Play to Thrive: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Outdoor Learning for Future Generations

Michaela da Cunha

Cultural Adaptation & Outdoor Learning Consultant

I'm a visionary consultant with 30+ years’ experience creating nature-based, future-ready environments that centre children’s authentic voices. From pioneering the UK’s first all-girls multisport programme to designing interdisciplinary playgrounds and imagination-led landscapes, I translate children’s perspectives into actionable, measurable programmes that boost creativity, resilience, wellbeing, and innovative problem-solving. Schools and partners gain evidence-based insights, fundable strategies, and practical tools to integrate play, sport, nature, and learning, preparing children to thrive as the UK’s most innovative and creative generation.

Michaela da Cunha is a Cultural Adaptation and Outdoor Learning Consultant based in the United Kingdom. Her work integrates landscape design, physical activity and preventative healthcare to strengthen children’s wellbeing, physical literacy and everyday access to meaningful play. She is the founder of Real Time Out and the developer of Imagination-Mapping Futures (I-MAP Futures). Her work focuses on translating child-centred research into practical environments and programmes that support connection to place and movement-based learning. Michaela previously founded the UK’s first girls’ multisport club. She is currently contributing to the establishment of the proposed Play to Thrive, Future Generations Alliance, supporting cross-sector collaboration for children under twelve.

www.realtimeout.com

: www.realtimeout.com

Dr Michael Down

Risky Play & the Development of Autonomy in Childhood

Dr Michael Down is an academic at The University of Notre Dame Australia (Fremantle, WA). His research has predominantly looked into adventure, risk, and wellbeing for adolescents, but has recently focused on active outdoor play and risky play.

He was part of the 3+ year AOP10 project facilitated by Outdoor Play Canada updating the 2015 Position statement on active outdoor play, contributing to three of the 12 systematic or umbrella reviews the project undertook to create the 2025 Position statement. The AOP10 project has resulted in a shift in his research focus away from adventure education towards risky play.

Young adults lived experiences: Stories of the choices three young adults made as children and how they directly impacted their lives into adulthood.