Newspaper Offers Arizona Parents Outdoor Ideas

Arizona Republic – January 14, 2008
By Karina Bland

Our kids are playing sports on Wii videogame systems and watching wildlife on Animal Planet. Send them outside to play.

Children of today's digital age have become alienated from the natural world, much to their detriment, says Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. All sorts of studies show that being in nature reduces stress, sharpens concentration and promotes creative thinking.

Getting kids outdoors doesn't have to mean a weeklong trek with backpacks into the wilderness. Here are 10 ways to get a taste of the outdoors without going too far:

• Play outside with your kids. We don't send our children out to play like our parents did, back when we would disappear on our bikes to explore nearby woods and ponds until the streetlights came on. Our world is more urban, and we keep our kids close to home, apprehensive of strangers and traffic. Let them roam farther by going with them, whether it's to the park a few blocks away or a nearby preserve. Go to greenhour.org and click on "NatureFind" to enter your ZIP code and find plenty of outdoor places to play.

• Make a date to go outside, says Denise Meridith, director of Scottsdale-based Wonderful Outdoor World, a non-profit program to introduce urban kids to the fun of the outdoors (www.wownational.org). Families are busy, so coordinate everyone's calendar to schedule at least one day a month for an outdoor adventure.

• Plan a trip. Whether you're going next month or next year, children can help pick a place and then plan activities, Meridith says. Go to www.recreation.gov to make reservations for camping, whether it's in a cabin, RV or tent. To build anticipation for the outing, visit outdoor stores such as Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops.

• Eat like you're in the outdoors. Whether you're in the woods near Flagstaff or your own backyard, make s'mores or any snack that you can wrap in foil and cook right in the fire, Meridith says. Then, if you're just in the backyard, go inside and watch Planet Earth or something similar on the Discovery Channel.

• Leave the door to the backyard standing open. Kids are more likely to go outdoors if there's an open invitation. With a clear view of the backyard, they may take a detour out there instead of settling in front of the television.

• Go for a walk. You don't have to go far, just wander a few blocks in your own neighborhood. Take along a magnifying glass, a notebook for writing down observations or drawing pictures of interesting bugs or flowers.

• Plant a garden. Whether it's half the backyard or in several containers, a garden can provide endless opportunities for discovery and play. Depending on the plants you choose, you could attract local wildlife such as bunnies, birds and butterflies. And even the youngest family members can help by weeding and watering the garden. For help, www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife.

• Play in the woods. Driving even an hour and a half north from the Valley will put you in a place like Christopher Creek, a mountain community of 200-plus residents in the Tonto National Forest, where the kids can climb trees and tramp along a creek. There are plenty of places to hike, fish and ride horses. In all, Arizona boasts six national forests. Details: www.fs.fed.us.

• Go for a bike ride. It's true - you never forget how it's done.

• Play in the park. Papago Park in Phoenix boast hiking trails, bike paths, and fishing ponds that give your family space to enjoy outdoor activities in a stretch of Arizona desert without leaving the city. If you have a stroller in tow, the Eliot Ramada Trail runs 3 miles out and back across a paved road. Or, take the kids on the interpretive nature trail that teaches them about desert plants along a half-mile loop, a short enough trek for even the youngest hikers. More adventurous kids will love the 825-foot trail up to Hole-in-the-Rock, a butte that offers views from about 100 feet up. Details: http://phoenix.gov/parks/hikepapa.html.

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