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Children and Nature Initiative

Goal: Reconnect children to nature for health benefits.

children and natureNEEF’s Children and Nature Initiative addresses two important issues—preventing serious health conditions like obesity and diabetes and reconnecting children to nature. Research indicates that unstructured outdoor activities may improve children’s health by increasing physical activity, reducing stress, and serving as a support mechanism for attention disorders. Learn more.

The Children and Nature Initiative educates pediatric health care providers about prescribing outdoor activities to children. The program also connects health care providers with local nature sites, so that they can refer families to safe and easily accessible outdoor areas.

Prescription pad

This Initiative employs NEEF’s highly successful Faculty Champions model, which has trained thousands of health care providers on environmental health issues to date. NEEF is holding a series of “train-the-trainer” workshops to prepare pediatric health care providers to serve as Nature Champions in their communities. These Champions build capacity among other pediatric health care providers to be leaders in prescribing nature. NEEF provides pediatric health care providers with technical support, tools and resources, including a PowerPoint presentation created by medical experts, Children's Health and Nature Fact Sheet, Children & Nature infographic, prescription pads (English and Spanish), patient brochures (en Español) and Pediatric Environmental History Screening Form (en Español).

To download these materials, please visit our resources page.


girl and flowerThrough the Children and Nature Initiative, health care providers, parents, outdoor organizations, schools, federal, state and local agencies, community groups and other institutions can work together to encourage children to spend more time outdoors and teach them how to protect their health and the environment. 

For more information, please contact health@neefusa.org.

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Dr. Robert Zarr talks about the children and nature initiative.

Go outside for health benefits

Find a national wildlife refuge, national fish hatchery, park, playground, or nature center near you!

EE Week Nature Center Map

National Wildlife Refuges List

National Fish Hatchery Map

Audubon Centers and Sanctuaries

US Forest Service- Discover the Forest

Nature Find



Using Nature and Outdoor Activity to Improve Children's Health

pediatric and adolescent health cover

NEEF’s article is  featured in the May 2010 issue of Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care. Read the abstract.

nps strategic action plan
National Park Service’s newly released Healthy Parks Healthy People US Strategic Action Plan aims to reintegrate human, environmental and ecological health into the mission of public parks and public lands.

Park & Health Guide

NEEF's Children and Nature Initiative is featured in the institute at the Golden Gate's new Parks & Health Guide. The Guide is a tool for parks, prescribers, and providers to share resources in their communities.


Healthy Paddles

Healthy Paddles is designed to encourage families to exercise outdoors. Kick-off a healthy summer at Occoquan Regional Park on Saturday, May 19th from 10 am to 3 pm. Learn about local paddling and hiking resources and tools for achieving fitness goals from recreation and health professionals.

National Kids to Parks Day

Kids to Parks DayNational Kids to Parks Day, is on May 19, 2012. This day is an opportunity for every family in America to get active outdoors. Learn more

Let's G.O.!

Let's G.O.! is a youth-inspired and youth-led celebration held throughout the month of April to bring awareness to the importance of outdoor activity to healthy childhood development. Organize or find an event near you.