This study examines the neighborhood activity spaces (NAS) of 9-to 13-year-old children (n = 143) from seven schools in London, Canada. Data from Global Positioning System (GPS) loggers worn for 7 days were used to isolate and test measures for children's pedestrian-based neighborhood activity: the maximum distance traveled from home and relative time spent in neighborhood settings. Descriptive and linear regression analyses examined the influence of individual, perceptual, and environmental factors on neighborhood use and travel. Participants spent a large portion of their out-of-school time (75%) in their NAS. Although traveling far from home on occasion, 94.5% of children's time on average was spent within a short distance of home; participants spent little of their free time in broader neighborhood settings. School travel mode and independent mobility were among the strongest predictors of both distance traveled and time spent close to home. Perceptions of neighborhood safety, neighborhood type, and nearby land uses also influenced local activity.

hildhood obesity has become a critical public health issue in Canada, as rates have tripled over the past three decades. 1 Over one in four Canadian children are either overweight or obese (17% and 9% respectively). 2 The increased prevalence of childhood obesity has been linked to the concurrent rise of physical health problems normally associated with adults, including Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and pulmonary diseases, as well as socio-psychological afflictions such as discrimination, behavioural problems, negative self-esteem, anxiety and depression. [3][4][5][6] A rapidly expanding avenue of research suggests that rising rates of obesity are due not only to individual-level factors (i.e., genetics), but also to characteristics of our local built environments that may be encouraging or discouraging the healthy diets or active lifestyles associated with healthy body weights. [7][8][9][10] Previous research has confirmed that obesity is linked to the consumption of energy-rich, fast foods. 11 Large-scale US studies have found that adult obesity rates are positively associated with the density of neighbourhood fast-food outlets 12 and convenience stores. 13 Much of the emphasis on the link between food and children's health focuses on advertising 14 or food policies within schools; 15-17 however, some policy-makers and public health professionals are shifting their focus to the food environments surrounding schools, as new research indicates that many children visit food retailers on their way to and from school, mostly filling up on high-sugar or high-fat, energy-dense foods. 18 Several studies have shown that fast-food outlets are more prevalent near schools 19,20 and in low-income neighbourhoods, 21,22 suggesting that these vulnerable populations may be at heightened risk of developing poor eating habits as a result of increased exposure to unhealthy foods. Furthermore, it has been shown in London, ON,

Engagement in play has been definitively linked to the healthy development of children across physical, social, cognitive, and emotional domains. The enriched nature of high-quality outdoor play environments can afford a greater diversity of opportunities for play than indoor settings. To more effectively design outdoor play settings, we must better understand how the physical environment supports, or hinders, the different types of play which suit children’s needs and interests. However, play typologies or observation tools available to date do not adequately capture the unique characteristics of outdoor play. This paper outlines the development and testing of the Tool for Observing Play Outdoors (TOPO), a new typology of outdoor play, as well as a systematic field observational protocol which can be used to effectively depict children’s behaviors in outdoor spaces, as well as evaluate the play environment itself. The tool can be deployed in either a collapsed or expanded form to serve the needs of a wide range of studies and environments. This new tool represents a significant advance in the ability to fully and effectively study and plan outdoor play environments to provide more diverse, high-quality play settings that will support the healthy development of children across the spectrum.

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Neighborhoods have traditionally served as important settings for children's independent activities, but use has declined dramatically. Global positioning system (GPS) monitors, activity diaries, annotated maps, and Google Earth-enabled interviews captured the neighborhood perceptions, usage, and independent activity ranges of twenty-three children (nine to twelve years) from London, Canada. While few participants used neighborhood settings on a habitual basis, local parks and homes of nearby friends were important independent destinations. Usage was strongly influenced by positive and negative social conditions, but local environments did not generally cater well to the shifting interests of resident children. Embedding childfriendly affordances through neighborhood planning may improve children's experience and independent use of local settings.