Fort St. John local launches petition for more outdoor play

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A Fort St. John local has launched a petition calling for more outdoor time and play in schools in the School District 60 (SD60). 

The petition was created on February 14th by Logan Sonnenberg, a resident of Fort St. John and student teacher at Alwin Holland Elementary.

Sonnenberg previously taught in Charlie Lake, Anne Roberts Young Elementary and Wonowon Elementary School with a letter of permission. 

In an interview with Energeticcity.ca, Sonnenberg said: “I’ve been very passionate about getting my students outdoors as much as I can, regardless of the weather. 

“I take the kids outside every day, I’ve made it a part of my teaching practice, and I think it’s really, really important.” 

Before he started teaching, Sonnenberg worked at a summer camp for years, where he worked with kids of different ages. This experience gave him a “unique perspective” and got him thinking about working with kids outdoors and managing the risks. 

“I’ve noticed a growing pattern across multiple schools in our district, more indoor days for mild weather, more restrictions on playground equipment, and less time for children to be outside,” Sonnenberg said.  

He believes this pattern is not unique to SD60, and that there has been a shift across Canada over the past few decades.

“Recess has become more regulated, and children’s outdoor freedom has steadily decreased,” he added.  

Energeticcity.ca was not able to verify this claim during independent research. 

“I do understand why a lot of those rules have been put into place, but I think it’s having a negative effect on children,” Sonnenberg said. “I think the outdoor play aspect is so important, especially in any weather.” 

He shared that Canadian researchers like Dr. Mariana Brussoni, a researcher with the University of British Columbia, along with organizations such as PHE Canada and Outdoor Play Canada, have consistently shown the benefits of outdoor play.  

“[Dr. Brussoni’s research] shows that outdoor and risky play supports resilience, confidence, emotional regular regulation and physical competence,” Sonnenberg said

Sonnenberg alleges that ever since Covid-19, children have had issues with emotional regulation. 

“Our goal is to develop resilient and confident students who can be emotionally regulated, especially in the school environment,” he added. 

He emphasized how important it is to look at things that are done differently around the world, especially in Nordic countries like Finland. 

“They give students the opportunities for 15 minutes of outdoor recess for every 45 minutes to an hour of instruction.

“They really prioritize outdoor play and their argument is that it supports students’ emotional regulation, their resilience and their ability to focus in the classroom.”

Sonnenberg believes there needs to be broader conversations about the pressures principals face within the district. 

“From what I understand, safety is by far the biggest concern that most of the administrators have and liability issues that principal, teaching staff and the district face when it comes to letting kids do outdoor risky play,” he shared, adding the third concern is the logistics of dealing with injuries and behavioral incidents on the playground. 

Sonnenberg wants to help raise awareness within the parent community, “so we can better understand these systemic challenges and work together to support changes that benefit children while acknowledging the pressures administrators are navigating.”

He wants to work with the school district, principals, teachers, educational assistants and parents. 

His proposed solutions for a way forward could include: 

• Re-examine weather policies to reduce indoor days 
• Review recess rules to ensure they allow developmentally appropriate freedom while maintaining reasonable supervision. 
• Use research from Canadian and Nordic experts while making decisions
• Build a shared understanding of the difference between danger and healthy risk. 

“I’m advocating for a return to practices that Canada itself once embraced, practices that put more trust in children, placed greater value on outdoor time, and helped develop more resilient kids and communities,” he said. 

As of February 26th at 1.22 p.m., the petition has received 175 signatures. 

To sign the petition, click here. 

Energeticcity.ca reached out to Stephen Petrucci, superintendent of School District 60, for comment but did not hear back in time for publication. 

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.