Discover how promoting active outdoor play can inspire stewardship of the land, creating responsible travelers that prioritize sustainable and eco-conscious tourism options.
Celebrating Canada’s Natural Beauty with Purpose
Canada’s landscapes—from British Columbia’s Rocky Mountains to the rolling highlands of Cape Breton—are some of the most beautiful natural attractions in the world. It’s no surprise that so many Canadians turn to nature as a refuge from the stresses of everyday life. But as nature-based tourism rises in popularity, it’s critical to ask: how can we meaningfully engage with nature without causing damage (e.g., minimizing vegetation loss from recreational activities, CO2 emissions as a result of travel to natural spaces)?
Breath of Fresh Air Summit: A Space for Solutions
This is one of the many core issues that we plan to explore at the Breath of Fresh Air (BoFA) Outdoor Play Summit, taking place September 25-27th, 2025, at Wesley Clover Parks Campground in Ottawa. Hosted by Outdoor Play Canada, the Summit aims to bring together global researchers, practitioners, and advocates alike – to share knowledge on and discuss important topics related to active outdoor play, such as environmental stewardship and responsible travel. Attendees of the Summit can expect to enjoy hands on workshops, thought provoking conversations, and a deepened connection with nature by the end of the three-day event! A few hundred metres from the Summit grounds, is the Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play – a collaborative space where we at Outdoor Play Canada have launched a research-practice-policy partnership to foster a connection to nature and environmental stewardship amongst our youngest citizens. Attendees will have the opportunity to visit this innovative space on the last day of the Summit, the first 400 delegates to secure their spot will enjoy all that the BoFA has to offer!
Hosted by Outdoor Play Canada, the Summit aims to bring together global researchers, practitioners, and advocates alike – to share knowledge on and discuss important topics related to active outdoor play, such as environmental stewardship and responsible travel.
A Decade of Promoting Active Outdoor Play and Planetary Health
At the BoFA Summit, we are proud to be launching the 2025 Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play, which will highlight the wide-reaching benefits of outdoor play for human, animal, and planetary health. This project celebrates a decade’s worth of global evidence on this topic and will include an exploration of the relationships between active outdoor play and climate change, nature and the environment, education and learning, community and human connection, movement behaviours, health and wellbeing, and finally human rights and policy. Amongst the themes explored, the Statement also includes robust recommendations for international action across sectors, such as how play can foster a lifelong sense of environmental responsibility and care.
If you share our belief that active outdoor play can be a force for environmental good, or you simply wish to learn more, we invite you to join us this September and help shape the future of responsible, sustainable travel.
Visit outdoorplaysummit.ca to learn more about the Breath of Fresh Air Outdoor Play Summit.
