Are you ready to unplug, step outside, and reconnect with the world around you? This challenge is all about getting out of your routine and into nature. Your mission: be outside, be present, and notice what’s happening around you.

Step 1 is to figure out how you want to try and connect with anything and look for opportunities that get you looking, listening, and paying attention. Sit under a tree and watch the clouds. Take a walk and notice sounds you’ve never heard before. Sketch, write, or snap photos of what catches your eye. The point is simple: connect.

Decide what you’ll do alone or as a class, set some small goals, and then get started.

You choose the how — we’ll give you ideas to get started.

Examples might include:

Personal Connection

- Keep a nature journal: sketch, write, or photograph what you notice outside each day.

- Pick a “sit spot” (a tree, a bench, a patch of grass) and visit it regularly — notice how it changes over time.

- Try a tech-free walk in your neighborhood, a park, or even your backyard.

Community Action

- Help out in a community garden or start one at school.

- Organize a clean-up of a local park, beach, or riverbank.

- Plant a tree or native flowers that support pollinators.

Creative Expression

- Write a poem, song, or short story inspired by time outdoors.

- Create an art piece using natural materials (leaves, twigs, stones).

- Use storytelling to see how your community connects with nature.

As you take on the Nature Connection Challenge, pay attention not just to what you see outside, but also to what you notice in yourself and your community. Use these prompts as questions to guide your exploration:

Mood & Energy: How does being outdoors change the way I feel? Am I calmer, more focused, or more energized afterward?

Attention & Learning: Does time in nature affect how well I concentrate or remember things?

Creativity & Inspiration: Do new ideas or creative thoughts come to me when I’m outside compared to when I’m indoors?

Connection & Care: Do I feel more protective of places I’ve spent time in? How might that shape the way I treat the environment?

Community & Culture: How do people in my family, neighborhood, or culture connect with nature? What traditions or practices exist?

Perspective & Resilience: What lessons can I learn from observing cycles in nature — growth, change, or recovery?

At the end of the challenge, reflect on:

How did spending time in nature affect your mood, energy, or stress?

What did you notice about your local environment that you hadn’t before?

How might your community benefit if more people connected with nature?

There are many ways to share!

1. Journals or Logs

Students keep a short daily or weekly nature log (written, sketched, or photo-based) noting what they did and how they felt.

Could be as simple as: “Date / Time Outside / What I Noticed / How I Felt.”

2. Creative Evidence

Share a photo collage of favorite outdoor spots.

Create artwork (drawings, paintings, leaf rubbings) inspired by time outdoors.

Write a poem, short story, or reflection connected to the experience.

3. Class Projects

Make a bulletin board or mural of student observations, photos, or quotes.

Put together a collective nature journal where each student contributes one page.

Host a “Nature Share Day” where students present one thing they discovered.

4. Digital Submissions

Students record a 1-minute video or voice note sharing what they did and how it felt.

Use a shared Padlet, Jamboard, or Google Slide deck for everyone to post entries.

5. Measurable Actions

Track time outdoors as a class goal (e.g., “Our class spent 500 combined hours outside this month”).

Or track types of activities (listening walk, sit spot, clean-up, creative project, etc.).