Marian University Nina Mason Pulliam EcoLab to Host a Nature Play Day
The Nina Mason Pulliam EcoLab will host a Nature Play Day on June 11 from 1-5 p.m. Nature Play Days are a being held across Indiana between June 11-19 to encourage families to play outdoors and reap the physical, mental, and emotional benefits nature play provides. The primary goal of Nature Play Days is to reconnect children with the outdoors and provide a space for outdoor exploration and fun. Attendance is free and open to the public.
Kids today spend, on average, 50 hours a week on a device and over 90 percent of their time indoors. The rise of childhood obesity and diseases such as attention deficit disorder are challenges for children across the country from every social and economic class. Thankfully, time spent outdoors supports many aspects of children’s mental, emotional, and physical health as well as cognitive development, teambuilding skills, and interpersonal relationships. Nature Play Days are an opportunity for nature lovers and the underserved to connect with nature and begin to create what will hopefully be a lifelong relationship with and in nature.
The Nature Play Day scheduled in the Nina Mason Pulliam EcoLab will be an afternoon of fun for all ages, full of activities for the whole family. We will have scavenger hunts, loose parts play for the little ones, guided adventure hikes on the trails, macroinvertebrate sampling in the pond, citizen science projects, eco-friendly prizes, and more!
Nature Play Days are a new initiative of the Indiana Children and Nature Network (ICAN). ICAN builds collaborative efforts to encourage children spending time in the natural environment. The project is an initiative of the Environmental Education Association of Indiana (EEAI). More information and a listing of Nature Play Days across the state is available on the ICAN website: www.IndianaChildrenAndNature.org.
For more information on this event contact Stephanie Schuck, Outdoor Education and Restoration Coordinator, at 317.955.6505 or sschuck@marian.edu.