Set a goal and get outside!
School, work and busy schedules can make it hard to find time for nature. The Vitamin N Challenge can help — connecting you to ideas, inspiration and a community of people who are committed to spending quality time outdoors with the kids they care about. Setting and committing to a goal will help you get more Vitamin N (for “Nature”), whether you are working toward a day, a week or months of more time outdoors.
The challenge was inspired by Richard Louv’s book, “Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life.” In it, you’ll find 500 fun, practical ideas to help you design a challenge that fits your lifestyle and schedule — or you can share your own ideas to inspire others.
Noticing
This year’s Vitamin N Challenge has a special theme: Noticing, inspired by Richard Louv’s new book, “Noticing: Intimate Encounters with the Natural World.” The book is a gentle guide that encourages readers to slow down and reconnect with nature by awakening the full range of human senses — more than thirty distinct senses that shape how we experience the world around us. Through these intimate encounters with the natural world, Louv explores the idea of “bioenchantment,” a deeper sense of wonder, belonging and connection with the living world.
What can you and your family do this summer to get more Vitamin N while truly noticing the natural world around you? Whether it’s listening to birdsong on an evening walk, watching fireflies at dusk, planting a garden, hiking a favorite trail or simply sitting quietly beneath a tree, every small moment outdoors can spark curiosity, joy and connection. This summer, challenge yourself to spend more time outside — and to slow down enough to notice the beauty, wonder and life all around you.
How to take the Vitamin N Challenge:
1. Choose Your Challenge
Vitamin N Challenges come in all shapes and sizes. Yours may be a single outing or experience. It may be a lifestyle change over the course of a week or a month. Maybe your challenge means designating one day each week during the next two months as family nature days, planned and organized with your kids. Or perhaps you’d like to spend 15 minutes each day, for 30 days, really noticing all of the colors, smells and textures outside your front door. Whatever you choose, get the children in your life involved in planning the challenge — and like other vitamins, don’t skip your Vitamin N!
For an extra dose of inspiration, subscribe to our Families Together in Nature newsletter, where we share nature connection tips and ideas during the Vitamin N Challenge, as well as through the rest of the year.
2. Make A Plan
Take the Vitamin N Challenge Pledge, designate Vitamin N time on your calendar, print out a Challenge Tracker (see Resources below), and collect any materials you may need (snacks and water bottles are always recommended!) Talk about the challenge with your family, get excited — and have fun!
3. Share Your Experience
Tell us about your Vitamin N Challenge. How did you get your dose of Vitamin N? What did you notice? How has your family or your life changed as a result of the challenge?
There are many ways to be part of the Vitamin N community:
- SHARE your tips, photos and videos on Instagram. Use the hashtag #VitaminNChallenge and tag us @children_naturenetwork
- WRITE a short summary (750 words or less) about your challenge, include at least one awesome photo, and email it to us at info@childrenandnature.org.
- Subscribe to get notified about other opportunities to be a nature champion for your children and community!
A roaring thank you to raft_masters for the exceptional experience our staff and campers had yesterday! Once again, an adventurous, safe, and educational trip was had be all!!! Our appreciation and gratitude is deep...ya`ll are a class act! (Rafting puns alert)
We`ll be sharing many more from the 2024 summer camp season next week!
**We have open registrations for some fall programs!**
Our 6-week pre-school program Cubs only has 5 spots left! Snag your spot today & find more info by visiting our website or using the link in our bio!
https://www.catamountinstitute.org/cubs/
Our registration for our annual fall Girl Scout Earn-a-Badge day is also up! This year`s day will be Saturday, Sept. 21st! Visit our website/link in bio for more info and/or to register (we`ll also do a dedicated social post soon)
We still have some room in our FREE Fall Colorado Springs Homeschool Enrichment program for middle schoolers! Visit https://aiprepacademy.org/ to enroll!
