Why is play in early childhood important?
Early childhood free play experiences can influence a child’s developmental, mental and physical health, impacting them for the rest of their lives.
The PLACE Research Lab worked in collaboration with Strathcona County: Recreation, Parks and Culture, to better understand whether and how innovative preschool spaces foster free play.
During this project Strathcona County invested in Love to Play, an innovative play-based space and curriculum for their preschool program. Through the research we explored the immediate health and health equity benefits realized from this innovative play space and curriculum.
- Dr. Candace Nykiforuk, School of Public Health, University of Alberta (Nominated Principal Investigator)
- Dr. Jane Hewes, Grant MacEwan University (Co-Principal Investigator)
- Dr. Jeff Bisanz, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta (Co-Investigator)
- Dr. Rebecca Gokiert, Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta (Co-Investigator)
- Dr. Ana Paula Belon, PLACE Research Lab, School of Public Health, University of Alberta (Co-Investigator)
- Strathcona County, Recreation, Parks and Culture
- PLACE Project Team (2017). Love to Play. Community Report. Edmonton, AB: School of Public Health, University of Alberta. Prepared for community circulation.
- PLACE Project Team (2016). Evaluation of a play-based recreation program for preschoolers: municipal recreation policy implications of Strathcona County’s Love to Play program. Executive Summary. Edmonton, AB: School of Public Health, University of Alberta. Prepared for community circulation.
- PLACE Project Team (2016). Evaluation of a play-based recreation program for preschoolers: municipal recreation policy implications of Strathcona County’s Love to Play program. Infographic. Edmonton, AB: School of Public Health, University of Alberta. Prepared for community circulation.
- PLACE Project Team (2015). Love to Play: Evaluation of a Play-Based Preschool Recreation Program and Space. Preliminary Research Findings. Edmonton, AB: School of Public Health, University of Alberta. Prepared for community circulation.
- 2014-2016 Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Operating Grant – Population Health Intervention Research to Promote Health and Health Equity
- 2014-2016 Alberta Centre for Child Family and Community Research
- Onojeghuo, A.R., Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Belon, A.P., & Hewes, J. (2019). Behavioral mapping of children’s physical activities and social behaviors in an indoor preschool facility: methodological challenges in revealing the influence of space in play. International Journal of Health Geographics 18(1):26 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12942-019-0191-y
- Nykiforuk, C.I.J., Hewes, J., Belon, A.P., Paradis, D., Gallagher, E., Gokiert, R., Bisanz, J. & Nieuwendyk, L. (2018): Evaluating child-friendly spaces: insights from a participatory mixed methods study of a municipality’s free-play preschool and space. Cities & Health. Full text available: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23748834.2018.1548894
- Onojeghuo, A., & Nykiforuk, C.I.J. (2019, April). Secondary data analysis of the Love to Play Program at the Ardrossan Recreation Complex using Geographic Information Systems (GIS): volume 3 – spatial and gender analyses. Edmonton, AB: University of Alberta.
- Onojeghuo, A., & Nykiforuk, C.I.J. (2019, April). Secondary data analysis of the Love to Play Program at the Ardrossan Recreation Complex using Geographic Information Systems (GIS): volume 2 – descriptive analysis. Edmonton, AB: University of Alberta.
- Onojeghuo, A., & Nykiforuk, C.I.J. (2019, April). Secondary data analysis of the Love to Play Program at the Ardrossan Recreation Complex using Geographic Information Systems (GIS): volume 1 – methodology. Edmonton, AB: University of Alberta.
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