Take a Child Outside

Nature Walk

Sunday, September 24, 2023 – Saturday, September 30, 2023, during garden open hours

It's Take a Child Outside week!

Bring your family out to the garden to explore the gardens and participate in Take a Child Outside week. We know that being outside provides so many good benefits, from reducing stress and anxiety to promoting creativity to increasing connection with the outdoors, so let's get outside!

This week's activity will be a self-guided exploration of the Arboretum's gardens. To prepare for your visit, check out our open hours and map out directions to the Arboretum. Make it a group thing and invite friends to meet you for your adventure! Pack a snack or picnic lunch and grab your water bottle (we have new water bottle fillers at the Visitor Center and at the Necessary).

When you arrive, stop by the Visitor Center to pick up a Nature Walk activity to help guide your family's visit. There is no cost for the activity, but please consider a donation to help support this program and others like them for everyone to enjoy. Contributions will support the JC Raulston Arboretum Children's Program. A donation box will be set up to collect what you're able to contribute.

You can choose your own adventure once you're in the gardens, but we know that sometimes a 10.5 acre garden can seem a little daunting on your first visit so that's when the Nature Walk activity comes in handy!

While you're out on your adventure, remember to take pictures and tag us on social (and follow us if you're not already) with #takeachildoutside and #JCRA so we can see all the fun you had out in the gardens.

At the end of your adventure, make plans to return to the gardens because it'll never look exactly the same and new adventures always await you out in the garden!

Take a Child Outside, September 24–30

An initiative of The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and inspired by Richard Louv's book Last Child in the Woods, Take a Child Outside week was founded to help connect children with nature.

Visit the Museum's Web site to find out more about this annual week and other locations to go explore the outdoors with your children.

Age

All Ages.

Cost

There is no cost for the activity, but please consider a donation to help support this program and others like them for everyone to enjoy. Contributions will support the JC Raulston Arboretum Children's Program.

Registration

No registration necessary.

Location

Pick up your materials at the Bobby G. Wilder Visitor Center, JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, NC 27606.

Directions

Need directions? Click here.

Parking

Free parking is available at the JC Raulston Arboretum and along Beryl Road.

Questions

Please write jcraprograms@ncsu.edu for more information about this program.