Next week is National Wildlife Week - one of the oldest traditions here at the National Wildlife Federation and an important part of the Be Out There movement to get kids outside where they can connect with the natural world.

Celebrate National Wildlife Week by exploring nature and unleashing your "wild child."

National Wildlife Federation

The week-long celebration is the perfect time to "Be Out There" at home, at school or at play to show kids (and even adults!) that the outdoors can be a favorite play space. It's the perfect time to unleash your wild child and enjoy nature wherever you are!

Getting outside is only becoming more important, as people - and children - spend less and less time outdoors. Children are spending half as much time outdoors as they did 20 years ago, while the time plugged into electronic media has skyrocketed to 6.5 hours a day.

The benefits of spending time in nature are huge. Not only are children who play outside more physically active, more creative in their play, less aggressive and better at concentrating - the most direct route to caring for the environment as an adult is participating in nature activities as a child.

You can also share your nature experiences in honor of National Wildlife Week and hopefully feel inspired to relive those memories too!

Enjoy your time outside!

Jennifer Janssen is a contributor from the Great Lakes Regional Center of the National Wildlife Federation. She writes about connecting with nature, supporting solutions to climate change and protecting the Great Lakes. She can be reached at janssenj@nwf.org.