Museum Celebrates ‘Take A Child Outside Week’ Sept. 24-30
For immediate release ‐ September 22, 2020
Contact: Jon Pishney, 919.707.8083. Images available upon request
(RALEIGH, N.C.) — Take A Child Outside Week, an international initiative spearheaded by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, kicks off Thursday, Sept. 24 and runs through Wednesday, Sept. 30. Designed to help break down obstacles that keep children from exploring the natural world, the program encourages children and adults to spend time together outdoors.
On the newly redesigned Take A Child Outside website (www.takeachildoutside.org), adults can find organizations in their area offering outdoor spaces along with interesting outdoor activities. Activities featured on the website range from general nature observation to finding animals at night and there are activities appropriate for all ages. The newest activities focus on “Dinosaurs Outside” so that young explorers can learn more about dinosaurs on their outdoor explorations.
“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 Beth Cranford, program coordinator for the Museum. “Time outside every day should be part of your regular routine.”
Take A Child Outside Week was inspired by Richard Louv’s bestselling 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,” such as increased stress and feelings of being disconnected from the world.
More than 150 organizations currently participate worldwide, including North Carolina State Parks, various city and county parks, and nature centers of all sizes. Partnership is free, so visit takeachildoutside.org/become-a-partner to sign up. Partner categories include Outdoor Site Partner, School Partner and Supporting Partner to include organizations that have land as well as those who don’t. For more information, please email beth.cranford@naturalsciences.org or call 919.707.9902.