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C&NN Natural Families Network

Information

Welcome to the virtual gathering place of the Natural Families Network. A “Natural Family” is any family who values and uses the natural world as a place for playing, growing, and learning. Natural Families believe that children who spend time in nature are happier, healthier and smarter, and aspire to share their experiences with other families.

Website: http://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/naturalfamilies/
Location: Worldwide!
Members: 178
Latest Activity: May 3

EVERY FAMILY CAN BE A NATURAL FAMILY!

The Natural Family Network is a forum designed to connect families virtually, giving space to share ideas and ask for suggestions, where families can be engaged, supportive and encouraged. Here, we discuss and ask questions about using the natural world as a playground for our kids, whereby connecting with nature on a regular basis, they will harvest the seeds of lifelong stewardship in and for the natural world.

It is our hope that this forum will help grow the movement and inspire more families to enjoy the wonders of nature, either with a family nature club, with friends, or on their own! This is a great place to get more information on how to start a family nature club if you’re interested, too. Peruse the topics here and jump in with your own questions and contributions often.

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about the C&NN Connect site.

The goal of the Natural Families Network and this website is to encourage more families to connect their children with nature and to provide a forum where Natural Families can share their ideas, experiences and views.

Please participate actively, and encourage others to join. Get together face-to-face as well when you can!

You'll find tools and resources on the Natural Families Network home pages and throughout the larger Children & Nature Network website.

If you're looking for tools and resources you'll find them on the Natural Families Network home pages and throughout the larger Children & Nature Network website.

Discussion Forum

Do you have a great book to share? 17 Replies

We all have our "favorites"... favorite places, favorite sayings, favorite food, favorite "stuff", right? It would be great for all of us Natural Families to share our favorite books that are…Continue

Started by Janice Swaisgood. Last reply by Jan Ellen Ferrigan May 3.

How does $10,000 - $15,000 sound? 1 Reply

CLIF Kid® Launches 3rd Annual Backyard Game ContestWith New Group Category Contest Aims to Inspire Kids to Balance Technology and Screen Timewith Imaginative, Outdoor Play CLIF Kid®, maker of organic…Continue

Started by Janice Swaisgood. Last reply by Janice Swaisgood May 2.

"Diversity" Focus Group Forming

Hi All ~Are you passionate about ALL FAMILIES connecting to nature? I am!Part of our work with the Children & Nature Network, a big part of it, includes reaching out to diverse and underserved…Continue

Started by Janice Swaisgood Apr 23.

Rediscovering "Where Nature Meets Story" 3 Replies

In my search for good nature-based literature for my 6 and 8 year old boys, I recently rediscovered a fantastic resource we have right here with C&NN. Where Nature Meets Story has reignited my…Continue

Started by Janice Swaisgood. Last reply by Kelly Pfeiffer Mar 21.

First Steps: How (and why) I Started a Family Nature Club 10 Replies

When I was six years old, I visited the snow leopard exhibit at a zoo - a small, concrete, cell-block exhibit. All that animal did was pace back and forth with a maniacal look in its eyes.Back and…Continue

Started by Jeanine Silversmith. Last reply by Janice Swaisgood Mar 20.

How I found the South MS FaN Club 1 Reply

As a landscape architect, I recently joined the Children’s Outdoor Environment Professional Practice Network of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Before having children, I was a member of…Continue

Started by Ashley Norton. Last reply by Janice Swaisgood Mar 18.

Let's start the Let's G.O.! campaign with a bang this year!

The Children and Nature Network (C&NN) recognizes the importance of reconnecting our society to the natural world, especially our children. Their Natural Families Network promotes family…Continue

Tags: world, children, natural, nature, G.O.

Started by Nkrumah Frazier Mar 9.

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Comment Wall

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You need to be a member of C&NN Natural Families Network to add comments!

Comment by Kari on February 2, 2012 at 1:04pm: Hi,

Our chat about outdoor playgroup went well, here you have a post about our chat. Some great ideas and frustrations shared (-:

I guess the most important lesson; we are many people caring about outdoor play.

Here is our link http://www.activekidsclub.com/fresh-air-living/feature/outdoor-play...

Comment by Kari on January 20, 2012 at 11:47am: We would love to hear about your group. On ActiveKidsclub.com we have an outdoor playgroup started up in your neck of the woods, too

Our outdoor playgroups are for small children and it is just about outdoor play in local parks and ravine. Not hardcore activities like you do (-: . But I do share information about activities like that on my site. I do not do snow shoeing, cross country skiing is our family activity.

