Nature-themed Activities for “Take a Child Outside Week”

September 13, 2024 | Sarasota

In celebration of the Sept. 24-30 “Take a Child Outside Week,” Sarasota County is offering an array of free events to help children—and adults—explore and connect with nature.

The events feature activities from a sunset walk to seashell art to youth yoga, and include a three-hour “exploration” event 9 a.m. Sept. 28 packed with educational games, animal ambassadors, and, in recognition of National Public Lands Day, the chance to participate in an environmental service project.

The activities, which run Sept. 27-29, focus on getting children and their families more outdoor time together and creating deeper, lasting connections to our natural world.

“Research indicates that time in nature builds confidence, promotes creativity and imagination, teaches responsibility, improves focus and academic success, gets kids moving, improves immune function, and reduces stress and fatigue,” said Dr. Katherine Clements, ecology and natural resources educator with UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County.

The research by academic and health care professionals underpins the aim of “Take a Child Outside Week,” initiated by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and based upon author Richard Louv’s “Last Child in the Woods” book.

Louv lamented in his book what he termed a “nature-deficit disorder” in many children today, as they turn increasingly to online and indoor activities at the expense of time spent outside exploring and playing in nature. One recent study showed that children are spending only half as much time in nature as children did two decades ago.

To address this concerning trend, Sarasota County Extension has partnered with the county’s Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources department and Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast on a lineup of local events for “Take a Child Outside Week,” including:

Sept 27: Bats and Birds Activities Venice Area Audubon Rookery (6:30-7:30p)

Sept 28: Nature Exploration Stations Phillippi Estate Park (9a-12p)

Sept 28: Seashell and Shark Teeth Art Manasota Beach (3:30-5p)

Sept 28: EcoWalk Sunset Adventures Celery Fields Reg’l Stormwater Facility (6-7:15p)

Sept 29: Saltwater Fishing South Lido County Park (9a-12p)

Sept 29: Treasure Quest Urfer Family Park (10-11:30a)

Sept 29: Youth Yoga (2 Sessions) Urfer Family Park (10-11:15a)

Sept 29: Family Kayaking (2 Sessions) Bay Preserve at Osprey (2-5:30p)

Registration is required to attend. Find your event(s) at www.eventbrite.com/cc/1964829.

Sarasota County also will be hosting a National Public Lands Day service project alongside the Nature Exploration Stations events, for individuals or families that want to connect with and give back to nature. Learn more at bit.ly/saco_npld.

And, Extension has a blog post on the value of connecting with nature and ways to do so, at blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/?p=3021, along with a full listing of Extension events at ufsarasotaext.eventbrite.com.

Questions? Call 941-861-5000 or email sarasota@ifas.ufl.edu.