“We’re helping them manage their risk so that their levels of anxiety aren’t so great when they’re faced with something that could pose a little bit of a risk.”

  –  Bushkids’ co-founder Wendy Lahey

Bushkids and Aurora College’s Early Learning and Childcare Diploma program on Thursday celebrated the launch of the 2025 Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play released by Outdoor Play Canada.

This marks 10 years since the original statement with a renewed, expanded vision.

It highlights the benefits of active outdoor play for all cultures, abilities, and communities, and emphasizes its importance for the environment and the planet.

The position statement advocates for a way of life that Northern peoples have embraced for millennia, recognizing its holistic benefits.

Bushkids envisions all educators in the NWT spending time connecting with nature and community as a regular and integrated part of their practice.

CKLB spent some time at the Bushkids camp today on the shores of Kam Lake in Yellowknife for this feature story. The first voice you will hear is Bushkids’ Cailey Mercredi, who is cooking over a campfire, surrounded by students and instructors: