Pediatric Pioneers Episode 9: Outdoor Play in Pediatric Therapy: How Can We Create Meaningful Spaces for Children?

Thomas Morgenthaler, PhD, MSc OT, BSc OT, joins host Nicole Quint for a compelling conversation on outdoor play as a vital childhood occupation. Drawing on his international clinical experience and groundbreaking PhD research on play for the sake of play, Thomas brings a fresh lens to how we think about—and design and evaluate—the environment of play spaces. Together, we explore the disconnect between how play is valued and how it's often used in practice, inviting you to reflect on your own assumptions and opportunities for advocacy. Join us and come away with practical, evidence-based strategies to help every child access meaningful, inclusive outdoor play.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the evidence around outdoor play occupations and their environmental determinants
• Apply evidence-based strategies to evaluate and improve play space usability and play value
• Analyze your own assumptions about what makes a “good” playground or outdoor space for children

Timestamps

• (00:00:00) Welcome
• (0:01:05) Introduction to pediatric pioneers and outdoor play
• (0:04:25) The importance of play spaces in childhood
• (0:09:45) Child rights and the role of play
• (0:15:44) Research insights on outdoor play
• (0:21:11) Intense play and belonging in play spaces
• (0:23:40) Understanding play space usage
• (0:30:09) Accessibility vs. usability in play spaces
• (0:32:31) Defining play value
• (0:33:33) Environmental features and play affordances
• (0:35:30) Tools for assessing play spaces
• (0:39:02) Inclusive design for diverse needs
• (0:44:00) Therapists' role in promoting outdoor play
• (0:48:42) Actionable takeaways for therapists
• (0:53:14) Final thoughts on the importance of play

Resources Mentioned in Episode

• Thomas Morgenthaler's LinkedIn
• Using the Theory of Affordances to Understand Environment–Play Transactions: Environmental Taxonomy of Outdoor Play Space Features—A Scoping Review

Pediatric Pioneers is brought to you by Medbridge. If you’d like to earn continuing education credit for listening to this episode and access bonus takeaway handouts, log in to your Medbridge account and navigate to the course where you’ll find accreditation details. If applicable, complete the post-course assessment and survey to be eligible for credit. The takeaway handout on Medbridge gives you the key points mentioned in this episode, along with additional resources you can implement into your practice right away.

To hear more episodes of Pediatric Pioneers, visit https://www.medbridge.com/pediatric-pioneers