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. 2025 events are sponsored by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks’ Everyone Outdoors grant. More events coming soon:
May 23 - Experience the Outdoors: Bird Watching
June 5 - Experience the Outdoors: Nature Journaling
June 25 - Experience the Outdoors: Fishing
July 11 - Experience the Outdoors: Geology
July 31 - Experience the Outdoors: Watersheds
August 20 - Experience the Outdoors: Bug Day
July 29 - Stories in the Park at J.R. Martin Park with Springfield-Greene County Library (free)
July 30 - Caving at Ritter Springs and Doling Park with Outdoor Initiatives ($)
July 31 - Experience the Outdoors: Watersheds with James River Basin Partnership (free)
August 1-3 - Park Day Reunion with Springfield-Greene County Park Board (free)
August 2 - Park Day Reunion Splash and Sizzle Swimming with Springfield-Greene County Park Board ($)
August 2 - Downtown Walking Tour with History Museum on the Square ($)
August 5 - Stories in the Park at J.R. Martin Park with Springfield-Greene County Library (free)
August 5 - National Night Out Splash & Sizzle Swimming with Springfield-Greene County Park Board ($)
August 6 - Niangua River Kayaking with Outdoor Initiatives ($)
August 8 - Insect-O-Rama with Springfield Conservation Nature Center (free)
August 8 - Family Fishing Fun Night with Outdoor Initiatives ($)
August 8 - Movies in the Park: Moana 2 with Springfield-Greene County Park Board (free)
August 9 - Moonlight Paddle with Fellows Lake ($)
August 12 - Stories in the Park at J.R. Martin Park with Springfield-Greene County Library (free)
August 15 - Swiftie Summer Splash with Ozark Community Center ($)
August 16 - Hummingbirds of Summer with Springfield Conservation Nature Center (free)
August 16 - Commercial Street Walking Tour with History Museum on the Square ($)
August 19 - Stories in the Park at J.R. Martin Park with Springfield-Greene County Library (free)
August 20 - Experience the Outdoors: Bug Day with James River Basin Partnership (free)
August 20 - Story Time at the Roston Butterfly House with Springfield Botanical Gardens (free)
August 21 - Kayaks and Coffee with Outdoor Initiatives ($)
August 26 - Stories in the Park at J.R. Martin Park with Springfield-Greene County Library (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
Sponsors
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.”