#summercamp #coloradosprings #environmentaleducation #outdooreducation #nonprofit #adventure #colorado #catamountinstitute #teencamp #girlscouts #daycamp #preschool #prek #outdoorpreschool #middleschool #earnabadge #arkansasriver #raftmasters #raftguides #whitewaterrafting #rafttrip #rafting #teencamp #teensoutside #kidsgrowbetteroutside #vitaminnchallenge
Join the winter #VitaminNChallenge. Spending time in nature makes kids healthier, happier and smarter. This includes time in nature during winter months too! ❄️
When it comes to spending time outdoors in the winter, accessibility is different for everybody. Depending on the climate you live in, it may not be safe or healthy to be outside for more than a few minutes. But spending even a brief amount of time outdoors can help support mood, sleep and emotional well-being. And even simple acts like sitting near a window and letting the sunlight hit your face can still provide a beneficial boost of Vitamin D — and Vitamin N (nature)!
If your climate is a little warmer, opening the window and listening to the sounds of nature can also be incredibly helpful for our bodies. If going outside is an option, bundle up and venture out to do these 10 fun and easy outdoor winter activities for kids at the, curated by @evergreencanada, at the link in bio. Trust us — the 10 minutes it takes to get everyone geared up is well worth the ROI (Refreshing Outdoor Impact).
What will you do this week for your Vitamin N Challenge?
🌟 Join the movement for children and nature. Support us at bit.ly/forchildrenandnature. 🌟
We love our Centennial Elementary School harrison_sd2 partnership! We`ll soon be starting up our 5th Catamount Outdoor School year with their students.
One of our six Catamount Outdoor Schools, this program has our staff in-school (but still often outside!) with multiple grades for consecutive weeks engaging in state-standards-based environmental education.
Big thanks to greatoutdoorscolorado and generationwildcolorado generationwildppr for ensuring we can provide awesome programs such as these each year!
Also a big shoutout to c.janec, one of our irexinternational fellows from last year! We miss ya!
***Reminders***
Registration is open for our Fall Girl Scout Earn-a-Badge Day:
www.catamountinstitute.org/girlscouts
We are looking for sponsors for our annual Venetucci Pumpkin Giveaway!
Visit www.catamountinstitute.org/sponsor-venetucci-pumpkins to sponsor or learn more!
As ever, to ensure we keep connecting kids to the outdoors you can donate to our non-profit here:
www.catamountinstitute.org/donate/
Want to stay in the know about next year`s camp news & registration and all things Catamount Institute? Sign up for our newsletter! Already signed-up? We will be returning to a monthly newsletter schedule next month, stay tuned: www.catamountinstitute.org/newsletter/
#environmentaleducation #outdooreducation #educators #nonprofit #co #colorado #coloradosprings #catamountinstitute #catamount #newsletter #community #sevenonenine #outdooreducators #environmentaleducators #science #vitaminNchallenge #girlscoutsofcoloradosprings #steameducation #outdooreducationprograms #kidsgrowbetteroutside #girlscouts #girlscoutsofcolorado #outdoorsforall #harrisondistrict2 #OutdoorsForAll
It rained and it felt kinda like…. it rained frogs!🐸 There were frogs everywhere! Cuban tree frogs wreak havoc on Florida’s ecosystem but they really are kinda cute 😬😅 We did a deep dive and learned all about our unwanted visitors. We haven’t pulled out our nature journals in far too long and this was the best reminder of why we enjoy nature journaling so much. #homeschool #naturejournal #homeschoolscience #naturejournaling #naturejournalingwithkids #wildwonder #vitaminNchallenge
After 1900 miles driven and 50 miles walked, our family trip to Tennessee is stunning!
We hiked to 6600+ feet at Clingmans Dome
We explored a mile of the Appalachian Trail
We walked 5 miles to see some cascades
We saw two bears in a tree
We caught tadpoles
We were in a cloud!
🏞💚⛰️
#natureswayemployee #vitaminNchallenge natureswaybrands children_naturenetwork
#Tennessee #smokymountains #travel #roadtrip #familytime #outdoorlife #bumblebee #beelovers
Want more nature for you and your family in the new year but don’t know where to start? We’ve got you! ❄️
The Vitamin N Challenge (Winter Edition!) can help — connecting you to ideas, inspiration and a community of people who are committed to spending quality time outdoors with the kids they care about. And, setting a short-term goal this winter will help you form good nature habits and get more Vitamin N all year long.
Join our Winter Vitamin N Challenge, taking place online and in nature everywhere, mid-January through mid-February. Follow along here on social media. You can also visit the Vitamin N page at the link in bio where you can get inspiration and sign up for our weekly Challenge emails.
