MyYard

The Zoo and Partners Begin New Program

Healthy Families Play Outside is a new program undertaken by the Zoo and its partners:  Nebraska Game and parks Commission;  Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department and Pioneers Park Nature Center;  Lower Platte Resource District;  University of Nebraska Extension;  Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools;  and the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation.  The goals of the Healthy Families Play Outside project are:

• To introduce and provide incentives for families of all socio-economic groups to get outside and play in Lincoln and southeast Nebraska’s parks, natural areas and other outside spaces.
• To educate families about the importance of outdoor physical exercise and the benefits inherent in this kind of activity.
• To focus media attention on the need for active, physical, outdoor play and the resources available in Lincoln.

Research over the last few years has provided evidence of the importance of outdoor activity and physical play and the positive effects they have on health.  Experiencing the natural world provides physical, emotional, and spiritual activity that seems to counteract many of the behavioral conditions and challenges experienced by people today.  Over 100 studies of outdoor experiences show that natural environments produce positive physiological and psychological responses in humans, including reduced stress and a general feeling of well-being.

Through outdoor physical plan, children develop confidence as their skills grow.  A child who is initially reluctant to go down the tall slide at the park feels a great deal of personal pride when he/she musters up the courage.  Playground opportunities that allow children to discover more about themselves and their environment helps them develop intellectually and creatively.

What children want is un-manicured places…”outdoor environments with natural things have three qualities that appeal:  their unending diversity, the fact they were not ‘created’ by adults, and their feeling of timelessness.”  For more information, check out the book, Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv, Algonquin Books, 2005.

The Zoo’s My yard area is set aside for your enjoyment and exploration.  Get off the path and play in the yard.  Walk through the willow tunnel, explore the mulched plant areas, and watch the water recycle in the pond….walk across the sidewalk and find a rotting log – look to see if anything is living there, feel the softness of newly decayed wood.  Be our guest in the My Yard area and then go home and play in yours! Check www.myyard.org.