Numerous guides and documents exist to assist in the creation of well-thought-out outdoor spaces. However, these resources are scattered across the web, and considering the vast amount of information they contain, they can sometimes be challenging to consult on-site.

Recognizing this and the increasing demand for support in the redesign of outdoor spaces in the school and early childhood environments, the psychomotor development committee of En mouvement Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean initiated a project to create tools to guide practitioners on the ground during the process. These tools, in the form of checklists, provide a list of steps to follow, stakeholders to engage, and factors to consider, aiming to identify elements that are sometimes less well-evaluated during the process. This initial project resulted in the creation of two outdoor design checklists, one adapted to the reality of primary schools and the other to early childhood settings.

In a second phase, funding from the Active Lifestyle Table allowed for a similar project, sharing the same objectives, for municipal parks.

For each of the three checklists, interviews were conducted with individuals who led or were closely involved in the redesign of a project.

Visit our outdoor design checklists section for more information!