The weather is heating up, the sun is shining and backyards are ripe for grass-stained jeans and fingernails coated in dirt, yet children today are spending more time than ever inside. The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has found a cure for the computer zombies summer vacation creates: the sixth annual Great American Backyard Campout fundraiser.
On June 26, families, neighborhoods and work groups will venture into the outdoors right outside their front doors. Parents and children are encouraged to spend the night under the stars and explore nature close to home as part of the NWF’s Be Out There movement.
When you and your “Campout Team” register, you’ll be able to set a fund-raising goal. As you receive donations, your fund-raising results will be displayed on your team’s own web page, where you can also post stories about your past and present Campout experiences and a picture. Friends can donate in your team’s name online, and 80 cents of every dollar donated is used to support programs that get kids outside and healthy.
The Great American Backyard Campout website also provides teams with camping tools, advice and ideas. Camping games, songs, wildlife guides and recipes are all available online after registration.
Visit the Great American Backyard Campout online for information on how to register your campout team and donate.
Lindsey Siegele is the Senior Web Editor at Ogden Publications, the parent company of MOTHER EARTH NEWS. Find her on Google+.
Photo courtesy of iStockPhoto/Morgan Lane Studios
