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Review
. 2025 Sep 25;22(1):117.
doi: 10.1186/s12966-025-01813-9.

2025 Position statement on active outdoor play

Eun-Young Lee  1   2   3   4 , Louise de Lannoy  5 , Yeong-Bae Kim  6 , Apoorva Rathod  5 , Maeghan E James  7   5   8 , Olivia Lopes  8 , Brianna Nasrallah  7   9 , Anujah Thankarajah  10 , Dina Adjei-Boadi  11 , Maria Isabel Amando de Barros  12 , Scott Duncan  13 , Robyn Monro Miller  14 , Lærke Mygind  15 , Leigh M Vanderloo  16   17 , Po-Yu Wang  18 , Mark S Tremblay  7   5   8   9 ; AOP10 Steering Committee Group
Collaborators, Affiliations
Review

2025 Position statement on active outdoor play

Eun-Young Lee et al. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. .

Abstract

Background: In 2015, the Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play was released in Canada, emphasizing the critical role of active outdoor play-with its risks-in fostering children's healthy development. Building on this foundation, a 10-year update of the Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play (AOP10) was initiated to broaden its scope and impact, by encompassing all age groups and extending its reach conceptually and globally. Here we explain and present the new 2025 Position Statement.

Methods: Development of the 2025 Position Statement was informed by 18 rigorous literature reviews, a series of leadership group meetings, three rounds of draft AOP10 surveys, followed by extensive communication, translation, production, and dissemination activities.

Results: The 2025 Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play states: "Active outdoor play promotes holistic health and well-being for people of all ages, communities, and environments, and for our entire planet. It is critical given the multiple global challenges we face today (e.g., social and health inequities, climate change and digital addiction). Together, as a collective of the outdoor play sector, we recommend increasing opportunities for active outdoor play in all settings where people live, learn, work, and play. To achieve this, it is important to collaborate across sectors, settings, and societies to preserve, promote, and value equitable access to active play outdoors and in nature." We also provide key evidence pertaining to the nine core themes that informed the development of the 2025 Position Statement and offer recommendations across sectors, calling for multi-sectoral, multi-level collaborations. Across all three survey rounds, responses indicated strong support for the 2025 Position Statement and its supporting content (Round 3: 93-98%). Comprehensive, proactive knowledge translation and dissemination plans were executed to maximize the reach and impact of the 2025 Position Statement.

Conclusions: The 2025 Position Statement calls for systemic changes that prioritize equitable access to active outdoor play opportunities and aims to create healthier communities. Achieved through international collaboration and consensus, the 2025 Position Statement aspires to connect, advise, inspire, and activate active outdoor play worldwide.

Keywords: Health promotion; Leisure; Nature; Nature-based solution; Physical activity; Planetary health; Recreation; Risky play.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: Mark S. Tremblay reports financial support was provided by the Lawson Foundation; Louise de Lannoy and Mallory J. Donaldson report a relationship with Outdoor Play Canada that includes: employment; Kelly P Arbour-Nicitopoulos, Mariana Brussoni, Richard Larouche, Eun-Young Lee, Mark S. Tremblay, and Megan Zeni report a relationship with Outdoor Play Canada that includes: board membership; Jasper Schipperijn has received financial support by KOMPAN, a playground and fitness equipment company; Helen Dodd reports a relationship with Play England that includes: Trustee.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
2025 Position statement on active outdoor play. Note: Visit https://www.outdoorplaycanada.ca/aop10/ to access the 2025 Position Statement in higher-resolution, print-quality format.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
AOP10 Steering Committee Group that participated in consultation (n = 88). Note: Other Global North countries included Finland, France, Greece, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Taiwan; Other Global South countries included Nepal and South Africa. Other sectors included childhood disability, play provision, urban planning and design, design, and funder. NGO: Non-governmental organization
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Global Collaboration Group that participated in consultation (n = 197; 38 countries). Note: Other Global North countries included Czeck Republic (n = 1), France (n = 2), Finland (n = 1), Germany (n = 2), Ireland (n = 1), Italy (n = 1), Japan (n = 2), Netherlands (n = 1), Poland (n = 1), Portugal (n = 2), Slovenia (n = 2), Spain (n = 1), Sweden (n = 1), Other Global South countries included Columbia (n = 1), Fiji (n = 1), Indonesia (n = 1), Kenya (n = 1), Mexico (n = 1), Nepal (n = 1), Philippines (n = 1), Qatar (n = 1), Serbia (n = 1), South Africa (n = 1), Turkey (n = 1), United Arab Emirates (n = 1), and Uruguay (n = 1). Other sectors included outdoor sports and education, horticulture/organic farming, teacher education, finance and banking, childcare licencing, or camp/outdoor education. NGO: Non-governmental organization
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Knowledge Translation and Mobilization Model for the 2025 Position Statement (AOP10) Project
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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