This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Lake Forest Open Lands: "The Play Out"

Lake Forest Open Lands is hosting “The Play Out”
to encourage youth to spend time in nature on April 27, 2014 from 1 pm - 4 pm
at Mellody Farm Nature Preserve. “The Play Out”, sparked by Chicago Wilderness’
Leave No Child Inside initiative and District 67 Earth Day celebration,
encourages families to get outside and enjoy a variety of activities promoting
creativity and exploration in nature.



The
event will offer activities for a variety of ages and interests. The Care of
Trees will host a tree climbing station and a natural obstacle course. DK
Organics is hosting Mud City where children became mud engineers. Older
attendees will search for hidden garden gnomes and build shelters out of
natural materials. Other activity stations focus on metamorphosis, pond
netting, insects, music, drawing and bird watching. Before leaving,
participants will plant in the Earth Day garden.



An
integral part of the event is “The Play Out Pledge” – a signed commitment by
students to spend two hours outside during Earth Day weekend. A growing body of
research indicates that time spent outdoors in nature is critical to children’s
physical, social and emotional development. Research also shows that
unstructured play in nature (child-centered, exploratory, imaginative play)
fosters creativity, emotional well-being, independent learning and problem
solving. And it lets kids connect with the place in which they live and the
larger environment on which we all depend.

Find out what's happening in Lake Forest-Lake Bluffwith free, real-time updates from Patch.



Lake
Forest Open Lands is grateful to the many volunteers, partners and sponsors who
work on “The Play Out”. Particular thanks goes to District 67 and 115, Abbott,
North Shore Gas and The Care of Trees for event sponsorship. Other partners
include Whole Foods – Deerfield, DK Organics, and Chicago Wilderness.



Lake
Forest Open Lands Association is an independently funded conservation and
educational organization devoted to the acquisition and stewardship of our
natural landscapes, and to ensuring all generations have a meaningful, lasting
connection to nature and our land. Lake Forest Open Lands Association is the
first land trust in Illinois to receive national accreditation with the Land
Trust Alliance (LTA). In addition, the organization is an active member of
Chicago Wilderness. Since its establishment in 1967, Lake Forest Open Lands has
acquired, preserved, restored and maintained over 800 acres and 12 miles of
walking trails encompassing native landscapes, prairies, savannas, woodlands,
and wetlands for the benefit and enjoyment of local communities. For more
information visit, please visit www.LFOLA.org.

Find out what's happening in Lake Forest-Lake Bluffwith free, real-time updates from Patch.






We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?