Resources

Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights

Content Detail

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.

About

About Chicago Wilderness

Chicago Wilderness is a regional alliance that leads strategy to preserve, improve, and expand nature and quality of life. By connecting leaders in conservation, health, business, science, and beyond, they tackle challenging issues to ensure a resilient region.

About the Chicago Zoological Society

The Chicago Zoological Society is a private nonprofit organization that operates Brookfield Zoo on land owned by the Forest Preserves of Cook County with the mission to inspire conservation leadership by engaging people and communities with wildlife and nature.​

Supported by

USDA Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Even more resources

Resources Slider