I would love to connect with you Kari@activekidsclub.com

A great organization that do great stuff in Canada. Check out

http://www.pineproject.org/

Cheers Kari

Comment by Ken Schmaltz on January 20, 2012 at 11:27am: Kari, I agree. We have enough organizations that promote the concept of getting kids outside and that are very good at getting grants, but don't actually do anything to get kids outside. I've been leading kids hikes as part of my other outdoor group, but the number of kids/families I can reach and what we can do is limited. Hence, Mountain Youth Experience will soon be born. There's nothing like the sight of a mom or dad lowering their urban caution and joining their kids as they scramble up a ridge or push each other off the snowshoe trail and into 5 feet of snow.

Comment by Ken Schmaltz on January 20, 2012 at 11:17am: Thanks Janice. With my "adult" group, I lead kids hikes and snowshoes. One thing I consistently hear from parents is that they want to get their kids out, but don't know how or of any groups. We're a half-hour drive from the Rocky Mountains, and even people I climb and backcountry ski with don't know how to get their kids out! As I move forward I'll definitely be in contact with you. I'm currently trying to figure out which non-profit status will provide the greatest liability protection for directors, insurance costs for people who organize hikes, etc. (Mountain) lions and frost bite and bears! Oh my!

Comment by Kari on January 20, 2012 at 11:15am: Ken, as grassroots who started in Toronto. I feel a little of the problem is how Canadian non-for profit looks at grassroots and entrepreneurs.

I have had successful collaboration south of the border but not so many here in Canada. In meetings with Non For Profit Organization in Canada it is more how to get grants and not so much about getting kids outside.

BTW this is a thread for getting families outside: in my mind the most important we can do to get more kids outside are organizing Nature clubs and Outdoor playgroups My heroes are not businesses or NFP organizations but organizers of Nature Clubs and Outdoor Playgroups.

BTW I live in Toronto, Canada

s

Comment by Janice Swaisgood on January 20, 2012 at 11:07am: Good deal Ken.

I'm very involved in SDCaN as well as having started up Family Adventures in Nature, and would love to work with you as you push forward in your endeavors. You stated it very well with "If we all work together, more kids win. If we work separately, duplicate effort and aren't efficient in the use of our resources, kids get left inside." My personal interest is of course in connecting families to nature, mostly through family nature clubs. I'd be happy to talk with you about SDCaN and/or family nature clubs anytime! You can email me at Janice@FamilyAdventuresinNature.org All the best, Janice

Comment by Ken Schmaltz on January 20, 2012 at 10:42am: I saw this thread, followed some links, and ended up at SD Children & Nature. Sometimes I'm amazed at how far ahead the movement to get kids and families into nature is in the U.S. In Canada we keep telling ourselves we have an abundance of natural wealth, but we lack solid initiatives and collaborative groups to actually get kids out. Of course we have grass roots play groups and such, but nothing that compares to an organization like SD Children & Nature that brings together all those groups in a single region to leverage expertise and resources to get more kids out. I'm looking at starting a social enterprise to get kids out to the Canadian Rockies, and will see if I can incorporate this approach. If we all work together, more kids win. If we work separately, duplicate effort and aren't efficient in the use of our resources, kids get left inside.

Comment by Kari on January 20, 2012 at 10:41am: Janice,

Nice to connect with you.

I will post about for sure post it on Activekidsclub.com. I will post it here too, if I have time .

http://www.activekidsclub.com/

Outdoor Valentine ideas I have already posted about : http://www.activekidsclub.com/winter/art-crafts/outdoor-valentine.html but will share more during the day.

If you have your own blog we are also doing an Outdoor Valentine link up, too , Feel free to join http://www.activekidsclub.com/fresh-air-living/equipment/outdoor-va...

Theny you know Michele and http://www.funorangecountyparks.com/ ?

Comment by Janice Swaisgood on January 20, 2012 at 10:29am: Hi Kari.

Family Adventures in Nature isn't a company either, grassroots just like you with all volunteers! That's what caught my attention -- your group seems to have a nicer website as we just use Facebook and Meetup -- but we are both grassroots. When I mentioned asking if our "leaders" wanted to participate, it would be just as much to learn from everyone as to share their experiences. I still think it would be great if you'd write a blog here recapping some of the highlights so even those of us who can't participate in the chat could still learn! =) Take care, Janice

Comment by Kari on January 20, 2012 at 10:19am: We have many groups in ActiveKidsclub.com not just one.We are a blogg network with many outdoor playgroups and bloggers. We have our own network (-:

What is specially about this is just parents and it is grassrot and it has been done without any grants.

This chat is for parents that wants to do an outdoor playgroup or are doing one. It is not for companies.

Thanks but we are not looking for contributors. I have done many webinars and workshops and how to embrace the weather.

'm Norwegian and I grew up with the saying No bad Weather Only bad clothing,We have many resources on our site about how to dress for the weather and activities. Our content is based on the best best practice from Scandinavian countries because of the outdoor culture in schools,Early Childhood and family life.

Cheers Kari

Cheers Kari