Welcome to Day 6 of the Outdoors Family Challenge! This is a seven day challenge to help get you and your kids outside, living more sustainably, and connecting more with nature and each other. You can read about our experience yesterday or check out the archived prompts on the Outdoors Family Challenge page. If you would like updates each morning with the activities, sign up for the email list or like my Facebook page.

 

Visit a park that’s new to you.

So often, we don’t spend the time to explore what’s right in our area. You don’t need to go to Yellowstone or Hawaii Volcanos National Park to experience the benefits of a park. Today is National Public Lands Day, which makes it ideal for making the most of the lands that belong to all of us.

Today, go look-up a nearby park – no further than a day trip – and visit it. It can be a town or county park, a state park, a refuge managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service or the Bureau of Land Management, or a park that’s part of the National Parks Service. Almost everyone has a park within driving distance. If you do choose to go to a National Park, admission is free in celebration of National Public Lands Day!

At the park, try to do an activity that’s unique to that particular place. Try to break out of the mindset that draws us automatically to the playground and visitor’s center.  In a small park, it may be exploring a small stream or really examining a particular tree. In a big one, it may be hiking their signature trail or walking the shore of a lake.

At the park, take a photo of what you see and post it to the We’ll Eat You Up We Love You So Facebook page, to your Twitter account, or to your Instagram account with the hashtag #outdoorsfamilychallenge! At the end of the week, we’ll be giving away a copy of Vitamin N to a random participant courtesy of the Children and Nature Network.