Take some time each week to get outside and help improve the environment around you. The ideas listed below are just a few examples of activities adults can do with kids to help them explore the outdoors. After completing these activities, print out a certificate to recognize your child's efforts.

Environmental Super Star Certificate
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• Grow up – Plant a tree or flowers, vegetable or butterfly garden.
• Take a hike – Go to a local or state park. See if you can visit all the parks in your area over the course of the summer. For information about Ohio parks, go to the Ohio Department of Natural Resource's Web site.
• Get a guide – There are field guides for just about everything – rocks, trees, bugs, flowers, birds. Pick a topic and work together to learn how to read the guide and identify what you find. Keep track of what you find and have a contest to see who finds the most.
• Hunt and click – Hold a nature scavenger hunt and use a camera to document what you find. Some ideas for your list include animal tracks, wildflowers and leaves, bugs and birds. Use the pictures to create your own field guide or memory album of your day.
• VirtualCache – Instead of finding a hidden container (as in GeoCaching), the challenge is to use your GPS to find, and then answer a question about a location or interesting spot, perform a task, etc. This is a great way to learn mapping skills and patience. For more information, check out the Ohio Department of Natural Resource's EarthCache site. 
• Clean up – Volunteer for a litter patrol, stream cleanup or beautification project. This is a great family or group activity – combine it with a picnic for even more fun!
   

For more ideas of outdoor activities, or ways you can teach children about the environment, here are some sites you may find helpful.

• Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Educational Resources Web site
• Explore the Outdoors
• National Parks in Ohio
• Ohio Historical Society Education Resources Web site
• Wayne National Forest
• Ohio Traveler Magazine
• Ohio Tourism and Recreation
• U.S. EPA Environmental Education
• U.S. EPA Information for Citizens
• EarthCache
• GeoCaching
  

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