UMNH Kids in Nature Programs
We are fortunate to live in an area surrounded by countless outdoor destinations. And yet, it can be difficult for families to find the time to take kids to these places and hard to justify the value of kids getting outside to play! UMNH Kids in Nature Programs What do Kids Gain by Playing Outside? Research has shown that with increased exposure to unrestricted outdoor play time, kids show an increase in confidence and attention span. Without pre-arranged play activities that are found on playgrounds and ball fields, children have an opportunity to personalize their play environments and, in turn, their games and activities become their own.
| |   | Connecting Kids to Nature
Exploring the outdoors without a structured environment can be one of childhood's most exhilarating experiences. And, being outside often leads to an increase in physical activity, which leads to healthier kids. At UMNH, we seek to facilitate this connection by creating different ways for kids to be engaged with nature. Our Kids in Nature programs let them explore outdoors with a naturalist. Kid Focus encourages families to look at the natural world through the lens of their cameras to see new things. Parents, grandparents, caregivers, educators and concerned citizens are invited to explore this issue further in the upcoming UMNH Book Discussion on Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods. |
Kids in Nature Programs for 2008 |
| Kids in Nature Summer Camp
June 16 - 20, 2008
9:00 - Noon
$135 per child
$115 for UMNH Members | For kids entering 2nd and 3rd Grade in fall 2008. An entire
week of outdoor exploration. We'll be taking bugs, birds, plants, dirt and anything else that come across our path! Camp will be led by Christy Bills , naturalist and curator of entomology at UMNH. Come everyday prepared to be outside and get dirty | Register for Kids in Nature Summer Camp Complete UMNH Summer Camp 2008 Schedule |
| Kid Focus Photo Contest
Through August 4, 2008
| For 1st - 12th Grade Each spring, UMNH in partnership with Walgreens, invites kids to submit their own original photos taken in the natural world. In conjunction with our summer special exhibit, Putting DNA to Work, this year's photo contest theme is "DNA at Work in the World". Can you get outdoors and find evidence of DNA at work in the world around you? | More about Kid Focus 2008
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| Last Child in the Woods
Book Group Conversation
Monday, May 12
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
$5 per person
Free for UMNH Members Meets at The Mill at Tracy Aviary
in Liberty Park
| In 2007, Orion magazine stated, "the movement to reconnect children to the natural world has arisen quickly, spontaneously, and across the usual social, political, and economic dividing lines." Richard Louv's book, Last Child in the Woods, is a catalyst to local discussion of this movement, sometimes referred to as "no child left indoors". Whether you are a parent, grandparent, educator, community member or informal education instructor, join the upcoming UMNH Book Club Conversation led by some local leaders in the field. Join the Online Book Conversation
| Find out who is leading the May 12 Conversation |
Christy Bills, naturalist, on leading Kids in Nature ProgramsThe Kids in Nature Discovery Class and Summer Camp will be led by UMNH Entomologist, Christy Bills. We asked Christy to tell us why these programs are important to her: "I love teaching the Kids in Nature class! I believe passionately
in the synergy between exploring children, a supportive adult and a wild place that offers opportunity for exploration and open-ended discovery. This class is unlike any other I teach. I do not have any set "curriculum objectives". There is no right or wrong way for this class to flow. "The children set the tone of the learning by asking their own questions. No direction is wrong. If interesting clouds are floating by, we may discuss their names. If a bird calls loudly from the trees, we may try to seek it out and learn its name. If the dirt calls loudly, some digging may be in order to reveal underground secrets. If poetry or song or cartwheels start to emerge from the collective energy, that only enhances the joy of the experience for us all. I love watching kids gain confidence being outside and allowing themselves to move and think freely.
"And the learning that happens is not forced. There's a huge difference between sitting behind a desk and labelling the parts of a plant on a worksheet and being in the sunshine smelling the difference between a shrub's berries, leaves and roots. This class gives me the chance to help kids name the natural world around them and consider natural processes (such as pollination, decomposition and hibernation for example) as their own curiosity about them focuses their attention. "I see my role as the "teacher" of this class to keep kids safe as they freely explore. Mostly though, I hope to give them permission to create their own unique nature experience." Join the "children in nature" movement at the Children & Nature Network website. |
