08/25/2026
Erin was interviewed by CBC on our new program 'Strong By Nature' for adults and seniors!
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-strong-by-nature-wild-child-program-adults-9.7313910 (by Thinh Nguyen)
Forget the gym. This P.E.I. program wants adults to play like kids again
Strong by Nature uses games, movement and outdoor activities to build strength and confidence.
Erin Bateman, who runs the Strong by Nature program, says it's all about helping people push past the belief that they can’t do things anymore, and discover they’re capable of much more than they think.
Being an adult often means long to-do lists filled with bills, work, housework or caring for children. What usually falls off the list is play.
A new program in Charlottetown is trying to change that.
Strong by Nature, offered through Wild Child P.E.I., invites adults and seniors to spend time outdoors doing things many haven’t done in years: rolling on the grass, balancing on one foot, playing games and laughing with other people.
The program is run by Erin Bateman, who spent years working in private care with seniors. She said she often saw people becoming isolated and less active, and believes people can do more than they sometimes think, regardless of age.
“I don’t think anybody is beyond hope for expanding what they’re capable of,” she told Island Morning host Mitch Cormier.
“We’re all really much our own worst enemies in our thought patterns, and believing that we can’t do things that we used to do, especially things we used to do when we were kids.”
Her inspiration came while scrolling social media, when she saw a video from Scotland showing older adults rolling around in the grass, doing obstacle courses and challenging themselves.
She decided to go there.
Bateman travelled to Scotland and trained with WildStrong, earning a certification from the organization. When she returned to P.E.I., the timing was right.
“Everything just aligned beautifully that Wild Child P.E.I. was also looking to expand their programs to include adults and seniors, and now I'm offering these programs,” she said.
Reducing chance of injury
Strong by Nature classes will be held outdoors at Connaught Square in downtown Charlottetown on Monday mornings and evenings this fall, starting Sept. 14. Registration is open through Wild Child P.E.I.’s website.
Bateman said a typical class begins with name tags and a “question of the day” to help people get to know one another.
“We do some warm-ups in a circle. I'm also including some brain games that really help build pathways, and as well as working on mobility for hands and other things,” she said.
Participants then move into partner activities and simple challenges, including playing catch with beanbags and moving through small obstacle courses.
“Everything is very scalable,” she said. “I always have dowel. There's always benches and trees and things to help people along. I always have places for people to sit if they need to take a break.”
One key skill participants learn is simply getting down to the ground and back up again.
“If you take your time and do it safely and find ways to do it, like I say, with supports… then you’re expanding your range of motion,” she said.
“If we learn to do these things, and we become comfortable with wobbling and stumbling, and stronger at it, and find ways to catch ourselves, we’re not going to have big injuries.”
‘It is never too late to start improving’
That approach lines up with what kinesiologist and clinical exercise physiologist Rob Dickson sees in his own work with older adults.
“As we get older, one of the biggest things I see is the ability to get off the floor,” said Dickson, co-owner of T3 Fitness and Kinesiology in Charlottetown.
He added that many older adults avoid getting down on the floor because they’re afraid they won’t be able to get back up, which only makes that ability decline further.
He also pointed to everyday tasks, like standing up from a chair, walking up stairs or opening jars that become harder when people stop moving regularly.
Being an adult often means long to-do lists filled with bills, work, housework or caring for children. What usually falls off the list is play. A new program in Charlottetown is trying to change that.
