Set a goal and get outside!
School, work and busy schedules can make it hard to find time for nature. The Vitamin N Challenge can help – connecting you to ideas, inspiration and a community of people who are committed to spending quality time outdoors with the kids they care about. And, setting and committing to a goal will help you get more Vitamin N, whether you are working toward a day, a week, or months of more time outdoors.
The challenge was inspired by our co-founder Richard Louv’s book, “Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life.” In it, you’ll find 500 fun, practical ideas that will help you design a challenge that fits your lifestyle and schedule – or you can share your own ideas to inspire others. We run a big Vitamin N Challenge every summer (mark your calendar), but any time is a great time to make outdoor memories that will last a lifetime.
How to take the Vitamin N Challenge:
1. Choose Your Challenge
Vitamin N Challenges come in all shapes and sizes. Yours may be a single outing or experience. It may be a lifestyle change over the course of a week or a month. Maybe your challenge means designating one day each week during the next two months as family nature days, planned and organized with your kids. Or perhaps you’d like to spend 30 minutes each day, for 30 days, participating in an outdoor activity. You could even lead your community in a habitat restoration project. Whatever you choose, get the children in your life involved in planning the challenge — and like other vitamins, don’t skip your Vitamin N!
For an extra dose of inspiration this year, subscribe to our Families Together in Nature newsletter. Every week for ten weeks, from July to September, we’ll be sending nature connection tips and ideas direct to your email. Don’t miss out — subscribe today!
2. Make A Plan
Take the Vitamin N Challenge Pledge, designate Vitamin N time on your calendar, print out a Challenge Tracker (see Resources below), and collect any materials you may need (snacks and water bottles are always recommended!) Talk about the challenge with your family, get excited – and have fun!
3. Share Your Experience
Tell us about your Vitamin N Challenge. How did you get your dose of Vitamin N? What worked and what didn’t? How has your family or your life changed as a result of the challenge?
There are many ways to be part of the Vitamin N community:
- SHARE your tips, photos and videos on Instagram. Use the hashtag #VitaminNChallenge and tag us @children_naturenetwork
- WRITE a short summary (750 words or less) about your challenge, include at least one awesome photo, and email it to us at info@childrenandnature.org.
- JOIN The Trailhead, our free online community to let us know how your challenge is going – and to cheer on fellow Vitamin N Challenge takers!
Happy National Play Outside Day! Celebrate by joining the Vitamin N Challenge.
The goal of the Vitamin N Challenge is to encourage you and your family to spend more time outdoors. Brought to you by our friends at Children & Nature Network, it takes place every summer and is designed to be flexible with your schedule and lifestyle. Here’s how it works:
Choose a challenge. Set goals for yourself to follow. It can be anything that gets you outside — from something simple like visiting a park one day to something more ambitious like going on a short hike once a week.
Write down all of your goals on a calendar as a reminder, and track your progress throughout the summer. You can share your goals online or celebrate your progress on your own.
Challenge yourself to explore nature this summer!
#VitaminNChallenge #NationalPlayOutsideDay #WIEnviroEd #NatureIsEverywhere #NatureIsForEveryone #EveryBodyOutside children_naturenetwork
#vitaminNchallenge We love our outdoor classes in Silvestre ❤️Challenge accepted!children_naturenetwork this is how we spend time in nature
It’s week ONE of our 10-week Vitamin N Challenge! With a long weekend ahead, there’s no better time to get outside and soak up some nature.
Joining the challenge is easy — set a goal, and get outside!
Maybe your challenge looks like:
👟 A morning walk in your neighborhood
🌻 Planting something new in your garden
🚲 Biking your favorite trail
🧺 Or enjoying a picnic in the park
It’s YOUR challenge! There’s no wrong way to join in 🛼🤸🏿♀️
We want to see how you spend time in nature. Tag us, and use the hashtag #VitaminNChallenge — we may even share your experience to inspire others.
Link in bio!
#VitaminNChallenge #VitaminN #GetOutside #NatureConnection #ChildrenAndNature
Come and take a peek inside Growing with Nature and discover what July has in store…
Nature-based activities, seasonal crafts, gentle mindfulness prompts and stories to bring warmth and wonder into your days - whether at home, in the classroom or out in the bush.
Rooted in the rhythms of the Australian seasons, this book is a companion through the year - one page at a time.
📖 Avaiable in local bookstores and online at bigscrubnatureplay.com/store
#growingwithnature #natureplayaustralia #winternatureplay #vitaminnchallenge #mindfulparenting #seasonalliving #outdoorlearning #natureinspiredlearning #australianseasons #slowlivingwithkids
Wherever you are in this beautiful world, join us to participate in the Children & Nature Network’s annual Vitamin N Challenge.
We are taking the challenge by taking 5 minutes (or more!) every single day for some `nature me time` and getting outside for a little Nature Reset.
That 5 minutes truly does make a difference, and the more you do it, the more you`ll want to stay outside for longer because you can `feel` the difference!
For tools and resources to help you get started with your Vitamin N Challenge, visit:
https://www.childrenandnature.org/resources/vitaminn/
children_naturenetwork richlouv
#VitaminNChallenge #FamiliesTogetherInNature #ChildrenAndNature #NatureChallenge #GetOutside #nurtureinnature
How are you getting outside this summer?
July 1 marks the official start of the Children & Nature Network’s Vitamin N Challenge — a celebration of the all-important Vitamin N(ature), an essential nutrient for everybody ☀️
It can be five minutes a day, a weekly hike, or even a full weekend of camping. Every moment outdoors counts!
