Hilary A. T. Caldwell1
Mike Arthur1
Ashley Simms2
Hannah Mawhinney1
Camille L. Hancock Friesen1,3
Sara F. L. Kirk1,4*- 1Healthy Populations Institute, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- 2Town of Truro, Truro, NS, Canada
- 3Children’s Nebraska and University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
- 4School of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Background: Children and youth benefit from outdoor play; however, environments and policies to support outdoor play are often limited. The purpose of this paper is to describe a case study of the development of a municipal outdoor play policy in Nova Scotia, Canada. The outdoor play policy was developed by the Town of Truro with support from the UpLift Partnership, a School-Community-University Partnership in Nova Scotia, Canada. UpLift supports the health and well-being of school-aged children and youth using a Health Promoting Schools approach which identifies the important role of municipal government in creating healthy school communities. The UpLift Partnership and the municipality hosted online workshops for municipal staff, community leaders and partners that included content about the importance of outdoor play, barriers and facilitators to outdoor play, best practices for youth engagement, the policy development process, and how policy actions can support outdoor play. Workshop participants developed policy actions for their community of Truro, Nova Scotia to increase opportunities for outdoor play for children and youth. Following the workshops, a small team from the municipality and UpLift drafted an outdoor play policy and submitted it to Truro town council for approval. The outdoor play policy was adopted in Fall 2021 and has since informed recreation and municipal planning decisions. By presenting a case study of the development of this outdoor play policy, we hope other communities may be inspired to develop and adopt their own outdoor play policies to benefit children and youth in their communities.
1 Introduction
Children and youth have the right to play and spend time in environments that promote a high-quality of life, as conceptualized by the Child Friendly City Framework (1). This Framework is committed to the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (2), and guarantees that every young person should be able to meet friends and play, walk safely in the streets on their own, participate in cultural and social events, and influence decisions about where they live, be it large or small, urban or rural (3). The Declaration on the Right to Play for Children in Canada calls on individuals and organizations to promote and protect the child’s right to play at local, regional and national levels (4). In 2019, building on the Child Friendly City Framework, the Canadian Public Health Association released its Play-Friendly City Framework (5). A Play-Friendly City considers children’s well-being and access to play in its design, involves children in decision-making, and prioritizes access to play in everyday environments (5). The Play-Friendly Cities Framework includes four criteria, each with individual actions, to improve the playability of a community: (1) participation of children in decision-making; (2) safe and active routes around the community; (3) safe and accessible informal play environments; and (4) evidence-informed design of formal play spaces (5). The Play-Friendly Cities Framework and Declaration on the Right to Play for Children in Canada are complementary—both prioritize child-led opportunities, and access and space for children to play in their communities (4, 5). When the Play-Friendly Cities Framework was used to guide a content analysis of Nova Scotian municipal physical activity and active transportation strategies, we revealed that actions related to safe and active routes around the community were most common and actions related to participation of children in decision making were least prevalent in the municipal strategies (6). All municipal strategies included some actions reflective of a Play-Friendly City, but there was great variability across municipalities, suggesting that further prioritization of opportunities for play is needed across the province (6).
Children and youth who regularly participate in recommended amounts of physical activity experience physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive benefits (7, 8). In children and youth, outdoor time is related to physical activity participation, such that physical activity is generally higher when children are outdoors versus when they are indoors (9). Outdoor time and outdoor play among children and youth are correlated with variables at the individual, parental, and community levels. At the community level, availability of recreation and physical activity facilities, play spaces and playgrounds, and rurality were positively associated with outdoor time and outdoor play (10). To increase child and youth physical activity levels, policies related to school environmental support (i.e., offer a variety of physical activities, enhance the built environment), community environmental support (i.e., interesting play spaces, community programs), and active transport/urban design may be most effective (11). Since the completion of our project in 2021, a child friendly neighborhood assessment index was developed that includes neighborhood and community features related to outdoor play for children and youth, including distances to parks, playgrounds and recreation amenities and number of bicycle lanes (12). During the COVID-19 pandemic, policies and public health guidelines initially restricted access to public recreation spaces to minimize gatherings, limiting Canadian children’s access to outdoor play (13, 14). As the pandemic progressed and Canadians were urged to spend more time outdoors, municipalities were essential in providing access to spaces for outdoor play. Policy and practice need to prioritize places and spaces for children and youth to be outdoors and physically active, particularly in their communities. The scope of places for children and youth to play must extend beyond formal playgrounds and parks to include a variety of public spaces that facilitate outdoor play.
The Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play suggests “increasing children’s opportunities for self-directed play outdoors in all settings—at home, at school, in childcare, the community and nature,” and recommends that governments collaborate across sectors to improve children’s access to outdoor play in nature and the outdoors (15). Let’s Get Moving, an action plan for increasing physical activity in Nova Scotia, has actions to encourage communities to develop policies that make it easier for Nova Scotians to incorporate less structured movement into their daily routines, and to create the conditions that support outdoor play and other active recreation choices (16). In recent years, policies related to play have been developed and implemented globally as a strategy to encourage mostly unstructured play in everyday spaces. The Canadian Public Health Association developed guidance on how to develop a play policy; however, specific details with examples of the development and implementation of municipal policies were not included. Municipal governments have a unique and necessary role in supporting outdoor play. They have legislated authority in key policy areas such as land use planning, active transportation, infrastructure, recreation programs, services, and facilities. Provincial legislation in Nova Scotia was changed in 2019 to require attention to recreation and parks in official municipal plans, which need to be approved by municipal governments (17). A play policy can assist municipalities in demonstrating their commitment to providing unstructured play opportunities, and such policies require collaborative decision-making that involves parents, children, child development experts, local leaders, local public health units, relevant government agencies (i.e., transportation, recreation), and local organizations related to play (i.e., family resource centres, youth-serving organizations) (5). A study of municipal officers in the United States identified that lack of political will, limited staff, and limited collaboration across municipal departments acted as barriers to the consideration of physical activity in community design and planning decisions (18). Despite these challenges, municipal play policies have been implemented in various communities globally, such as Calgary (Canada), Aberdeen (United Kingdom), and Palmerston North (New Zealand) (19–21).
For other communities to successfully develop their own play policies, it is essential to share experiences around the development and implementation of such policies. Community case studies can be used to document a local experience of delivering a service to meet the community’s needs, and include principles of community engagement to develop policies, programs, or services (22). Therefore, the purpose of this case study is to describe the development and implementation of outdoor play policies in Nova Scotia for children and youth and the outcomes and lessons learned in one community in Nova Scotia, Canada.
2 Context
2.1 UpLift partnership
The UpLift Partnership is a School-Community-University Partnership in Nova Scotia, Canada supporting the health and learning of school-aged children and youth using a Health Promoting Schools (HPS) approach (23, 24). The UpLift core team is hosted within Dalhousie University’s Healthy Populations Institute, while operating in partnership with the provincial government, Nova Scotia Health, school communities, non-profits, and the private sector. The work of the partnership is jointly funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the private sector to enhance HPS in six inter-related domains: (1) Partnerships and Leadership, (2) Planning and Evaluation, (3) Communication and Knowledge Exchange, (4) Capacity Building, (5) Child and Youth Engagement, and (6) School and Community Engagement and Action. HPS is a framework for schools to “constantly strengthen their capacity as a healthy setting for living, learning, and working” (25), and it is well recognized that HPS work requires partnerships from players outside schools, such as local or municipal governments (26). As part of the sixth domain (School and Community Engagement and Action), the UpLift Partnership engaged several communities in Nova Scotia through the Municipal Policy Project (MPP).
2.2 Municipal policy project
The goal of the MPP was to work directly with municipal recreation departments and leaders, physical activity leaders, and community partners to increase their knowledge, skills, and confidence in developing and implementing an outdoor play policy for their community. A virtual information session was hosted in Fall 2020 during which UpLift core team members introduced the MPP to Nova Scotia municipal recreation and physical activity staff, described the project and responsibilities of municipalities, and answered any questions. Following the virtual session, communities were asked to submit an Expression of Interest to participate in the project. In the Expressions of Interest, communities were asked to described: their level of commitment from management and/or elected officials, three major play activities for children/youth in their communities, key partners, and readiness for this project. At this time, we received four expressions of interest. One community withdrew from the project before the workshops due to staffing changes and capacity limitations.
3 Key programmatic elements
3.1 Municipal policy project workshops
The UpLift Partnership worked with the remaining three interested communities in 2020–2021 to support the development of municipal policy actions to promote outdoor play and active travel for children and youth. A small working group was formed in each community including 1–2 municipal staff and UpLift Partnership team members, as needed. The roles of municipal staff and the UpLift Partnership in the Municipal Policy Project are included in Table 1.
Table 1. Roles of municipal staff and the UpLift partnership in the municipal policy project.
