Make National Get Outdoors Day Part of Your Father’s Day Weekend

Bright sunshine, a fresh breeze, warm weather and the sounds of birds tweeting are just a few of the great things about springtime. The gorgeous weather this time of year is compelling enough to tempt anyone off the couch. Now is the time to lace up dusty hiking boots and experience the outdoors and lovely hiking trails with family and friends!

Children have lost 25% of playtime and 50% of unstructured outdoor activity over recent decades, as rates of obesity and related diseases climbed. Children who spend more time outdoors experience benefits to their mental and physical well-being that indoor activities can’t match. And it’s parents and family who are most influential in getting them there.

Outdoor play contributes to lower stress levels and more active imaginations, helps children become fitter and leaner, develop stronger immune systems and have greater respect for themselves and for others. Furthermore, those who spend childhood in nature are more likely to become our environmental stewards of the future, ensuring such benefits for generations to come.

To help encourage more families to seek out an active outdoor lifestyle, and to embrace and preserve our great outdoors, participants from federal agencies, nonprofit organizations and the recreation industry are teaming up to host the 7th annual National Get Outdoors Day (GO Day) on Saturday, June 14th.

Discover the Forest.org has everything you need to plan your perfect day outdoors (a perfect way to spend Father’s Day weekend with the family!).  Not sure where your closest park or forest is? Use the Where to Go guide to find the closest slice of the great outdoors nearest you. Never really explored the great outdoors before? Don’t fear, there is a special Before You Go page that gives you a packing list of what to bring and prepare, a helpful list of Do’s and Don’ts, estimated costs for your visit, and how to respect the forest and “leave it as you found it.”

So what to do when you get there? The options are endless! Create rubbings of leaves you spot along your way, try to match the tracks an animal has left behind or try to identify an animal by the sounds it makes!  Bring a camera along and take photos of your surroundings. Make sure to download and print the Book of Stuff to Do Outside before you go so you can plan the fun ahead of time. Most importantly, be safe and have fun!

There are other ways you can participate in National Get Outdoors Day:

Participate in #ForestFriday: Share photos and quotes about forests and getting outdoors on social media every Friday, if you share with the hashtag #ForestFriday.

Participate in the Discover the Forest Thunderclap Challenge:  https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/12471-pledge-to-get-outdoors?locale=en

A Thunderclap is a capture of Facebook posts, Tweets and Tumblr shares in one big social spotlight. The Discover the Forest Thunderclap will go out on Saturday, June 14th, which is National Get Outdoors Day. All you have to do is click the link, make the pledge to get outdoors and share on one or more of your social media accounts.

For more information on National Get Outdoors Day, please visit http://www.discovertheforest.org/