Building cities and communities
for and with children
We help adults engage with children, plan for play and develop child-friendly policy.
We design, facilitate and analyze child, youth and intergenerational engagement.
Our work finds meaningful, actionable connections between the perspectives and ideas of children and youth and the decisions and priorities of adults.
As a neutral third party, we help foster trust and open dialogue.
Our playability assessments evaluate how public spaces, from streets to municipal parks, can be planned and activated for all children.
Our training sessions, mentorship and program evaluations ensure that free play thrives wherever children spend their time, whether in schoolyards, day camps or after-school programs.
Our experienced consultants help municipalities create the ideal child-inclusive and family-friendly policies for their community.
Our services include literature and policy review, public engagement, and policy and action plan writing.
Whatever the issue—mobility, housing, green spaces—it will have an impact on children and youth. We will help make it a positive one.
Ensuring children are seen and heard
Personalized Support
We have 10 years of experience working in and with municipalities and leisure organizations. Whether you have a specific project in mind or would like the reassurance of ongoing support, we’re here to help.
Comprehensive Skills
Our wide-ranging toolbox draws on our multidisciplinary backgrounds, best practices in engagement and play, and past projects. We can go from idea to evaluation with groups as diverse as municipal planners and camp counsellors.
An Eye for Inclusion
Being child inclusive means being inclusive of all children. While our work is always informed by DEI principles, we have developed specific skills sets in connecting with girls and neurodivergent populations.
Photo by Manoucheka Lachérie
A powerful force for the development of a child-inclusive public realm
Metalude’s process of connecting children’s priorities with actionable policy recommendations and Metropolis's language helped us see the tangible links between the drawings and our work of advocating for more caring, inclusive and resilient metropolises. We are now equipped with a rich analysis to help decision makers incorporate children's needs and expectations regarding the future of cities into the policy design process.
Oscar Chamat-Nuñez, Research and Policy Officer, Metropolis
Throughout the child participation project "Tell Me Your City," Metalude demonstrated their ability to design authentic and ethical engagement through process design and facilitation. Margaret and Stephanie were at ease navigating both the children's voices and the city's planning priorities. Their report was engaging and analytical.
Caroline Schindler, Development Officer – Democracy, Concertation Montréal
I felt a natural affinity with Metalude in this first collaboration, making “The Lost Mitten” a dynamic, engaging project. Margaret’s and Stephanie's expertise is complementary and highlights the theoretical and practical links between play, the city and public participation in this place-based play invitation. Their contributions and ideas enriched my research-creation process.
Marie-Hélène Roch, Artist-Researcher, Founder of Hiver en Nous
Our News
Metalude advocates for children's rights and promotes its mission in the public sphere.
Stephanie Watt (she/her), Codirector
Margaret Fraser (she/her), Codirector
Contact Us
Have a project or an idea? We're happy to connect for a free 20-minute consultation to discuss how we can help.
© Copyright Metalude 2023.
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