The working group guided the design and implementation of the policy planning session, such as inviting external stakeholders, virtual workshop logistics, agenda and workshop design, and distribution of material to participants. Each community participated in a virtual workshop (two sessions x 2.25 h), hosted by the municipality and the UpLift Partnership and attended by invited community members. Workshop participants included representatives from municipal recreation, municipal planning departments, local colleges, public schools, provincial government departments such as education, health, recreation and community services, family resource centres, and community organizations/ non-profits (Table 2).
Table 2. Sample municipal policy project workshop agenda.
During the workshops, participants worked in small groups to identify potential outdoor play policy actions for their communities (see Table 3 for examples). Following the workshops, participants in each community were sent workshop proceedings, including the workshop slides and policy actions developed in the workshop.
Table 3. Examples of municipal policy project policy actions, as identified by workshop attendees.
3.2 Post-workshop policy development
Below, we describe the process taken by one community, the Town of Truro, whose policy was adopted by the town council in Fall 2021 (the remaining two communities did not move forward in writing or adopting an outdoor play policy following the workshops). Following the workshops, staff from the Town of Truro and Uplift worked together to develop a community-specific outdoor play policy based on best practices and input from community members, youth, and town staff.
3.3 Youth input survey
To gather youth input in Truro, an online survey was distributed through the Truro Youth Council. A more comprehensive consultation was not possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic and staff deployments to COVID-19 related roles. A member of the youth council was a key mobilizer in distributing the survey to students at several local schools. The survey questions were developed by UpLift Partnership staff, recreation staff, and a school administrator. Students (n = 194) in grades 9–10 (74%) and 11–12 (26%) responded to the survey to share their thoughts on outdoor play in Truro. When asked how far they lived from downtown Truro, 38% could walk or bike to downtown, 27% lived within a 5–10 min drive, and 35% lived more than a 10-min drive from downtown. Half of the youth (51%) agreed or strongly agreed that Truro has a lot of outdoor spaces for people their age to enjoy being active. Most of youth agreed or strongly agreed that: there is green space within walking distance of where they live (76%) and it is easy to get around Truro on foot (78%). While Truro has a winter equipment loan program, most youth (77%) were not familiar with the program. When youth were asked what gets in the way of youth being active outside in Truro, 48% reported social anxiety, 42% would rather play video games or spend time on social media, 38% felt that Truro does not have outdoor spaces that appeal to youth, 42% reported a lack of transportation to outdoor spaces, and 29% reported their parents’ rules limited time spent outdoors (youth could select multiple responses). Almost half of youth (46%) reported that the main park (Victoria Park, with a playground, trails, pool, and mountain bike park) was their favorite outdoor space in Truro.
3.4 Community profile
The Town of Truro has a population of 12,954 and 46,157 in the Truro Census Agglomeration (27). The Parks, Recreation and Culture Department has eight full time staff and 20 maintenance staff, and offers recreation programs, services, and facilities. Truro is described as a very walkable town with an abundance of outdoor play and recreation facilities, including Victoria Park (3,000 acres), ball fields, trails, outdoor play and splash pad, mountain bike park, community gardens, outdoor tennis and basketball courts, soccer fields, skate park, playgrounds, and lawn bowling. The vision statement within the new policy states that “The Town of Truro will be a community where the right to play is available to all children and youth, regardless of age, ability, gender, ethnicity, geographic location, or economic circumstances. The Town of Truro envisions a child friendly environment where play is everywhere, not simply in playgrounds.” The policy’s six goals and policy actions are included in Table 4. Most actions are underway; however, progress has been made for several actions. For example, a garden space was donated to the Boys and Girls Club and the equipment loan program was enhanced through community donations and a Recreation Nova Scotia grant. The updated Town of Truro Active Transportation Strategy (2023) cites the Outdoor Play Policy for Children and Youth as part of its baseline platform to develop the new plan (28). In addition, a development proposal submitted to the Town of Truro in 2021 (after the Policy was approved) included rolling hills to encourage outdoor play and a community outdoor amenity space (29).
Table 4. Policy actions and status for the Outdoor Play for Children and Youth Policy in Truro, Nova Scotia.
4 Discussion
4.1 Practical implications
This paper outlines the development process of outdoor play policies in Nova Scotia, including the adoption process for an outdoor play policy for children and youth in Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada. The policy was developed through a unique partnership between the UpLift Partnership, the Town of Truro Parks, Recreation, and Culture Department, including the Director of Recreation and its Municipal Physical Activity Leaders. Workshops, facilitated by UpLift, were attended by various community partners who worked together to brainstorm a vision, goals, and possible policy actions for the Town of Truro. These ideas then informed the development of the formal Outdoor Play for Children and Youth Policy that was adopted by the Town Council in Fall 2021. The adoption of this policy highlights the Town of Truro’s commitment to outdoor play for children and youth and can inform municipal initiatives going forward.
