New playgrounds in GTA schools help get kids moving and loving sports

Canadian children and youth are increasingly inactive as they spend more time glued to their screens than playing outdoors.

According to ParticipAction, a non-profit that advocates for active living, more than 60 per cent of Canadians aged five to 17 are not meeting national physical activity guidelines. Instead of participating in playtime and sports, over 70 per cent of children are on their phones, tablets and laptops for more than two hours a day.

Part of the issue is a lack of play equipment in schoolyards. Approximately one in eight Canadian elementary schools don’t have play equipment, and one in four schoolyards in Ontario are unsuitable for play or games.

Creating more play spaces in schools

To help transform communities and encourage more kids in Canada to get active and involved in sports, Cadillac Fairview and the Canadian Olympic Committee have launched the CF Play Makers program, which plans to build and redesign play spaces across Canada.

“Playgrounds are the heartbeat of our communities and essential for kids’ development,” says Claudia Garcia Mayne, senior director of brand at Cadillac Fairview. “We’re thrilled to help more people from more backgrounds experience the benefits of playtime and build vibrant communities.”

Starting with three schools in the Greater Toronto Area, these new play spaces will provide students with opportunities to get moving while learning healthy habits. Projects will include the construction of a new playground and a buddy bench at Crescent Town Elementary School and West Glen Junior School, as well as a community revitalization project to encourage more physical activity at the Don Mills Campus Athletic Revitalization.

Olympian and program ambassador Rosie MacLennan says participating in unstructured play can help kids develop physical skills, build friendships, and learn courage and resilience. “Being active through free play and sport helps kids to develop physically, while improving coordination, building strong bones and muscles, and improving lung and heart health,” says MacLennan. “Physical activity also supports cognitive development, social skills and mental well-being.”

Pop-up slide at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre

To celebrate this innovative collaboration, the CF Toronto Eaton Centre is helping to bring back play with the installation of a giant indoor slide. Families across the GTA are invited to come out and play on the new pop-up slide and be reminded of what it was like to be a kid again. Open until July 26, the slide is free of charge for both kids and adults.

MacLennan says her parents played with her when she was young to help motivate her, and she encourages others to do the same. “Seeing them participate showed me that being active was an important thing to prioritize,” says MacLennan. “What we do as kids often lays the groundwork for who we are and what we do as adults, which is why establishing healthy habits early is so important.”

Visit the giant slide at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre until July 26, and click here to learn more about CF Play Makers.