NB Plays! & Essential Playbook Training
Recreation NB | Loisirs N.-B. is enhancing recreation programming across New Brunswick through two key initiatives: the Essential Playbook Training and the updated NB Plays resource. These tools empower recreation and sport leaders to deliver inclusive, engaging, and developmentally appropriate experiences where every child feels safe, welcomed, and able to thrive.
Through dynamic workshops and hands-on training, leaders gain practical strategies, adaptable frameworks, and planning tools that promote movement, skill development, and lifelong participation in physical activity. The training emphasizes the importance of play, inclusive program design, and the creation of positive, connected team cultures.
The Essential Playbook and NB Plays highlight the core components of high-quality programming—fostering belonging, confidence, and physical literacy. These initiatives support front-line leaders in building strong relationships, modeling respectful conflict resolution, and cultivating environments where all children can experience success and joy through active play.
By prioritizing inclusivity, leadership development, and physical literacy, Recreation NB | Loisirs N.-B. continues to advance its mission of building healthier, more active communities—creating spaces where every child feels they belong and can flourish.
NB Plays! Resources:
NB Plays! The Playbook
Essential Playbook Training
NB PLAYS! Outside: To Support Outdoor Play and Learning
Building on the success of NB PLAYS! After School, Recreation N.B. branched out to create NB PALYS! Outside. This complementary initiative was developed with the goal of motivating and supporting recreation leaders and educators in taking their programs outside and engaging children and youth in nature, risky and free outdoor play, and inquiry-based, emergent, and experiential learning.
Why outside?
Concerns over child safety, coupled with the perceived risks of outdoor play have left kids with nowhere to roam but online. As a result, children’s time outdoors and contact with nature are in sharp decline and New Brunswick youth are averaging more than four hours of screen time a day. An excess of inactive, recreational screen time is linked to reduced academic achievement and increased incidence of being overweight and obese.
Thankfully, this unnatural trend is reversible. Out of school programs can promote outdoor play and learning and help children and youth rediscover the great outdoors. By focusing on this time, we can turn out of school programming into a province-wide opportunity for positive change through outdoor play and learning.
NB PLAYS! Outside: An Outdoor Play and Learning Resource
The Outdoor Play and Learning Resource is designed for front-line leaders of out of school programs. It highlights key elements of quality recreation programming and provides background information, benefits, best practices, success stories and ideas for incorporating outdoor play and learning into a holistic program framework.
NB PLAYS! Gold: For Quality Older Adult Programming
NB PLAYS! Gold is a New Brunswick-led initiative developed y Recreation N.B. and its partners. It supports recreation leaders and other who work with older adults, formally or informally, and strengthen capacity for recreation programming that fosters health and wellness in our province.
Why Older Adults?
As the fastest growing population in New Brunswick, it is vital that older adults have access to quality recreation programming tailored to their unique needs.
According to Statistics Canada’s latest data, there are over 300,000 older adults (50+) living in New Brunswick, making up approximately 40% of the population. It is expected that this number will continue to increase over the next 20 years. New Brunswick’s aging populace and its impacts on our communities make province-wide investments in active living and healthy aging crucial.
Research shows that ager-friendly build and social environments support older adults in better managing and even delaying the onset of chronic disease. Age-friendly settings have been shown to measurably improve physical health, as well as boost social, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. Quality older adult recreation programs can serve as supportive and age-friendly environments where participants can acquire these health benefits while enhancing their quality of life.
NB PLAYS! Gold: A Resource for quality Older Adult Programming
The NB Plays! Gold PLAYBOOK is a resource designed for those who develop and lead recreation programs that cater to older adults. These programs include, but are not limited to, those offered by municipalities, recreation facilities, fitness centres, community-based organizations, faith-based circles and volunteer-led groups. The resource highlights key elements of quality, holistic older adult programming and provides practical information, interesting facts, useful tips, fun activity ideas, relevant resources, and motivational success stories within each of the following components: Positive Mental Health, Physical Activity, healthy Eating, as well as Community and Intergenerational Connections.
NB PLAYS! Preschool: A resource: A Resource for Quality Early Learning Programming
Recognizing that early childhood is a critical time for establishing healthy behaviours, Recreation N.B. developed NB PLAYS! Preschool. This project aims to foster healthy and active living at an early age by supporting balanced early learning programming.
Why Preschool?
NB PLAYS! Preschool aims to foster healthy and active living at an early age y supporting balanced early learning programming. Early childhood is a critical time for establishing healthy behaviours and patterns that will carry over into later childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
NB PLAYS! Outside: An Outdoor Play and Learning resource
The Preschool PLAYBOOK is designed for front-line leaders and early childhood educators in early learning and childcare programs in New Brunswick. It highlights positive mental health, physical activity, healthy eating, outdoor adventures and learning experiences as essential aspects of quality preschool programming and provides information, recommendations, resources and activities within each component.
