{"id":21635,"date":"2017-09-11T10:15:21","date_gmt":"2017-09-11T15:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/?post_type=news&p=21635"},"modified":"2017-10-04T16:04:08","modified_gmt":"2017-10-04T21:04:08","slug":"museum-celebrates-take-a-child-outside-week-sept-24-30","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/news\/museum-celebrates-take-a-child-outside-week-sept-24-30\/","title":{"rendered":"Museum Celebrates \u201cTake A Child Outside Week\u201d Sept. 24-30"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

(RALEIGH, N.C.) \u2014 Take A Child Outside Week, an international initiative spearheaded by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, kicks off Sunday, September 24 and runs through Saturday, September 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. It was inspired by Richard Louv\u2019s book \u201cLast Child in the Woods,\u201d which identifies the benefits of outdoor experiences for children and addresses some of the problems of what he terms \u201cNature Deficit Disorder,\u201d such as increased stress and feelings of being disconnected from the world.<\/p>\n

On the Take A Child Outside website (www.takeachildoutside.org<\/a>), adults can find organizations in their area offering activities and outdoor spaces along with interesting outdoor activities. \u201cFree time in nature has been shown to improve every area of a child\u2019s life, from having healthier, stronger bodies, to being more successful in school, to having better relationships in their community,\u201d says Liz Baird, Chief of School and Lifelong Education for the Museum and the program\u2019s founder. \u201cTime outside every day should be part of your regular routine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Currently, all 50 U.S. states and four foreign countries actively participate in Take A Child Outside Week (TACO). More than 400 organizations participate nationwide, including all North Carolina State Parks, various city and county parks, and nature centers of all sizes.<\/p>\n

Prairie Ridge Activities<\/h3>\n

Visitors can also venture outside with Museum educators to explore a variety of habitats \u2014 including a Piedmont prairie, woodlands, a lowland forest and a pond \u2014 at the Museum\u2019s Prairie Ridge Ecostation in west Raleigh. You can also explore Prairie Ridge on your own Monday\u2013Saturday, 9 a.m.\u20134:30 p.m. and Sunday noon\u20134:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Schedule of events:<\/p>\n