Joining the challenge is easy:
🌿 Set a goal
🌲 Get outside
🌳 Repeat!
To help you get started, we’ve created a set of Nature Activity Cards, perfect for families, teachers, or anyone wanting inspiration to move, explore and connect with nature! Each card has a theme, covering fun subjects like bugs, winter, nature crafts, camping and clouds. ☁️
Don’t forget to share your photos on social media, tag us, and use the hashtag #VitaminNChallenge.
Download the Nature Activity Cards on our website, and join us outside this summer! bit.ly/VitaminNChallenge
#VitaminNChallenge #NatureResources #ActivityCards #ChildrenAndNature
Is your local park just as important as your local hospital?
New research from Oregon State University suggests that outdoor spaces are more than just luxuries, but rather essential infrastructure for the community’s health and well-being.
Researchers analyzed over 500 adults’ behavior and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and found that the mental health benefits of outdoor recreation were “significant and measurable.”
Those who spent less time enjoying the outdoors tended to have more stress and depressive symptoms, while more frequent outdoor recreation predicted better well-being.
“Our research shows that outdoor recreation isn’t some kind of bonus, it’s a public health necessity,” reported lab director Xiangyou “Sharon” Shen.
Shen suggested “treating outdoor recreation as behavioral medicine and classifying outdoor recreation spaces alongside facilities such as hospitals and pharmacies.”
Can time spent outdoors be medicinal?
Read more in our latest Round Up! Link in bio.
#RoundUp #Essential #TimeOutdoors #LocalParks #ChildrenAndNature #VitaminNChallenge #VitaminN
Join us today! The Vitamin N Challenge begins in just a few days, and runs through July and August.
Busy schedules can make it hard to find time for Vitamin N (nature!). The Vitamin N Challenge can help — connecting you to ideas, inspiration and community.
Vitamin N Challenges come in all shapes and sizes. It’s an open-ended invitation to commit to getting more Vitamin N with you and the kids you care about. Whatever you choose, don’t skip your Vitamin N!
Subscribe to our special Vitamin N newsletter to get weekly inspiration throughout July and August 😎
☀️ And, to help you kick off your summer, we’re giving away a special prize pack with an REI gift card and other goodies to one lucky subscriber. Subscribe to the newsletter by July 13 for your chance to win!
#FamiliesTogetherInNature #VitaminNChallenge #VitaminN #Subscribe #Newsletter #ChildrenAndNature
Families who spend time in nature develop strong bonds, better communication and incredible memories.
Looking for ways to support the health and well-being of the children you love? Our Families Together in Nature initiative offers inspiration and practical tips for getting more outdoor activities onto your family’s calendar — and more of nature’s benefits into the lives of the children you care about.
This July and August, we’re hosting the Vitamin N Challenge, an annual invitation to get a regular dose of Vitamin N(ature). Join the fun: just follow along here and on Facebook and LinkedIn.
And — new this year! — we’re also offering weekly inspiration in a special newsletter series 📫
🥾 We’re giving away a special prize pack with an REI gift card and other goodies to one lucky subscriber. To enter, just subscribe to the Families Together in Nature newsletter by July 13.
#FamiliesTogetherInNature #VitaminNChallenge #VitaminN #ChildrenAndNature
It rained and it felt kinda like…. it rained frogs!🐸 There were frogs everywhere! Cuban tree frogs wreak havoc on Florida’s ecosystem but they really are kinda cute 😬😅 We did a deep dive and learned all about our unwanted visitors. We haven’t pulled out our nature journals in far too long and this was the best reminder of why we enjoy nature journaling so much. #homeschool #naturejournal #homeschoolscience #naturejournaling #naturejournalingwithkids #wildwonder #vitaminNchallenge
These families took the Vitamin N Challenge — here’s what they learned
Finding Nature News feature
We partnered with families who took the Vitamin N Challenge and shared their experiences online — here’s what they learned.
Watch this recorded event with author and Children & Nature Network co-founder Richard Louv. Richard discusses what he learned about creating a nature-filled life while writing his books and offers tips and inspiration for completing your own #VitaminNChallenge.
Looking for tips and inspiration? Here are some Vitamin N Challenge stories from our children and nature community, including participants on Instagram.
Watch a recording of award-winning artist, author, educator and scientist, John Muir Laws as he shares his best tips and tricks for nature journaling learned through his 40 years of teaching and illustrating. This class is geared towards children ages 8+, parents, caregivers, educators and anyone looking to pass this knowledge onto others.
Nature Activity Cards
Activity guides for children ages 2 to 11
These Nature Activity Cards are a great way to get started having fun in nature with family and friends. Each set of cards has a suggested age group (2-6 years old or 7-11 years old) and a theme, such as urban animals, clouds, crafts, reptiles and frogs. Inside each set, you’ll find activities that incorporate play, acting, drawing, stewardship and more. You can view the cards online, or download and print out for fun on the go.
Need some inspiration for the Vitamin N Challenge? Watch this recorded conversation from 2022 with author and Children & Nature Network co-founder Richard Louv.
Book excerpt: Richard Louv's "Vitamin N"
Check out seven pages of helpful tips for getting outside.
Challenge Pledge
Set a goal, sign the pledge and get outside!
Coloring Trackers
Break out your color pencils and track your challenge!
Journaling Trackers
Capture your favorite challenge moments with these journal trackers.
Coloring Pledge Sheets
Set a goal, sign the pledge, color it and get outside!
DONATE TODAY TO BECOME A MEMBER
Help us make sure that all children live, learn and grow with nature in their daily lives.