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
May 1 - Outdoor Concert at Founders Park with Springfield-Greene County Park Board (free)
May 4 - Intro to Outdoor Rock Climbing with Outdoor Initiatives ($)
May 4 - Downtown Walking Tour with History Museum on the Square ($)
May 4 - Commercial Street Walking Tour with History Museum on the Square ($)
May 4 - Dirt Day with Springfield-Greene County Park Board (free)
May 5 - Gigs in the Garden with Springfield-Greene County Park Board (free)
May 6 - James River Float with Outdoor Initiatives and JRBP ($)
May 8 - Outdoor Concert at Founders Park with Springfield-Greene County Park Board (free)
May 9 - Garden Day with Springfield-Greene County Park Board (free)
May 11 - Mother’s Day Adventure Lunch with Outdoor Initiatives ($)
May 11 - Giboney Cave Tours with Outdoor Initiatives ($)
May 12 - Gigs in the Garden with Springfield-Greene County Park Board (free)
May 15 - Outdoor Concert at Founders Park with Springfield-Greene County Park Board (free)
May 16 - Garden Story Time with Springfield Botanical Center (free)
May 18 - Jacks Fork Overnight Paddle Trip with Outdoor Initiatives ($)
May 18 - Intro to Kayaking with Outdoor Initiatives ($)
May 18 - Garden Story Time with Springfield Botanical Center (free)
May 18 - Bark in the Park with Springfield-Greene County Park Board (free)
May 18 - Backpack Buddy Adventure with Springfield Botanical Center (free)
May 18 - Beginners’ Birding Hike with Missouri Department of Conservation (free)
May 18 - Conservation Teens: Scat and Tracks with Missouri Department of Conservation (free)
May 19 - Intro to Kayaking with Outdoor Initiatives ($)
May 19 - Gigs in the Garden with Springfield-Greene County Park Board (free)
May 22 - Outdoor Concert at Founders Park with Springfield-Greene County Park Board (free)
May 24 - Experience the Outdoors: Bird Watching with JRBP and Greater Ozarks Audubon Society (free)
May 24 - Camp Melody Makers with Springfield Regional Arts Council ($)
May 24 - Little Acorns: Beautiful Blooms with Missouri Department of Conservation (free)
May 29 - Outdoor Concert at Founders Park with Springfield-Greene County Park Board (free)
May 29 - Babes in the Woods: Sights and Smells Walk with Missouri Department of Conservation (free)
May 31 - Experience the Outdoors: Nature Journaling with JRBP and Watershed (free)
May 31 - Movies in the Park with Springfield-Greene County Park Board (free)
Check back often - new events added frequently!
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.
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.”
This program was started in 2023, inspired by the 1,000 Hours Outside movement. During the inaugural summer, 297 children took the pledge, 78 of whom completed at least 100 hours, and in total there were over 10,000 hours logged by participants. 2023 was sponsored by the Hatch Foundation.
