Free to Play: Outdoor Play for Every Child
A national initiative delivered locally by Community Foundation Grey Bruce!
Community Foundation Grey Bruce (CFGB) welcomes applications for Free to Play, a new national initiative that strengthens opportunities for outdoor play in the Grey Bruce Area.
This program supports projects that foster safe, engaging environments where children can move their bodies, stretch their imaginations, test their boundaries and build meaningful connections.
As one of 22 community foundations participating across Canada, we are helping expand access to outdoor play for children. These experiences nurture creativity, curiosity and confidence while giving kids the freedom to explore in joyful, unstructured ways.
Starting November 28, 2025, organizations in Grey Bruce can apply for funding to deliver creative, place-based programs that engage children in outdoor play.
Applications close February 24, 2026.
Helping kids thrive through outdoor play - Free to Play brings funders and local community foundations together to support children through the power of outdoor play.
Free to Play is a national initiative led by Community Foundations of Canada and made possible through support from the Waltons Trust, the Lawson Foundation and Canadian Jumpstart Charities. Through local community foundations, the program invests in projects across 22 participating foundations that help children experience the joy and benefits of outdoor play.
Free to Play works to remove barriers and open more doors for children to play outside. The fund supports initiatives that encourage kids to move, imagine, take healthy risks, and connect with others — away from screens and into welcoming outdoor spaces where they feel safe, supported and free to be themselves.
Projects include everything from nature-based programs and land-based learning to family-led initiatives and public space design — all focused on helping kids take on challenges, try new things, and build real-world skills. Outdoor play isn’t equally accessible to all, and many families face systemic barriers that limit access to safe, enriching play experiences. Free to Play supports local solutions that break down those barriers, helping children build confidence, independence, creativity, and social connection.
When children are free to play their own way, everyone benefits; kids thrive, families connect, and communities grow stronger.
Watch this video to learn the fundamentals of outdoor play and how to design impactful Free to Play projects for children in your community.
Applications Open
→ November 28, 2025 at 9:00 AM PST
Applications Close
→ February 24, 2026 at 5:00 PM PST
Applications Reviewed
→ Between February–March 2026
Applicants Notified
→ April 2026
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 1:00 PM ET: Free to Play Webinar hosted by Community Foundations of Canada.
Link to video
Link to side deck
Eligible applicants include registered charities and non-profit organizations, including Indigenous Governing Bodies and incorporated non-profit organizations, such as Indigenous nations/communities, school boards, schools and locally registered organizations at the federal or provincial level.
Applicants must be based in Grey Bruce and be one of the following:
- A registered charity or non-profit, including Indigenous Governing Bodies, municipalities; other qualified donees; or
- An incorporated non-profit organization, such as a community group, Indigenous nation/community, school board, school, or local organization registered federally or provincially.
Free to Play supports projects that create meaningful outdoor play opportunities. This may include nature-based programming, open-ended adventures, cultural play traditions, caregiver involvement, or re-imagining underused community spaces for play.
Before you begin your application, review the Applicant Guide for details about the program, including eligibility and funding objectives.
Grant will range from $5000 to $100,000, and applicants are encouraged to request the level of support needed to deliver meaningful and lasting impact. All funded activities must be completed by 2028.
To apply or learn more, visit the Community Foundations of Canada Application Portal or see the Applicant Guide.
Click here to view the Application Portal walkthrough. (Please note: applications must be submitted online - this is a reference document only)
Free to Play will be delivered over multiple years:
Round 1 (2025–2026) launches this fall, with projects beginning in 2026 and running through 2028.
Round 2 (2027–2028) begins in 2027 and will include invitation-only calls, depending on the first round’s results. (We will decide if we need to open a Round 2 call for proposals after evaluating how many projects we can fund in Round 1).
In total, $205,000 has been made available for granting in 2026 and 2027.
Applicants may request up to $100,000 for their project. Organizations may submit only one application.
We encourage organizations to apply for the amount that best fits project needs.
Requesting only what you need ensures we can support as many strong, community-led initiatives as possible, while still resourcing projects for success.
**A word on Major Capital Expenses: We know many communities are excited about naturalizing playgrounds or redesigning schoolyards. While these are important projects, they are also very costly. Free to Play is not designed to fund major capital or infrastructure projects on its own. Instead, this fund focuses on outdoor play opportunities, things like nature-based programs, open-ended adventures, cultural play traditions, caregiver engagement, or re-imagining underused community spaces.
Before starting your application, please consult the Applicant Guide — it contains all the information you need to know about Free to Play, including its purpose, eligibility criteria, and how to apply.
Watch the Application Walk-Through Video provided by Community Foundations of Canada to help you navigate the online application process.
Watch the Applicant Webinar — Outdoor Play 101 — originally hosted by Community Foundations of Canada on December 10, 2025, to help potential Free to Play applicants learn more about the importance of outdoor play for children. Download the accompanying slide deck here.
Look out for a second Applicant Webinar hosted by Community Foundations of Canada in January 2026 — more details coming in the new year!
Outdoor play is any fun, self-directed activity that happens outside. It’s rooted in children’s curiosity, imagination and exploration. It gives kids room to move, explore, and take healthy risks. Outdoor play can look like running, climbing, digging, building, splashing, creating with natural materials or simply wandering and wondering. Caregivers and communities help create the conditions for outdoor play, but children lead the way.
Unstructured play (also called free play) is a form of play that is child-led, freely chosen, and intrinsically motivated. It is not organized by adults nor governed by a fixed structure or outcome.
Some key attributes of unstructured play include:
- Self-direction: Children are free to decide what, how, and when they play.
- No predetermined goals: There’s no fixed “right way” or endpoint established by adults.
- Flexibility and spontaneity: The play can evolve, change, or pause as the child wishes.
- Intrinsic motivation: The enjoyment comes from the play itself, not external rewards or evaluations.
By ensuring that children have time, space, and permission to engage in unstructured play, we tap into their creativity, capacity for risk-taking, independence, and deeper connection to their surroundings.
Outdoor play is essential to healthy childhood development. When kids are encouraged to explore and take risks, they build confidence, resilience, and problem-solving skills that last a lifetime. Outdoor play helps children:
⇒ Develop independence and decision-making skills
⇒ Build physical strength and coordination
⇒ Strengthen mental health and reduce stress
⇒ Foster creativity, curiosity, and social connection
Across Canada, children spend more time on screens and less time climbing trees, splashing in puddles, or making up games with friends. Fewer than 40% of Canadian children meet recommended daily physical activity levels — and barriers like safety concerns, busy schedules, and limited outdoor spaces make it harder for many to play freely.
When children thrive, families and communities do too.
To apply or learn more, visit the Community Foundations of Canada Application Portal
Free to Play is designed to:
- Support unstructured projects shaped by local knowledge for children aged 0-12
- Make outdoor play more accessible — especially for children who face barriers
- Engage caregivers, educators, neighbours, and local leaders to build a culture of outdoor play
Great play needs more than a place — it needs a community behind it.
Click on the links below to access resources in supporting education and awareness around free play.
Outdoor Play Canada Position Statement
Launch of the 2025 Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play! & Video
Risk Benefit Assessment Toolkit
The Importance of Risky Play for Childhood Development
If you have questions or need support preparing your application, we’re here to help.
foundation@cfgb.ca
519.371.7203
Interested in increasing the impact of the Free to Play initiative in your community?
Please consider a tax deductible donation — 100% of proceeds will support projects in Grey Bruce.
