According to the Center for Disease Control, 19 percent of children in our nation are considered obese, a statistic that has almost tripled since 1980.  In a society centered on electronic gadgets, video games and television shows, we no longer stress the importance of physical activity and broadening our children’s imaginations through outdoor play and adventure.  Outdoor exercise and play is free and accessible to anyone with an active imagination and that is why families are encouraged to celebrate Leave No Child Inside Month this June.

Chicago Wilderness, a regional park district alliance, has built a coalition to bring awareness to the importance of the Leave No Child Inside (LNCI) initiative.  LNCI is a year-round program with the focus on June and warm weather family activities acts as a starting point for your family to design an LCNI plan for the rest of the year.  Parks around the state have planned family friendly LNCI events and Chicago Wilderness has created a family activity guide for home use. 

With gas prices continuing to rise and families finding vacations harder to afford, what better way to spend quality time together than outside?  Planning educational, healthy activities will give your children an appreciation for nature and help to fight summer boredom. 

To learn more about Leave No Child Indoors and Chicago Wilderness’ programs and events, please visit their website by clicking here.