Understanding Play Security Through Upstream, Midstream, and Downstream Determinants
Before we go any further, it’s important to start here—especially for readers who may be new to conversations about play.... Read more
Play Log
Introducing Play Security: A Social Determinants Framework for Children’s Right to Play
Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of working with educators, early childhood practitioners, community organizers, and outdoor play... Read more
Who Gets to Feel Free Outside? Rethinking Equity in Outdoor Play
As the Free to Play fund launches across Canada, communities have an extraordinary opportunity—and responsibility—to rethink who outdoor play is... Read more
When Children Take the Lead: Power, Agency, and the Parts of Play Our Systems Struggle to Hold
In most conversations about play, we focus on its developmental benefits: creativity, problem-solving, motor skills, emotional regulation. These outcomes matter,... Read more
How Play Found Its Way Into Canadian Curriculum—And Why Systems Still Need to Catch Up
If you read early learning curriculum documents across Canada today, you might assume that play has always been central to... Read more
Of Two Minds: Reflecting Toward Systems Change Through Playful Pedagogy
Situating Myself: A Life Shaped by Play, Loss, and Reconnection My relationship with play—and with the entire landscape of early... Read more
To Lead or Not to Lead: Murmurations on Leadership
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment I became a burned-out version of myself as a leader. Like I wrote... Read more
Play As Presence
Play as Presence The greatest gift we can give a child is presence. Not just being in the same room—but... Read more
Planning for Play and Leaving Room for Emergence
Here’s the thing no one really prepares you for: Raising children, living with children, teaching and caring for them—it’s messy.... Read more
Rethinking Play: From Behaviour to Culture
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on my career in play—yes, play—and the work I’ve done to champion children’s right to it. Throughout... Read more
Shared Principles of Outdoor Play-Based Learning: A Guide for Educators
In early childhood education, there is little agreement on how to define play, play-based learning, or even the broader purpose... Read more
Awe, Resilience and Connection: How Time in Nature Nurtures in the Perinatal Period
Becoming a parent or growing a family with a new baby is a monumental life change. It can be joyful,... Read more