Resources
Browse below for a collection of resources, maps, and activities designed to help connect children, families, and communities to nature-based programming in accordance with the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights.
Also, check out our blog articles, calendar, and social media pages for seasonal activities and community events, like our Family Club and more!
Experience Nature
Experience the wonders of nature.
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Notice the local plants and animals in areas surrounding your home.
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Play in the mud or streams
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Watch bugs
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Smell flowers
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Climb trees
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Notice animal tracks
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Listen to birds
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Collect lightning bugs at dusk, release them at dawn.
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Make a leaf collection.
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Keep a terrarium or aquarium.
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Be a cloud spotter.
Adventure
at Night
Adventure at night.
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Go stargazing, go outside on a cloudless night, find a place with an open view of the sky with few artificial lights. Try a mobile app to learn about the night sky.
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Some organizations offer family night hikes, check the calendar.
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Go camping in the backyard. Join the National Wildlife Federation’s Great American Backyard Campout
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Rent camping equipment and get help preparing from NIU Outdoor Adventures.
Build Skills
Gain skills for accessing the outdoors.
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Build awareness, start small take time to look at the maps of any area you visit.
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Do a treasure hunt by drawing a map of your home or yard and add symbols for hidden items for children to find the items using the map.
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Practice locating the four cardinal directions (North, South, East, and West)
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Check the calendar for upcoming orienteering or geocaching events.
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One thing you can do to prepare for something new is to ask any questions! Fiind out the details about where you're going. How do you get there? How far away is it? Will you be close to a bathroom or water fountain? What will the area be like? Will it be sunny or shady? Hilly or flat? How long is the trail?
Learn to Swim Programs
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Ages 4+ DeKalb Park District
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Ages 6 months+ Kishwaukee Family YMCA
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Prenatal, Ages 3 months+ Iddy Biddy Pool School
Engage with Food Systems
Engage with food sources and systems.
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Plant, grow, and harvest food
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Visit a farm or greenhouse
Understand Human Impacts
Understand human impacts on nature.
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Learn, volunteer, and practice conservation and preservation
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Check the calendar for volunteer opportunities
Learn Local History
Learn about the history of local lands.
DeKalb County wildlife, prairies, watersheds, and other ecosystems.