July is Park and Recreation Month, and this year’s theme is: OUT is IN. Agencies can register as official participants to have their Park and Recreation Month events added to the main listing, which includes activities across the United States ranging from outdoor dance and exercise classes to kickball, white water rafting, volleyball tournaments, garden tours, and family hikes.
Park and Recreation Month this year also comes with a social media challenge: participants are asked to share their photos on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #JulyOUTisIN. Prizes will be awarded to the best photos of an indoor activity being done outside.
Created by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) in 1985, Park and Recreation Month highlights the vital role local parks and recreation play in conservation, health and wellness, and social equity efforts in communities across the country.
For more information on current opinions on the outdoors, see the results of the NRPA Park and Recreation Month OUT is IN national survey, conducted this May. A few key findings from the survey:
- Nearly 3 in 10 U.S. adults do not spend time outside on a daily basis
- Almost half of adults spend less than 30 minutes outside when do go outdoors
- Work, computers, tablets, and smartphones are among the top barriers preventing people from spending more time outside
And, for a wealth of information specifically on urban parks, the Trust for Public Land‘s Center for City Park Excellence released their 2014 City Park Facts report earlier this year.
Show your local park some love and maximize your time outdoors this July—and of course, don’t stop there: parks are best enjoyed year round!