Outdoor play supports adolescent brain development by enhancing executive functions, emotional regulation, and physical fitness. Recent studies and a local grade 8 class project show that time outdoors boosts teens’ engagement, creativity, and holistic health, countering the negative effects of excessive screen time.

Adolescence is a unique developmental period in the lifespan with tremendous opportunity to implement play to improve executive function. This blog post looks at the importance of brain-building play for adolescents alongside some practical ways to play.

Playing in the out doors and exploring the wonders of ice is a great way to assist in childhood development from sensory exploration, social development to scientific concepts! Take a stroll through our Blog to learn and enjoy some fun ways to play and to be safe around ice surfaces.

Play is a powerful tool in brain development and can begin the moment a child is born. However, play is not only essential for young children. It is important for people of all ages. From playing peek-a-boo with an infant to playing a card game with a teenager, play is a tool that needs to be implemented into everyone’s daily lives - young or old!

When we think of play, often the first thing that comes to mind is young kids running and laughing, playing imaginative games and having fun. What we don’t often think of is older kids playing, and even less often, adults playing. Yet play between children of different ages and play between children and adults is hugely beneficial- not just to the kids, but to everyone!

Attachment styles can also help give insight to how children may connect to the world around them and what type of relationships they may have now and in the future.

Often when we talk about the importance of play, we are referring to pre-elementary to junior high aged children. This may be because teenagers can be notoriously difficult to engage with while in a period of life that is full of growth, confusion, learning, and for some, rebellion. Somewhere between adulthood and childhood it’s often easy to forget the important role play and fun have for teens