Mission Outdoor Play: Live The Risky Play Conversations

Lineup

• More details about Dr. Mariana Brussoni

  Dr. Mariana Brussoni

  📅 Wednesday, December 9, 2026 @ 5:00 PM The Science & Safety of Risky Play: What the Research Tells Us Explore the empirical research on risk, injury prevention, and child development to gain the evidence needed to advocate for adventurous play with confidence. Prof. Mariana Brussoni leads the Outside Play Lab at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine and the British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Her award-winning research on outdoor risky play intersects injury prevention, risk, child development, public health and education to shift adults’ perceptions of risk, design play-friendly environments, and change systems to ensure all children have the time, space and freedom to play outside every day. Mariana offers practical workshops for parents, teachers and practitioners, free tools on the Outside Play Lab website, and co-authored the book Embracing Risky Play at School with Megan Zeni to provide simple, actionable strategies for teachers and schools.

• More details about Rusty Keeler

  Rusty Keeler

  📅 Wednesday, January 13, 2027 @ 5:00 PM Designing for Adventure: Transforming Spaces into Dynamic Play Environments Learn how to create hands-on, high-energy outdoor spaces and loose-parts play environments that spark curiosity, resilience, and creative risk-taking. From Tasmania to Texas, Rusty Keeler has spent the last 30 years traveling the world designing and advocating for children's play. Described as a cross between Mr Rogers and Jerry Garcia, Rusty is a frequent keynote speaker and author of multiple books on play including the recent Adventures in Risky Play: What is Your Yes? A pioneer in the movement to connect children to nature through play, Rusty lives with his family beside a creek in Ithaca, NY with a backyard full of fruit trees, treehouses, straw bales, tires, tennis balls, hoola hoops, bubbles, and more.

• More details about Harry Harbottle

  Harry Harbottle

  📅 Wednesday, February 10, 2027 @ 5:00 PM Navigating Risk-Benefit Assessment in Real-World Practice Master practical Risk-Benefit Assessments (RBAs) to enable adventurous play while meeting legal and safety requirements without fear. Harry established CATE Consultancy Ltd in 2012, providing international advice on children’s rights, play provision, and risk management. Serving as an independent expert to the European Commission since 1986, he continuously contributes to European and International standards, including ISO guidelines for benefit-risk assessment and inclusive play design. A former chair of Play Scotland (2013–2020), Harry has spent decades advocating globally for children’s right to play. He acts as an inclusive play consultant and co-authored Free to Play, the Scottish Government’s official guide to creating accessible play spaces.

• More details about Ellen Sandseter

  Ellen Sandseter

  Prof. Ellen Sandseter 📅 Wednesday, March 17, 2027 @ 5:00 PM Categorising Risky Play: Insights from Nordic Practice Ellen is a professor at Queen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education. Her primary research focus is children’s outdoor play and risky play in Early Childhood Education. She has researched children’s experiences of participation and well-being and has served as project manager on projects on safety work and injuries in early childhood education, as well as a project investigating how to develop indoor and outdoor environments that support children’s learning and physical and psychosocial health. In her latest project, she has been exploring the effects of childhood risk experiences on children’s risk assessment and risk management skills through Virtual Reality, eye-tracking, and motion capture.