Great Outdoors Colorado is launching a "get outdoors" campaign for kids. The campaign, called "Generation Wild," is a bucket list of 100 things to accomplish before they turn 12.
"Generation Wild" wants to encourage kids across Colorado to spend more time outside and enjoy the beauty our state has to offer. With the bucket list of 100 things to do before they turn 12, it will keep the kids happy and active, which is great for all the parents out there; a majority of the items on the list are completely free. Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) is a non-profit in Colorado created to preserve, protect, and enhance the state's wildlife, parks, open spaces, trails, and rivers by using a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds. Ever since its founding in 1992, more than 3,500 Colorado-based projects have been funded. For the campaign, GOCO has partnered with Colorado Parks & Wildlife, Boys and Girls Clubs, Denver Parks and Recreation, and more than 261 Colorado state libraries. Generation Wild's website says,Did you know that children today spend less time playing outside than past generations? That's not just something old curmudgeons say. It's true. On average, kids today only spend 4-7 minutes each day in unstructured play. Playing outside is more than a way to pass the time. It's also an important part of a child's development. Research has shown that children who play outside are more creative, less aggressive, less stressed, and have reduced ADHD symptoms. Plus, spending time in nature as a child helps you grow up to appreciate the environment as an adult. Great Outdoors Colorado created Generation Wild to reconnect kids with nature and get them to experience the incredible benefits that are right outside the front door. Because kids grow better outside."Let's take a look at the first 10 of 100 items on the bucket list! Download the full list.
Generation Wild's Bucket List:
- Skip rocks.
- Spot a shooting star.
- Dig to China.
- Create a sidewalk mural.
- Roll down a hill.
- Go on a picnic.
- Build a fort.
- See what's hiding under a rock.
- Tightrope walk on a log.
- Blow dandelions into the wind.
Kids are an unlimited source of creativity, and their imagination knows no bounds. GOCO wants to give kids a chance to stretch their creative muscles and simply have fun being a kid.
Brain development in children is crucial, and play helps create those building blocks for later development. Many research studies have confirmed that play facilitates and helps with brain development, as well as social skills and both gross and fine motor development.
According to Dr. Rachel E. White (Minnesota Children's Museum), "All domains of children's development -- cognitive, social, emotional, and physical -- are intricately intertwined." Play has immense benefits to each of those skills.
Through play, children are able to learn (and practice) cognitive skills such as problem solving, self-regulation, and creativity. Their socio-emotional growth is seen in children's abilities to negotiate/compromise and interact with others.
"Play builds the foundation for a lifetime of learning." -Dr. Rachel E. White (The Power of Play: A Research Summary on Play and Learning)This campaign by GOCO builds the foundation for a lifetime of nature. https://vimeo.com/generationwild/httpsvimeocomgrow Will you be joining your kid as you try to complete Generation Wild's bucket list? Does your kid have what it takes to complete the entire list? Share your thoughts with us in the comments. Have fun!
