Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights

In 2009, the Chicago Wilderness alliance adopted its Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights. The Bill states that every child should have the opportunity to:

  1. Discover wilderness -- prairies, dunes, forests, savannas, and wetlands
  2. Camp under the stars
  3. Follow a trail
  4. Catch and release fish, frogs, and insects
  5. Climb a tree
  6. Explore nature in neighborhoods and cities
  7. Celebrate heritage
  8. Plant a flower
  9. Play in the mud or a stream
  10. Learn to swim

Research shows that all of the activities listed in the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights nourish children's physical, social, and emotional development, while connecting them to the wealth of resources available in their backyards, neighborhoods, cities, and region.

Individuals can use the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights to support efforts to get kids outside in their communities! Bring it to PTA and school board meetings and speak in favor of incorporating unstructured, outdoor time into the school day. Bring it to your daycare provider and encourage outdoor learning and exploration activities. Bring it to your city council and planning commission to help to ensure that your community has access to green space.

Organizations can use the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights to draw attention to the importance of unstructured playtime and other outdoor activities and to contribute to a culture in which children enjoy and are encouraged to be outside in nature.

The following organizations have declared their support for the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights:

  • 244-member Chicago Wilderness alliance
  • A Personnel Commitment
  • Calumet Watersheds Action Coalition
  • Elk Grove Park District
  • Fox Valley Park District -- Red Oak Nature Center
  • God's Gang
  • Hyde Park Meadow Larks
  • Indian Boundary Park Advisory Council
  • The Talking Farm, Evanston, IL
  • Washington Park Conservancy

If you would like to add your organization's name to the list, or to explore other opportunities to get involved with the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights, please contact Emilian Geczi, Leave No Child Inside Coordinator, at 773-631-1790 ext. 18, or .

We have recently printed Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights fliers and booklets that we can make available to interested organizations or individuals for distribution.