Take a Child Outside Week starts Saturday

Take a Child Outside Week is a national initiative spearheaded by the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.

Posted 12:34 a.m. Sep 21, 2011 — Updated 12:34 a.m. Sep 21, 2011

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

A reminder that Take a Child Outside Week starts this Saturday. The national initiative is spearheaded by the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and encourage children and adults to spend time together outdoors.

It was inspired by Richard Louv’s book “Last Child in the Woods,” which identifies the benefits of outdoor experiences for children and addresses some of the problems of what he terms “nature deficit disorder,” including increased feelings of stress, trouble paying attention and feelings of being disconnected from the world.

The week runs from Saturday to Sept. 30. Adults are encourage to make a pledge to take their kids outside during the week. Check the website for more information.

“Free time in nature has been shown to improve every area of a child’s life, from having healthier, stronger bodies, to being more successful in school, to having better relationships in their community.” says Liz Baird, director of education for the Museum and the program’s founder, in a press release. “Time outside every day should be part of your regular routine.”

I wrote about some of the local Take a Child Outside events in our area a couple of weeks ago. Click here for details. Some require registration. And I'll have some more tips and ideas for enjoying the outdoors with your kids over the next week.

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