1000 Hours Outside

What if our kids spent at least as much time outside as they do in front of screens? 1000 Hours Outside offers loads of activities and invitations designed to achieve just that.

Ginny Yurich, home educator and mother of five, has dedicated her life to getting her family outside. In 1000 Hours Outside, Yurich collects her favorite, proven nature-based learning strategies and projects for every time of day and season, highlighting the developmental benefits of nature crafts and outdoor play.

1000 Hours Outside is a simple concept. Bring the balance back to your children's development by including 1000 hours of outdoor time within one calendar year. You can begin this journey any time. Make it a goal to weave hands-on, real-world experiences into your children's everyday life to counteract a screen-heavy culture. While spending four to six hour outside every day might sound daunting, Yurich recommends spreading out those chunks of time and aiming for roughly 20 hours a week. Her popular “trackers” offer a visual, interactive means of tracking your progress.

Nature is all around us. You do not need to visit an exotic land to find what kids are looking for. You don't even need your own yard. Children are fascinated by the ants on an ant hill, the lady beetle crawling across the balcony railing, and the weeds thrusting up through the cracks in the sidewalk. The activities you will find in this book incorporate the simple parts of nature that are abundant and full of variety. Whatever natural environment you find yourself in, 1000 Hours Outside has projects for you.

Create intricate leaf rubbing art, design a pumpkin fairy house, invite the insects into a hotel made just for them, float a handmade stick raft in a puddle, make mason jar lanterns and then let them lead your way on an evening hike—choose from 52 inspiring activities and prompts organized into six categories:

• Forest Dwellers: Nature's Sanctuary Amidst the Trees
• Garden Tinkerers: Nature's Variety to Mesmerize the Senses
• Outdoor Artists: Nature's Beauty Used to Create
• Nature Collectors: Nature's Bounty Ready to Find
• Critter Admirers: Nature's Creatures Captivate All Audiences
• Puddle Stompers: Nature's Simplicity in Water, Ice, and Snow

If kids can consume media through screens 1200 hours a year on average, they should also be able to spend 1000 hours outside.