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Outdoor Free Play in Northern Canada: A Key to Early Childhood Development

  • Early Childhood
  • Education

Rooting education in the northern environment

In Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, winter shapes daily life. For early childhood educators, going outside is not simply an activity — it is an educational act rooted in northern reality. At Collège Nordique in Yellowknife, this philosophy guides early childhood education: understanding the North also means learning with the North.

Canadian and international research agrees: free outdoor play, even in cold weather, is a vital driver of holistic child development. It supports motor skills, confidence, emotional regulation, and physical health — all fundamental competencies in the early years (Lee et al., 2025; World Health Organization, 2020).

The benefits of outdoor play — even below zero

  • Moving more, moving better
    According to the Canadian Paediatric Society (2024), children who play outdoors are more active, develop better coordination, and have stronger cardiovascular health than those who spend most of their time indoors.
  • Building emotional resilience
    Challenging play — sliding down snowy hills, climbing snowbanks, exploring icy paths — builds confidence and decision-making. These supervised experiences help children regulate emotions and reduce anxiety (Sando & Sandseter, 2023).
  • Creating a lasting bond with the land
    In northern contexts, outdoor play goes beyond physical activity: it carries identity and culture. Observing animal tracks, discovering frost patterns, or listening to local stories become entry points into a place-based pedagogy, where learning is intertwined with belonging.

Three territories, one shared reality: learning with the cold

In Yukon

Educators in Yukon draw inspiration from land-based education, which considers the land as the first teacher. They also benefit from a concrete resource — the Forest School Guide for Parents – Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon (CSFY). This guide introduces parents to the philosophy of forest school, an approach focused on free play, curiosity, and connection to nature. It encourages children to learn through exploration and discovery of the territory, while respecting their rhythm and safety.

In the Northwest Territories

In Yellowknife, Collège Nordique supports educators in adapting pedagogy to northern realities: short days, extreme cold, wind, and isolation. Training emphasizes safe planning, beneficial risk management, and integrating free play into daily routines. Educators learn to turn climatic challenges into learning opportunities, for example, by documenting emotions felt outdoors or observing shifting daylight as both a scientific and reflective exercise.

In Nunavut

In Inuit communities, the connection to the land is central to child development.
According to Statistics Canada (2020), nearly 40% of Inuit children aged 2 to 5 play outside daily, even when temperatures drop far below zero. Educators build on traditional knowledge: sharing stories about the wind, tracking Arctic hares, observing how the sky changes. Harsh conditions call for shorter but more frequent outings, flexible planning, and close attention to safety. These practices make Nunavut a model of pedagogical adaptation — teaching by the land and for the land.

Risky play: learning to fall to rise again

Letting a child slide, climb, or explore safely is an opportunity to learn boundaries. The Canadian Paediatric Society (2024) reminds us that avoiding risk often limits learning.
In the North, this philosophy takes on special meaning: the ground is uneven, the weather unpredictable — and within that complexity, children learn prudence, cooperation, and self-confidence.

Northern challenges and educational adaptations

  • Extreme cold and Arctic wind: plan short, frequent outings (10–15 minutes) with warm-up periods inside
  • Short daylight hours: make use of available light for outdoor activity
  • Limited access to gear: create community clothing banks and encourage donations
  • Uneven terrain: turn natural landscapes into stimulating and safe play areas
  • Cultural diversity: integrate Indigenous and Francophone knowledge and promote bilingual interaction

A pedagogy of the North

The approach of Collège Nordique is part of a Canada-wide movement supported by partners such as the Lawson Foundation, territorial governments, and northern postsecondary institutions. The goal is to develop education rooted in the land, responsive to northern climates and cultures.

Outdoor free play becomes a threefold tool:

  • Pedagogical, because it nurtures curiosity and motor skills
  • Cultural, because it connects the child to their environment
  • Community-based, because it fosters collective well-being and identity in Canada’s North

In summary

In northern Canada, cold is not an obstacle — it is raw material for learning, growth, and fulfillment. And in Yellowknife, Collège Nordique has made it a cornerstone of its mission: to train educators who teach the North, in the North, and for the North.

References

Published October 29, 2025