2025 position statement on active outdoor play: Why, how and what

Background

The 2015 Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play established outdoor play as an important determinant of child health and development and informed policy, legal, funding and research agendas internationally. Ten years later, an update was undertaken to expand the scope across the life course and strengthen global relevance in the context of urbanisation, climate change and changing patterns of movement behaviour.

Methods

An international leadership group and steering committee (>130 members) conducted a six-stage consensus process: governance establishment; environmental scan of historical influences on active outdoor play; text-mining and linked network analyses; identification of priority research themes and stakeholder relationships; iterative co-development of a conceptual framework; and evidence synthesis to inform the final statement.

Results

The environmental scan identified 136 historical events influencing active outdoor play. Computational analyses identified ten core research themes and relationships between key actors. These findings informed a final systems-based framework comprising nine interconnected themes, which guided 18 targeted evidence reviews. The resulting 2025 Position Statement advances recommendations supporting outdoor play, learning and development across all ages, while integrating environmental stewardship and social connectedness.

Conclusions

The updated Position Statement provides an evidence-informed, internationally relevant framework for action across health, education, planning and community sectors. It offers a foundation for policy translation and programme development to increase equitable access to active outdoor play. Context-specific adaptation will be essential to maximise relevance and impact across cultural, environmental and governance settings.

Key messages

• A systems-based international update expands active outdoor play guidance from childhood to the full life course.

• The Position Statement can support cross-sector policy and practice to improve health, equity and sustainability.