Resources and Materials for Families and Educators
Get ideas on where to explore nature in neighborhoods and cities, how to build a bug playground, what you need to cast animal tracks, and many other fun family activities in these free or low-cost materials made available by the Chicago Wilderness alliance.
Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights
The 6x11 double-sided flier lists the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights and communicates at one glance the vision of the Leave No Child Inside initiative. Printed on durable, heavy stock. Post it on your refrigerator door and check off the items as your child completes them! A PDF version is available for download (0.4Mb). Use the contact info at the bottom of the page to order free printed copies.
Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights:
20 Ideas for Fun and Easy Family Activities
This colorful, laminated pocket guide folds out to reveal simple and fun activity suggestions keyed to the items in the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights. Perfect for families that want to spend more time outside but are looking for ideas on where to start or what to do. A PDF version is available here (1Mb). Use the contact info at the bottom of the page to order free printed copies.
Enjoying Chicago Wilderness With Your Family:
An Activity Guide
For families that are already comfortable spending time in the outdoors, this richly illustrated guide offers suggestions for how to catch-and-release aquatic invertebrates, cast animal tracks, raise a monarch butterfly, and nearly two dozen other activities! You can read a sample section and order copies (for a suggested donation of $5), on the Chicago Wilderness Resources page. Organizations that are interested in distributing the Activity Guide as part of family or youth programs should use the contact info below to find out about our no-cost distribution options.
If you are interested in helping us to spread the word about the importance of getting children outside, the following materials are designed for parents, caregivers, educators, decision-makers, or other adults who influence how children spend their free time.
Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights:
Benefits of Children's Access to the Outdoors
This small booklet summarizes the science and peer-reviewed studies behind each of the items in the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights. Perfect for communicating the research behind the Leave No Child Inside initiative! A PDF version is available here (0.4Mb). Use the contact info below to order free printed copies.
People: Nurture and Nature
As a society, are we becoming disconnected from nature? Will our children grow up to protect wilderness? In this special report, Chicago WILDERNESS Magazine examines how we and our children connect with nature -- and how those behavioral patterns may affect the future. The report demonstrates why broad coalitions of organizations have joined forces to get more children outside, and showcases a number of programs and initiatives that have successfully done so. The report is one of the best publications available anywhere that make the case for the Leave No Child Inside movement. A PDF version is available for download (1.4Mb). Free copies are available by contacting the Chicago Wilderness staff listed below.
With the exception of single copies of the Enjoying Chicago Wilderness With Your Family: An Activity Guide (which can be ordered online at the Chicago Wilderness Resources page), all of the materials can be obtained by contacting Emilian Geczi, Leave No Child Inside Initiative Coordinator, at or 847-835-6834. Please specify your mailing address, the materials that you need, and the number of copies. If you are interested in distributing large numbers of any of the materials, please include a brief note about the program or outreach initiative that you are representing and who your target audience is.
