Today's young folks of Illinois people are enjoying less and less time outdoors. As parents we know we can have a profound impact on the lives of your offspring. It is your responsibility to introducing your kids to the outdoors for the first time. They may have environmental knowledge about Illinois outdoors which you may enhance or you may just make it a play date. These outside experiences might even awaken a passion for the outdoors that will stay with them forever. The first step is to take a little time for planning, it goes a long way towards a successful and safe outdoor trip. An outdoor field trip is a great educational experience for all involved. So enjoy your time with your kids.

Illinois is loaded with parks, natural areas, conservation areas, recreation areas, and fish and wildlife areas. These areas have information on camping, hiking, biking, fishing, hunting, state park lodges and resorts, interpretive programs and many great ideas for places to visit and things to do in Illinois.

Did you know that Illinois has adopted may natural elements here a few: Illinois State Flower - violet Illinois State Soil - drummer silty clay loam Illinois State Dance - square dancing Illinois State Snack - popcorn Illinois State Fruit - goldrush apple

Going outside in In Illinois is easy, here are some places to go someday:

1) Truitt Hoff Nature Preserve DuPage County To reach it from Roosevelt Road (Route 38), turn north on Kress Road, then east on Downs Drive, then north on Industruial Drive. Truitt-Hoff Nature Preserve is located in the Morainal Section of the Northeastern Illinois Morainal Natural Division. 120.3 acres in size, the preserve encompasses high-quality mesic prairie, wet-mesic prairie, freshwater marsh, mesic silt loam savanna, and wet prairie natural communities.

2) Kemper Park Nature Preserve Kane County Location and Access: Rt. 68 and 25 in Carpentersville, head north on Rt. 25 for 1.2 miles to Hazard Rd. East (Right) on Hazard until it ends. Kemper Park is a thirteen acre nature preserve is an addition to Helm Woods Nature Preserve, a larger forested tract of dry-mesic upland and northern flatwood forests. Kemper Park Nature Preserve is contiguous to Helm Woods and is comprised of similar plant communities. The dry-mesic upland forest is dominated by white, red and black oaks while the flatwoods are dominated by swamp white oaks, ashes and elms with swamp sedge and fowl manna grass occurring frequently in the understory. Many forbs, especially spring ephemerals, sedges, grasses and shrubs can be found throughout the entire woodland complex. Garlic mustard is a major problem in this preserve. Prescribed burns have been implemented to control this invasive species.

3) Cap Sauers Holdings Nature Preserve Cook County Hwys. 12/20 and 45 west of Hickory Hills, take Hwy. 45 south 5.5 mi. to McCarthy Road, turn and go west on McCarthy Road 1.5 mi. Cap Sauers Holdings Nature Preserve, at 1520 acres, is the largest nature preserve in northeastern Illinois. Dominant geological features include the rolling topography typical of the Valparaiso Moraine of the Morainal Division of northeastern Illinois and an Esker. The Visitation Esker is one of the best defined examples of this glacial feature in the state. Most of the site is composed of young upland forests, and disturbed prairie and oak savanna communities. Much of the former prairie and oak savanna communities are now threatened by brushy native and non-native species that have advanced because fire has been suppressed. The Forest Preserve District of Cook County and The Nature Conservancy have embarked upon an ambitious project to restore much of this site to its presettlement condition.

OK, you're not an outdoorsy folk but you know you children need to get outside. No problem their are many outdoor programs, classes and Illinois Summer Camps available in and around your home.

Finding Resident Summer Camps has never been easier. SummerCampAdvice.com is a wonderful online source for information.

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Swift Nature Camp is a non-competitive, Traditional Overnight Summer Camp. Boys and Girls Ages 6-15. enjoy Nature and Animals at this science summer camp. We specialize in camp for the first time camper.

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Swift is a non-competitive, Traditional Illinois Summer Camp. Boys and Girls Ages 6-15 enjoy Nature and Animals at this Science Summer Camp. OurChildren's Summer Camp gives personal attention to each child. See what all the excitment is about at this Overnight Summer Camp