Research

First Author Scholarship & Publications

Zeni, M., Brussoni, M. (2026). Embracing Risky Play at School: Getting Kids Outdoors to Explore, Learn, and Grow. Teachers College Press.

Zeni, M., Schnellert, L., & Brussoni, M. (2025). Pathways for outdoor play and learning: Pedagogical decisions and curricular intent in elementary school classrooms. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning. 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2025.2517042

Zeni, M., Schnellert, L., & Brussoni, M. (2024). Outdoor play and learning in elementary schools: A critical participatory action research project. The Canadian Journal of Action Research, 24(3), 105-126. https://doi.org/10.33524/cjar.v24i3.675

Zeni, M., Schnellert, L., & Brussoni, M. (2023). “We do it anyway”: Professional identities of teachers who enact risky play as a framework for education outdoors. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 26(3), 341-358. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-023-00140-6

Additional Scholarship & Publications

Brussoni, M., Sandseter, E.B.H., Sando, O.J., Kleppe, R., Zeni, M., Bundy A. (2026): The developmental importance of risky play: A cross-national virtual reality study. Journal of Environmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.103062

Simpson, E., Donison, L., Zeni. M., de Lannoy, L., Matheson, K., Buxton, R., Halsall. T. (2026). Applying diverse participatory approaches to co-produce research impacts within outdoor learning. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 25. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069261457199

Molyneux, T. M., Zeni, M., & Oberle, E. (2023). Choose your own adventure: Promoting social and emotional development through outdoor learning. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51(8), 1525-1539. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01394-3

Halsall, T., Mahmoud, K., Iyer, S.N., Orpana, H., Zeni, M., & Matheson, K. (2023) Implications of time and space factors related with youth substance use prevention: a conceptual review and case study of the Icelandic Prevention Model being implemented in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well being, 18:1, DOI: 10.1080/17482631.2022.2149097

Brussoni, M., Han, C. S., Lin, Y., Jacob, J., Munday, F., Zeni, M., Walters, M., & Oberle, E. (2022). Evaluation of the web-based OutsidePlay-ECE intervention to influence early childhood educators’ attitudes and supportive behaviors toward outdoor play: Randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(6), e36826. https://doi.org/10.2196/36826

Brussoni, M., Han, C., Jacob, J., Munday, F., Zeni, M., Walters M., Cheng. T., Schneeberg, A., Fox, E., Oberle, E. (2021). A Web-Based Risk Reframing Intervention to Influence Early Childhood Educators’ Attitudes and Supportive Behaviors Toward Outdoor Play: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Research Protocols. doi:10.2196/31041

Cheng, T., Brussoni, M., Han, C., Munday, F., & Zeni, M. (2021). Perceived challenges of early childhood educators in promoting unstructured outdoor play: An ecological systems perspective. Early Years. 43(4-5), 904-920. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2022.2034140

Oberle, E., Zeni, M., Munday, F., & Brussoni, M. (2021). Support factors and barriers for outdoor learning in elementary schools: A systemic perspective. American Journal of Health Education, 52(5), 251-265. https://doi.org/10.1080/19325037.2021.1955232

Research Co-Investigator

2025-2026 Outdoor Play and Learning in Schools: Community-based Climate Justice Partnership                                      

Primary Investigator: Dr. Mariana Brussoni, UBC Faculty of Medicine, Pediatrics, School of Population and Public Health (SPPH) Director, Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP)

2023-2025 ViRMA: Virtual Risk Management – Exploring effects of childhood risk experiences through innovative methods.

Primary Investigator Norway: Dr. Ellen Sandseter, Queen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education

Primary Investigator Canada: Dr. Mariana Brussoni, UBC Faculty of Medicine, Pediatrics, School of Population and Public Health (SPPH) Director, Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP)

2023-2026 Reimagining Learning Outdoors: How Active Outdoor Play-Based Learning (AOPL) Supports Student Growth and Academic Success

Primary Investigator: Dr. Steph N. Dean, Clemson University. 

2022-2024 Be OUT: Bring Education Outdoors.

Primary Investigator: Dr. Mariana Brussoni, UBC Faculty of Medicine, Pediatrics, School of Population and Public Health (SPPH). Director, Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP)

2018-2025 Expanding understandings of outdoor play and learning in elementary schools. 

Primary Investigator: Dr. Leyton Schnellert, UBC Faculty of Education

Digital Knowledge Dissemination

OPAL Teacher Tool

Check out the FREE to access online tool for teachers here! Outside Play.ca.

Research Consultant

2024 Learning By Nature Initiative led by the B.C. Parks Foundation. Learn more about this exciting initiative to have a park on every school ground in BC by 2030 here.

2024  Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play Framework. The purpose of this evidence-informed Framework was to achieve consensus and serve as a pedagogical document that will promote consistency in training and supporting outdoor ECE practitioners across Canada in their work. You can access the document here:  Educators Teaching Educators: Canada’s Outdoor Early Childhood Education Continuous Professional Learning Framework

2021-2023 Intergenerational Landed Learning School Garden Project with The Classroom Gardener.

Primary Investigators: Dr. Sandra Scott & Dr. Douglas Adler. University of British Columbia, Faculty of Education, EDCP

Academic Teaching

Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia

Sessional Lecturer: 

EDCP 320 Elementary methods in health, outdoor, and physical education (HOPE).

Guest Lecturer:

EDCP 535 Research in School Health. Risky Play in Schools. UBC Vancouver.  

EDCP 533 M.Ed in Curriculum Studies. Risky Play in Practice. UBC Vancouver. 

Graduate Teaching Assistant:

EDCP 467 Special topics in curriculum and pedagogy: junior science

EDCP 322 Physical education secondary: curriculum and pedagogy

EDCP 320 Physical education elementary: curriculum and pedagogy

EDCP 349 Elementary school science methods

Research Collaborator

2021-2023 Capturing pandemic experiences in outdoor learning and applying lessons learned to support equitable access.

Primary Investigator: Tanya Halsall, Adjunct Research Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University Funded by: SSHRC Insight Grant

2019-2023 Go Outside and Play! Investigating outdoor play and children’s positive development in schools and communities

Primary Investigator: Dr. Eva Oberle, UBC Faculty of Medicine, School of Population and Public Health (SPPH) Human Early Learning partnership (HELP)

2019-2020 Go Play Outside! Risk Reframing Tool for Early Childhood Educators

Primary Researcher: Dr. Mariana Brussoni, UBC Faculty of Medicine, Pediatrics, School of Population and Public Health (SPPH). Director, Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP)

Board Membership

Communications Director. Environmental Educators’ Provincial Specialist Association (EEPSA) Learn more about our work and consider joining a local chapter here.

General Board Member. Outdoor Play Canada. Read more about the important work of this organization here. 

Published Books