Together we will move mountains
By Kari Svenneby

A lot of the time it is hard to know how to start things. Like changing a habit or how we can get more outdoor time. Finding an outdoor program or the occasional family trip to nature is a good start, but let’s make a point to discover the everyday nature first.

Remember that local park or ravine in your community. Little explorers are not born to skiing on Whistler or hiking the Rocky Mountains. Exploring starts in your neighborhood, in your backyard and in the many natural space you can find around you.

Organizing outdoor playgroups
Debra, Mari, Kristen and Cinza are all organizing outdoor playgroups in their communities in Toronto. Free and open to anyone who wants join. Why do they do it?

Debra organizes so she makes sure that she has one set day that she gets out of the house.

Mari is an active woman and loves to spend time outside. Her passion in life is skiing and wants to meet like minded parents and kids.

Designer Kristen has a quite connection to nature that she wishes to foster in her children. She is a walker and loves to discover bugs and create nature art.

Cinza is a new mom and a runner who looks forward to connecting with other moms for a high energy stroller tour around her neighborhood.

Grassroots without any rules
Outdoor playgroups get organized differently for individual reasons. Some have one activity when they meet while others are constantly changing. An outdoor playgroup is not meant to be a program or service to any particular parent, it is suppose to be a place where parents discover nature, play together and build connections between parents, their kids and nature.

It is not any different than a indoor playgroup, other than it is just outside. The beauty of an outdoor playgroup is that it is inherently grassroots. There are no rules how you are suppose to do it.

At Activekidsclub.com we like to believe we are living dangerously when we live our motto; no bad weather, only bad clothing. Basically we see ourselves as a part of nature and bad weather is… well it is natural.

Making sure that you get your outdoor time
Whether you love to be outside or maybe just want to live healthier and give your kids some much needed green time, being part of an outdoor playgroup is an excellent way to make sure that you get your daily nature time. It is more fun in groups. As an added bonus, it can create friendships among both the kids and the parents.

how to start an outdoor playgroup

Workshop : Get Outside!: an All-Weather Guide to Outdoor Playgroups

Outdoor playgroups in the news

Relearning the lost art of child’s play in Globe and Mail

How-to: Start an outdoor playgroup by Bunch Family

How to start an Outdoor Playgroup by National Wildlife Federation

Last Child in the coach by Backpacker

Raising Playful Tots #17 Create Outdoor Playgroups

Group encourages kids to be outside by Toronto Star