4.2 Lessons learned
By completing this project, staff from the Town of Truro and UpLift identified several facilitators to development and implementation of an outdoor play policy in a municipal setting. From this experience with the Town of Truro, municipal commitment, leadership from recreation management and municipal planning staff, and buy-in at the community-level were essential to successful policy development and adoption. Having the policy adopted by Town Council demonstrates political leadership and support for this work across the municipality. In addition to community readiness for a formal policy, it is helpful if the policy aligns with other relevant community policies or strategies, such as Physical Activity or Active Transportation Strategies. For example, The Town of Truro released an updated Physical Activity Strategic Plan in 2020, which included a Strategic Direction for Natural and Built Environments, a fitting connection to the 2021 Outdoor Play for Children and Youth Policy (30). The Town of Truro also has Strategic Priorities to upgrade an outdoor multi-use sport facility and to expand a mountain bike park, further showing the readiness, interest, and investment in outdoor recreation opportunities (28). It was also valuable to involve community partners from different sectors and organizations in the process to ensure the policy is relevant to various community members. The policy actions were also informed by a survey completed by 190 local adolescents that included questions about their interests and needs related to outdoor play. A final facilitator, as identified by the community, was the support of an external facilitator from the UpLift Partnership to develop the outdoor play policy by supporting decision making and the policy writing process.
5 Conceptual or methodological constraints
In addition to facilitators to development and implementation, we experienced several barriers. The UpLift Partnership initially supported additional communities to develop outdoor play policies; however, final policies were not developed or adopted as communities lacked readiness and dedicated leadership at the time. We acknowledge the limited generalizability of our findings to other settings or communities with different socio-cultural or environmental factors; however, we do believe our community case study still presents relevant findings and lessons learned for other communities interested in developing outdoor play policies, particularly given the limited literature on this topic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were unable to conduct in-person youth consultations or in-person community workshops. The pandemic also meant that several community partners (i.e., Public Health, Youth Engagement Coordinators) were deployed from their usual roles to COVID-19 related roles, limiting their participation in the process. The online survey and workshops limited interactions between project partners, and any future work we conduct will involve in-person consultations with youth, such as focus groups or community walk-abouts, and in-person community workshops with more interactive, engaging activities.
6 Conclusion
Development and adoption of the Outdoor Play for Children and Youth Policy in Truro has potential to provide more opportunities for children and youth to engage in unstructured play in formal and informal spaces, similar to the actions highlighted in the Play-Friendly Cities Framework and Declaration on the Right to Play (4, 5). The process outlined in this paper can serve as a guide for other communities looking to develop similar outdoor play policies. In the future, more support for adoption and implementation would be a helpful addition to this project for the policy to have the most impact in the community. Future work should continue to evaluate the policy and its impact on activities and initiatives within the Town of Truro, and the development and adoption of polices in other municipalities.
Data availability statement
The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.
Author contributions
HC: Formal analysis, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Writing – original draft. MA: Conceptualization, Investigation, Project administration, Resources, Writing – review & editing. AS: Project administration, Resources, Writing – review & editing. HM: Project administration, Writing – review & editing. CH: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Writing – review & editing. SK: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Resources, Writing – review & editing.
Funding
The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by an unrestricted grant related to the topic under study from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation to the UpLift Partnership (Dalhousie University). HATC was funded by a CIHR Health System Impact Fellowship.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the workshop participants and community members from the Town of Truro for their enthusiasm and participation in the project, and the many members the UpLift Partnership team who contributed to the project.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Publisher’s note
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Keywords: adolescents, physical activity, healthy environments, outdoor play, urban, town, policy
Citation: Caldwell HAT, Arthur M, Simms A, Mawhinney H, Hancock Friesen CL and Kirk SFL (2024) Development and implementation of a municipal outdoor play policy for children and youth in Nova Scotia, Canada: a community case study. Front. Public Health. 12:1334767. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1334767
Edited by:
Linchuan Yang, Southwest Jiaotong University, ChinaReviewed by:
Abdullah Nidal Addas, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi ArabiaBirute Strukcinskiene, Klaipėda University, Lithuania
Copyright © 2024 Caldwell, Arthur, Simms, Mawhinney, Hancock Friesen and Kirk. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Sara F. L. Kirk, sara.kirk@dal.ca