Saturday June 25, 2011
We need to give back to our children what they don’t even know they’ve lost, a connection to the natural world.A great place to start is by having your family participate in the 7th annual Great American Backyard Campout on June 25. National Wildlife Federation’s fundraising event encourages parents and kids alike to trade screen time for green time by spending a night under the stars.
In the last two decades, childhood has literally moved indoors with kids spending more than seven hours per day in front of electronic media. The average American child now spends just four to seven minutes outside in unstructured play each day. Simply put, the nature of childhood has changed, and there isn’t much nature in it.
Studies show that outdoor time helps children grow lean and strong, enhances creativity and attention spans, decreases aggression, and boosts classroom performance. Bottom line; healthier, happier kids.
A night under the stars will help kids understand why it’s called the GREAT outdoors. As part of National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There movement, the Great American Backyard Campout lets kids explore a whole other world right in their own backyard, together with neighbors, with friends at a local camp ground, or at a large community camping event. For those looking to camp beyond their own backyard, the Campout website helps locate organized Campouts across the country.
When you register your Campout on National Wildlife Federation’s web site you get helpful information to make your camping experience a fun one including recipes, nocturnal wildlife guides, campfire songs and games, nature activities and more.
For more information: http://online.nwf.org/
