This Wednesday, kids, teachers and parents all across Canada will participate in Take Me Outside Day. The day, founded in 2011, is about inspiring kids to find a better balance between the amount of time they spend outside compared to the time spent inside in front of screens. It’s about being active and connecting with nature.
Wildsight’s Education in the Wild programs are built on exactly this—a core belief that time spent outside is invaluable to building emotional, social and physical health in children and youth.
We’re lucky, we get the privilege of taking out kids every day of the year to connect with their wild backyards. We’ve taken out 70,000 kids since 2000: from Kindergarten students examining snow crystals through magnifying glasses to Intermediate students discovering first-hand what an ecosystem is and how they fit into it. Sitting alone at the base of a tree in silence, many of them for the first time, they use all of their senses to connect with the world around them.
“There are so many ‘aha’ moments in this work. From students expressing how peaceful they feel out in nature, to the exuberance they show when playing games that encourage exploration, hiding and running around,” said Monica Nissen, Wildsight’s Education Director. “There’s something about rediscovering a connection to the wild that is a joy to witness.”
This Take Me Outside Day, as our educators head outside with classes throughout the Columbia Basin, join the 250,000 students across Canada by making a pledge to spend at least a half hour outside. Leave your house, your classroom or your desk, go outside and do whatever compels: dance, shout, jump up and down, sing or just breathe. We promise you will not regret it.
