by Julie Hall and Sarah Lane

The inaugural edition of the green, progressive thematic monthly ProgressiveKid Reader is about something we love to do here at PK—get outside. There are many reasons we each need to get outside every day, but perhaps our kids need it even more than we do—for exercise, adventure, Vitamin D, sensory experience, connection with animals, plants, and Earth’s elements, and so much more. We all have favorite outdoor activities, from walking the dog to picnicking to bike riding, but sometimes it helps to be reminded of just why getting outside regularly matters and what wonderful possibilities for fun and exploration there really are.

Richard Louv, acclaimed author of Last Child in the Woods and a key founder of the movement to (re)connect kids with nature, reminds us of the developmental reasons kids need plenty of outside time in the natural world and offers up great ways parents can facilitate such experiences. Emmy-winning writer for Bill Nye the Science Guy Lynn Brunelle provides irresistible activity ideas for kids to do outside, whether in the backyard or back woods, and reminds us parents how much those experiences meant to us growing up. Our partner the National Wildlife Federation shares a stellar list of tips to engage kids outside, from bringing birds into your life to building forts to planting a family garden. Speaking of gardening, PK editor Julie Hall serves up fresh ideas about planting an edible garden and reducing your grassy planetary footprint in “Eat Your Yard.”

Bats make two lead appearances in the kids’ part of our website, Kids’ Rock, this month, once in a beautifully illustrated Muskogee Indian story and again in writer Dani Hemmat’s engaging tribute to bats “Bats: Terrific Twilight Fliers.” Award-winning children’s author/illustrator Marghanita Hughes brings us a charming story about the half-human, half-bug nature protectors Butterfly Girls and Dragonfly Boys. There is plenty more to peruse, from a piece about the kids’ eco magazine P3 to the rewards of rising early during camping trips.

There is more to come this month, so check back frequently! We invite you to become a member and receive our Weekly Digest with extracts of our latest posts, special member coupons, news alerts, and much more. Here at ProgressiveKid Reader we look forward to exploring upcoming monthly themes, including Independence and Interdependence (July), Resting and Relaxing (August), and Connecting (September). So, read, think, share us with your kids, tell your friends and teachers you know about us, and then, most importantly, turn off your computer and get outside with the young people in your life!

©2009 ProgressiveKid

Image by D. Shaaron Pruitt, 2009, Creative Commons license

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