Overview
The Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights is part of the Chicago Wilderness Leave No Child Inside initiative to promote a culture in which children enjoy and are encouraged to be outside in nature, and as a result are healthier, have a sense of connection to their place, and become supporters and stewards of local nature.
Research shows that participation in outdoor activities in parks, backyards, gardens, or forest preserves can increase self-esteem, decrease symptoms associated with attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder, contribute to emotional growth, and combat childhood obesity.
Created by Chicago Wilderness in collaboration with the Chicago Zoological Society, parents, teachers, and community leaders can find inspiration in the Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights and take your children or students outside to skip stones, count butterflies, or catch-and-release fish. Encourage the kids to look, listen, touch, and smell. Let them take the lead—with their natural curiosity, children will quickly find something to explore.