Getting Outside

GETTING OUTSIDE: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT NOW MORE THAN EVER.

With the worst of winter hopefully behind us, those sweet Montana summer days seem to be waiting just around the corner. Summers in Montana remind us why it’s worth it to live here: endless trails winding up into the mountains, rivers and lakes warming up to swimmable temperatures, the abundance of birds coming out to sing, and not least of all, the warmth! I grew up in a small town in coastal Alaska, so at this point I’m pretty accustomed to harsher winters. But, living in a temperate rainforest never really allowed me the opportunity to enjoy a real summer until last year. I have to say, Bozeman did not disappoint. With spring in full swing and summer on the horizon, no one should feel guilty about starting to plan for all the fun they’re going to have this summer. Whether it’s a family backpacking trip in the Beartooths, a rafting trip down Smith River, or a weeklong trip to Yellowstone, the time to start planning is now. While you may have your summer schedule fi lled to the brim already, your little ones’ schedules may not be. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle wants to help provide options for the kids this summer through our Summer Activity Guide. It’s no surprise that most of the summer camps included in this guide focus on getting outside and participating in healthy activities. Getting outside this summer and staying physically active is important for a few reasons. To start, we’ve all just experienced a tumultuous year and are still in the middle of a global pandemic, where many children were asked to learn from the confi nes of their homes. Kids have had their school year signifi cantly altered through remote learning, cancelled or postponed activities, and less opportunity for social interaction with peers. Director of the local Heart and Hand counseling center Sally Hand says this has created a lot of unwarranted stress and anxiety over an uncertain future. According to the CDC, one of the best ways to help deal with this stress is by exercising and getting outside. In addition to the stressful year we’ve experienced, children of today come from a generation that has had smartphones available most of their lives. In the fall of 2020, The Piper Sandler Survey questioned 5,200 Generation Z children, defi ned as children born from the year 1997 onward, on whether or not they owned an iPhone; 85% said they did. This number was up 3% from prior surveys. The reason this statistic is important is because the number of children with iPhones has increased during this global pandemic, and it’s easy to rationalize staying inside to watch another YouTube video over going on a hike when you’re 10 years old. Therefore, there must be a push to get children outside and active this summer.

In an online survey by Statista, participants were split into groups by generation and asked what level of physical activity they participated in: inactive, low activity, casual activity, or active. Generation Z scored the third lowest out of the four groups, with 36.7% saying they were active. Millennials recorded 42%, Generation X 39.45%, and Baby Boomers 31.4%.

But there were a few reasons for optimism from the survey. Generation Z reported the greatest percentage of casually active respondents, and the lowest percentage of inactive respondents, at 34.1% and 17.9%, respectively. This goes to show that although Generation Z is not as active as the two preceding generations, they have the largest group of people who are somewhat active and could, with a little nudging, move into a life of regular physical activity. We want to help nudge you, and believe this summer is the perfect opportunity to get outside and take advantage of the endless outdoor recreation Montana offers. Summer should be a time of fun and adventure, and maybe a little learning somewhere in there as well. Children have the time to explore new hobbies and branch out to meet new people. Summertime is a time of joy where your children can finally take a deep breath and let loose before the next school year begins. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle wants to help you and your little ones make those tough decisions on what activities to join in on this summer, as there is only so much time. This Summer Activity Guide is geared towards helping families find healthy opportunities for their children. Whether it be a performing arts camp at The Ellen, free daily lunches provided by HRDC, or the Bobcat Summer Youth Camp hosted by Montana State University, we want to provide you with a full list of resources for all the fun your children can have this summer. Enjoy!

Calling all Middle School boys and girls! Come Run With Us! Our summer youth running club starts in August. Affordable, fun, and welcoming all levels and abilities. www.bozemantrackclub.org

MONTANA WILDERNESS SCHOOL SUMMER EXPEDITIONS FOR YOUTH AGES 14-18 YRS OLD

Montana residents eligible for Financial Aid Multi-week expeditions

www.montanawildernessschool.org | 406.388.4610

High Performance Project-Based Learning in the Heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Day camps for ages 8-11 & 12-14 Summer Sessions: • Enviromental Art & Field Journaling • Leadership & Wilderness First Aid • Wilderness Survival School • Discovering Disc Golf • Mythbusters • Build It!