About Us

The Outside Play Lab is a team of researchers dedicated to studying children’s outdoor risky play and injury prevention. Our lab is led by Dr. Mariana Brussoni, and is based at the University of British Columbia and the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Our research looks at the effect of outdoor play on children, the influence of adults (parents, caregivers, educators, and others) on children’s play opportunities, and the design of outdoor environments (play spaces, neighbourhoods) to support outdoor play, as well as the enablers and policies to promote outdoor play.

PRO-ECO 2.0

PROmoting Early Childhood Outside

We are working with Indigenous organization, elders, and partners that support and deliver early learning child care (ELCC) programs across BC to develop, implement and evaluate the PRO-ECO program to support children's outdoor play in ELCC programs. This study expands the PRO-ECO 1.0, a pilot study.

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Resources

Podcast

Jul 2026

CBC Today - Ontario Today with Amanda Pfeffer

Toy Story 5: How the toys vs screens battle is playing out at home

Dr. Mariana Brussoni joins CBC's Ontario Today with Amanda Pfeffer for a conversation about children's play and the toys-versus-screens debate at home, alongside screens researcher and neuroscientist Emma Duerden.