Five Smart Online Tools for a Little ‘Outdoor Independence’ on Fourth of July Weekend

Parents!

Happy Independence Day weekend!  It is a great time for family outings, outdoor games, walks in the woods, swimming and generally kicking back with some old fashioned outdoor fun.   But beware!  Your kids may missing from the family scene.

The research findings are in and the Kaiser Family Foundation (an organization that studies such subjects) has determined that the average U.S. child today is spending 7 hours and 38 minutes each day watching television, playing video games, Facebooking and otherwise staring at electronic screens.   But don’t worry.  Kids may love their “screen time” but we have yet to meet the child who doesn’t also like to balance things out with a little outdoor play time.  Learn about our Be Out There program.

So on 4^th of July weekend, the National Wildlife Federation can help you and the kids get free of “house arrest” and enjoy a little outdoor independence.

1. Nature Find : NWF’s free online park and event finder program – it has over 10,000 of America’s best parks and wildlife areas listed and thousands more outdoor events.  All you need is your zip code to find terrific places near you!
2. Green Hour activities: Prefer to stay home and have fun?  NWF has suggestions and pointers for a range of easy activities for kids right at at home.
3. Backyard Wildlife Habitat If you love gardening and your kids like wild creatures you can collaborate this weekend in creating a certified wildlife habitat right at home on the deck, or in your yard.
4. Nature activity finder: Get even more ideas for enjoying birds and learning about wildlife and outdoor play experiences.
5. NWF’s outdoor photography center: Kids love to combine their prowess with electronic gadgets with their keen observation skills and can develop an awesome set of photos of up-close backyard nature or beautiful scenes of parks, lakes and rivers.   Our “tips” center is free and can help you with great advice fromt he experts.

So have fun this weekend with a little outdoor independence.  Learn about our Be Out There program and enjoy!