Ever heard of the “Every Kid In A Park” Initiative?
Neither had I until a few days ago. A friend emailed me a flyer that came to her via email from her son’s school.
For something Obama launched, it sure got little to no press. And it’s actually something pretty cool. Shocked that I admit to something positive about Obama? Don’t be. I’m not a party-liner, I’m no Sean Hannity, I’m rogue.
So yeah, Every Kid in a Park is kinda neat, despite its huge budget. I’m thrilled when our govt, our towns, our cities, really anyone anywhere actually focuses on our youth!
You see, Every Kid in a Park is a new initiative to get 4th graders and their families outside and experiencing our National Parks and Federal Lands by offering admittance for free during the 2015-2016 school year!
I mean it’s not really meant for every kid, just 4th graders and their entire families, but you know, it’s a start. And if it enables even a handful of kids to get out of their houses, away from their smart phones and into the wild for a few hours, we are all for it.
Do you have any idea how important it is for kids to play outside? They learn so much about themselves, so much about nature, science, astrology, math, poetry … the lines between the “subjects” are so so so blurred that if you pay attention you’ll notice that school “subjects” exist for reasons that have nothing to do with learning.
Children from infancy are natural scientists. They spend their whole days listening, watching, learning in an constant effort to understand their world. Unfortunately, as a society, we’ve perfected in killing our children’s natural desire to learn.
Fortunately, we can still spark interest in learning by letting them outside. Frankly, running around in a creek or the woods unfettered by rules is best, but a field trip or a family daycation into a National Park will undoubtedly spark intrigue, curiosity and awaken a child’s spirit to the massive world around him.
It’s easy for kids and adults alike to view the world as they see their little corner of it. Paved, crowded, and riddled with Starbucks and McDonald’s, free wifi and cell service. To get out, into nature forces a realization that the world is a big, big place and perspective is forever changed.
A trip into a National Park will impact the life of a child! Maybe they will discover a newfound desire to keep the earth’s grounds free of litter, or develop a fascination with astronomy, or geography or history …
The key to discovery is to never stop discovering. The key to learning is to never stop learning. The key to adventure is to never stop adventuring.
From this one tiny initiative can a whole new world view be sprung…I’m all for it. Find more information HERE.