What will you do for your winter #VitaminNChallenge? Share in the comments below!
#FamiliesTogetherInNature #VitaminN #NatureEverywhere #ChildrenAndNature
The Highlight of our 2024 summer Break: a 5-day unplugging!
🫶🏾A big shoutout to rowadventures for organizing an unforgettable journey full of adventure and connection! Our family, guided expertly by Row Adventures, shared laughs and built lasting bonds with fellow travelers on the breathtaking Salmon River. visitidaho
✨Wisconsin Adventure Family is grateful for the magic, the safety, and the memories that will stay with us forever.
⬅️⬅️Swipe through to relive the joy of disconnecting and immersing ourselves in the beauty of nature and human connection.
Don’t miss the next post to dive deeper into our rafting adventure—join us for a detailed journey through every twist and turn!
#magicfamilyrafting #paddlingmagazine #raftingwithkids #VisitIdaho #rowadventures #WiadventureFamily #salmonriveridaho #lewistonidaho #vitaminnchallenge
It’s here! Through July and August, join us for the #VitaminNChallenge, made possible by @NatureWayBrands — an open-ended invitation to incorporate more of the essential Vitamin N (nature!) into your everyday life.
We’re easing into it today with a simple activity to get you in the groove. STOP what you’re doing right now. We mean it! Stop scrolling and walk to the nearest window. Open the window. Listen. Try to identify three nature sounds.
That’s it. Getting your daily dose of Vitamin N is really that simple 🍃
Check out our Vitamin N page for more inspiration and resources. Create your own #VitaminNChallenge with your family, commit with a pledge sheet, and share your progress on social media with the hashtag #VitaminNChallenge. We can’t wait to see what you discover along the way!
How are you keeping track of your Vitamin N challenge? It’s your challenge, so how you keep track of your progress is up to you!
If you need a little bit of inspiration, check out the progress trackers on our website! Print out a coloring tracker and break out your colored pencils, or capture your favorite challenge moments with a journaling tracker. Or, if you’re feeling ambitious, set a goal, sign the pledge, color it, and get outside!
Our favorite way to keep track of our challenge? Doodling in the coloring trackers! Watch the leaves come to life 😍
Get tips, resources and inspiration at the link in bio, then design a challenge that works best for you and your lifestyle. Share your progress along the way with a like-minded community using the hashtag #VitaminNChallenge.
📸 @_kristy_o_
@natureswaybrands
Wherever you are in this beautiful world, join us to participate in the Children & Nature Network’s annual Vitamin N Challenge.
We are taking the challenge by taking 5 minutes (or more!) every single day for some `nature me time` and getting outside for a little Nature Reset.
That 5 minutes truly does make a difference, and the more you do it, the more you`ll want to stay outside for longer because you can `feel` the difference!
For tools and resources to help you get started with your Vitamin N Challenge, visit:
https://www.childrenandnature.org/resources/vitaminn/
children_naturenetwork richlouv
#VitaminNChallenge #FamiliesTogetherInNature #ChildrenAndNature #NatureChallenge #GetOutside #nurtureinnature
#VitaminNChallenge on Instagram
Nature Noticing Journals
Created especially for this year’s Vitamin N Challenge, these journal pages inspired by Richard Louv’s book, “Noticing: Intimate Encounters with the Natural World” encourage close observation and reflection.
Coloring Pledge Sheets
Capture your favorite challenge moments with these journal trackers.
Challenge Pledge
Set a goal, sign the pledge and get outside!
Coloring Trackers
Break out your color pencils and track your challenge!
Journaling Trackers
Capture your favorite challenge moments with these journal trackers.
In 2026, we had a special theme: Noticing, inspired by Richard Louv’s new book, “Noticing: Intimate Encounters with the Natural World.”
In 2025, we shared Vitamin N ideas and inspiration, drawing on topics like birding, early childhood nature connection, mental health, nature journaling and pollinators.
Book excerpt: Richard Louv's "Vitamin N"
Check out seven pages of helpful tips for getting outside.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Kids need nature. A joyful childhood, a healthy adulthood and a thriving planet depend on it.
DONATE TODAY
