Free to Play
The Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is excited to launch Free to Play in Newfoundland and Labrador. Through Free to Play, we’re supporting community projects that help kids unplug and reconnect — with nature, friends, and their imaginations.
Free to Play is an initiative led by Community Foundations of Canada, seeded by the Waltons Trust with support from the Lawson Foundation and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities that supports local leadership and creativity in making play accessible. It will support local solutions that break down barriers to play so more children can move, create, and connect. It is being delivered in selected communities across Canada to ensure deep local impact, with the long-term goal of scaling in future phases.
Building Belonging Through Play
Outdoor play is declining across Canada, and kids, and communities, are feeling the impact. Only 39% of children meet daily physical activity guidelines, and only 15% of Canadian children aged 3 to 4 years meet screen time guidelines of less than one hour per day.
These trends are connected to rising anxiety, reduced resilience, and fewer opportunities for kids to build real-world skills.
Free to Play was created to support open-ended, adventurous play that helps kids thrive and communities come together. Because when kids are free to play, communities grow stronger, too.
Our Participatory Approach
Starting November 28, eligible organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador can apply to join a participatory cohort in March and April 2026 to help allocate funding to deliver creative programs that engage children in outdoor play. This process will convene 6–10 organizations in March and April 2026 for three interactive sessions. During these sessions, participants will learn more about the concept of outdoor play, explore potential initiatives—both new and existing—and collaboratively allocate the available funding using a consensus-based framework. Learn more here.
At least $281,500 will be available for allocation by the Spring 2026 cohort.
Organizations interested in joining are invited to submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) outlining their experience with free play, ideas for new initiatives, and willingness to participate in the cohort.
LOI’s will be accepted starting on November 28, 2025, at 1:30pm (NST)/1:00pm (AST) and will close on February 24, 2026, at 9:30pm (NST)/9:00pm (AST).
Interested in joining the participatory cohort for Newfoundland and Labrador?
Here’s the two-step process:
- Register your organization with Community Foundations of Canada’s Free to Play granting platform. Click here to register.
- Submit your Letter of Interest here.*
Here is a copy of the LOI, and here is how we’ll evaluate submissions.
Have questions? Reach out to freetoplay@cfnl.ca for more information.
Learn more at this Outdoor Play 101 Webinar – December 10, 2:30pmNT/2:00pmAT. Click here to register.
*Note – CFNL has a shared services partnership with the Greater Saint John Community Foundation. They support us with the administration of some grant programs. Application review and any decisions about granting are made by CFNL.
Eligibility Guidelines & FAQs
