Learning Day (HELD) 2026: Outdoor Learning Settings. Thursday April 23, 2026 Children thrive outdoors. There is robust research showing that children are healthier, mo...

healthyenvironmentforkids.ca

We were excited to see this great TED-Ed Animation, which included Dr. Mariana Brussoni as the Expert Consultant: WHY KIDS NEED TO TAKE MORE RISKS www.ted.com/talks/ted_ed...

Why kids need to take more risks

The best play environments offer freedom and novelty that kids can explore as much or as little as they like. But traditional playgrounds don’t offer much flexibility— swings, slides, and climbing fra...

ted.com

ShiftED Podcast #90 In Conversation with Mariana Brussoni: Safe as Necessary, Not as Possible www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HW7...

ShiftED Podcast #90 In Conversation with Mariana Brussoni: Safe as Necessary, Not as Possible

YouTube video by LEARN

youtube.com

Starting next week!! EMBRACING RISKY PLAY - online course for educators and teachers. The course includes four 60-minute sessions, led by Mariana Brussoni, Megan Zeni, Sheila Grieve and Susan Herrington. For details and to register, visit: outdoorlearning.com/event/embrac...

Reimagining Play: The Role of Risk in Childhood Growth | Dr. Mariana Brussoni was recently a guest on The Locked up Living Podcast, with Dr. Naomi Murphy and David Jones lockedupliving.podbean.com

“ … "risky play" is good for kids’ mental, physical and social health — even if it might result in injury. In an interview from January, we hear what’s behind this new advice, why ”incredibly boring playgrounds” are part of the problem, and why parents might need to just take a deep breath. “

Outside Play Lab@outsideplayubc.bsky.social · 5mo ago

CBC's The Current revisited one of our favourite segments this morning: Why Risky Play is Good for Kids - hear kids talk about play, as well as interviews with Mariana Brussoni @mbrussoni.bsky.social and Alexandra Lange @langealexandra.bsky.social www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

CBC's The Current revisited one of our favourite segments this morning: Why Risky Play is Good for Kids - hear kids talk about play, as well as interviews with Mariana Brussoni @mbrussoni.bsky.social and Alexandra Lange @langealexandra.bsky.social www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

© CBC/Radio-Canada 2026. All rights reserved.

cbc.ca

👉 UPCOMING COURSE: Embracing Risky Play | With Dr. Mariana Brussoni, Dr. Megan Zeni, Sheila Grieve and Susan Herrington - 4x weekly 60-minute online sessions, starting on April 13 | For more info and to register: outdoorlearning.com/event/embrac...

Embracing Risky Play Course - Spring 2026 - Outdoor Learning School & Store

4pm Pacific / 7pm Eastern Time for 60 mins on Zoom on these dates:

outdoorlearning.com

“When every moment is planned, kids have fewer opportunities to develop emotional control and internal motivation.” www.seattletimes.com/life/food-dr... | Jessica Haggard @seattletimes.com on unstructured play, including our online resource for parents www.outsideplay.org/tool-microsi...

As kids adapt to boredom, unstructured fun rises again

A growing number of American families rethink packed schedules as children show a clear preference for unstructured play. The Harris Poll surveyed more than 500 children ages 8 to 12 across the United...

seattletimes.com

@outsideplayubc.bsky.social created a free online tool that helps parents increase children’s outdoor time, supporting the shift from screen-based activities to independent, imaginative play. via @seattletimes-rss.bsky.social

As kids adapt to boredom, unstructured fun rises again

A growing number of American families rethink packed schedules as children show a clear preference for unstructured play. The Harris Poll surveyed more than 500 children ages 8 to 12 across the…

seattletimes.com

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS - including submissions on outdoor-related work - Atlantic Education Graduate Student Conference 2026 | Deadline: Feb. 27 | bit.ly/AEGSC26

THIS WEEK! Feb. 5, 3:00PM-4:30PM (PST): Drs. Mariana Brussoni and Megan Zeni lead a webinar as they promote their new book, Embracing Risky Play at School: Getting Kids Outdoors to Explore, Learn, and Grow | For more info and to register, visit earlylearning.ubc.ca/webinar-embr...

Webinar | Embracing Risky Play: At School and Beyond

Join experts Drs. Megan Zeni and Mariana Brussoni on Thursday, February 5 for an engaging webinar promoting their newly released book, Embracing Risky Play at School: Getting Kids Outdoors to Explore,...

earlylearning.ubc.ca

As the world has come to seem scarier, the tech industry has drawn children indoors with vibrant iPad games and an endless stream of YouTube slop. “The offline spaces where kids once congregated have emptied out,” writes Simon Lewsen. https://thewalrus.ca/is-it-dangerous-to-let-kids-be-free/

Here's my latest essay for @thewalrus.ca. As a parent, I understand the impulse to protect kids. Danger is real. And on the other side of danger? Unimaginable loss. But safety, I've come to believe, is inversely correlated with freedom—which, for kids, is sacrosanct. thewalrus.ca/is-it-danger...

Is It Dangerous to Let Kids Be Free? | The Walrus

From bus rides to playgrounds, we are raising our children in a culture of fear

thewalrus.ca

What does it mean to raise independent kids in a culture obsessed with safety? In his latest essay for The Walrus, Simon Lewsen examines the risks, contradictions, and consequences of free-range parenting: https://thewalrus.ca/is-it-dangerous-to-let-kids-be-free/