Make it a goal to spend 100 HOURs (or more!) outdoors this summer!
James River Basin Partnership is excited to be hosting the 100 Hours Outdoors program again this summer! Through this program children and families in southwest Missouri are encouraged to spend at least 100 hours outdoors during summer break. Take the pledge, log your hours, and upon completion receive a small prize in the mail. All who submit will be entered to win exciting prizes including outdoor gear and experiences!
Keep scrolling to learn about 100 Hours Outdoors events with various Springfield-area partners and find tips for making the most of your time outside this summer!
Take the pledge to receive the welcome packet by email and receive periodic emails about 100 Hours Outdoor events. Must register to participate, can be removed from email list at any time. For southwest Missouri residents only.
Upcoming Events
Experience the Outdoors events are JRBP-hosted under the umbrella of the 100 Hours Outdoors program.
EVENTS COMING SOON
May 30 - Moonlight Paddle with Fellows Lake Marina ($)
May 20-June 2 - “Hey, Water!” StoryWalk at Watershed Center (free)
June 2 - Stories in the Park at J.R. Martin Park with Springfield-Greene County Library (free)
June 3 - Founders Park Concerts at Noon with Springfield Community Jazz Ensemble (free)
June 4 - Last Light on Living Landscapes with Springfield Conservation Nature Center (free)
June 5 - Night Swim @ Grubaugh Municipal Pool with Ozark Community Center ($)
June 6 - Annual Kids’ Fishing Fun Day at Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park (free/$)
June 6 - Trail Trivia with Springfield Conservation Nature Center (free)
June 3-16 - “A Frog in the Bog” StoryWalk at Jackson Street Park (free)
June 9 - Stories in the Park at J.R. Martin Park with Springfield-Greene County Library (free)
June 10 - Founders Park Concerts at Noon with Uke 66 (free)
June 12 - Family Fishing Fun Night at Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park ($)
June 12 - Tennis Under the Lights at Lafayette Park (free)
June 13 - Giboney Cave Tours with Outdoor Initiatives ($)
June 13 - Movies in the Park: Zootopia 2 at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park (free)
June 14 - Intro to Kayaking with Outdoor Initiatives ($)
June 16 - Stories in the Park at J.R. Martin Park with Springfield-Greene County Library (free)
June 17 - Our Nesting Birds with Springfield Conservation Nature Center (free)
June 17 - Founders Park Concerts at Noon with Springfield Little Theatre’s Y.E.S. Troupe (free)
June 17 - Adventure Days Camp: Kayaking the James River with Outdoor Initiatives ($)
June 18 - Kayaks and Coffee with Outdoor Initiatives ($)
June 23 - Stories in the Park at J.R. Martin Park with Springfield-Greene County Library (free)
June 25 - Conservation Kids Creek Crawl with Springfield Conservation Nature Center (free)
June 26 - Fantastic Friday-Unearth a Story with Springfield Conservation Nature Center (free)
June 27 - Butterfly Festival at Springfield Botanical Gardens (free)
June 28 - Intro to Kayaking with Outdoor Initiatives ($)
June 30 - Stories in the Park at J.R. Martin Park with Springfield-Greene County Library (free)
June 17-30 - “Have Your Heard the Nesting Bird?” StoryWalk at Springfield Conservation Nature Center (free)
Tracking
Start logging hours when your summer break begins! Track your hours in any way that is convenient for you, or use our official tracking sheet, download here. Submit hours by September 1st to be entered to win exciting prizes!
Resources
presented by
Participating Organizations
Programming Sponsors
Take the Pledge!
Please sign up each participating child individually.
Get outside!
Spending time outside and in nature is important for children’s development. Don’t just take our word for it, the Child Mind Institute compiled studies exposing the benefits of spending time outdoors. They list reasons nature is good for kids’ minds, including how it builds confidence, promotes creativity and imagination, gets kids moving, and reduces stress and fatigue.
“Outdoor play helps children grow socially, helping them to develop healthy ways of forming friendships, responding to physical interaction, and using their imaginations to entertain each other. It helps them solve problems, build relationships within their peer group, and gain a respect for nature.” – Katie Lockwood, MD, MEd
In the book Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv, he writes about Nature-Deficit Disorder, addressing the lack of nature in the lives of children. “Nature-deficit disorder is not a medical condition; it is a description of the human costs of alienation from nature. This alienation damages children and shapes adults, families, and communities. There are solutions, though, and they're right in our own backyards.”
