Tell Congress to pass the Every Kid Outdoors Act (H.R. 6925)!

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Childhood experiences outside spur lifelong wellbeing. Playing outside is good for physical health, boosts concentration, lowers stress, improves social skills and even helps kids improve their performance at school. Research shows that when children explore the outdoors with their family or school by age 10, those children are more likely to visit parks throughout the rest of their lives. That’s why the Every Kid Outdoors program is so important – it grants a full year of free entry to national parks, lands, and waters for all U.S. fourth graders and their families.

This year, Rep. Katie Porter and Rep. DeGette introduced a bill in the House that would secure $25 million in permanent funding for the Every Kid Outdoors program and also extend the program to include 5th graders. The Every Kid Outdoors program has never had adequate funding to address the inequalities that prevent many youth and families from experiencing nature, like a lack of safe public transit options to public lands, limited nearby programming at parks, and the often nonexistent infrastructure for the disabled community. We need this bill passed in order for more kids to experience nature!

Take action now and tell Congress to support the Every Kid Outdoors Act so that youth and their families can have the health benefits of time outside. Add a personal comment for a bigger impact. Let Congress know why access to nature is important to you and why you think all kids deserve to spend time in green spaces!

1. Dilenschneider, C. (2019, September 4). School Groups vs. Family Visitors: Which Kids Come Back As Adults? (DATA). Impacts Experiences.

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Cosponsor and pass the Every Kid Outdoors Act (H.R. 6925)!

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4th grade is a pivotal time in a child’s life – research shows that if kids visit a park with their family or school, they will be more likely to keep visiting parks throughout their entire life! The Every Kid Outdoors Act would not only provide every 4th grader in the country with a free national parks pass, but would also expand the program to 5th graders for maximum impact, and create permanent funding of $25 million for the program. A small investment in children’s access to national parks, lands, and waters can pay off greatly down the line. Ensuring that all children have opportunities to get outdoors will improve their health, something that is especially needed now given the spike in anxiety and depression post-COVID. More kids and families getting access to nature also supports our economy in the long-run. America’s great outdoors drive an $887 billion economy, supporting more than seven million jobs across our nation. The outdoor recreation economy generates nearly $125 billion in tax revenue ($65.3 billion federally; $59.2 billion in state and local tax revenue); this federal tax revenue alone is enough to support more than six million critical jobs from firefighters to police officers to teachers. A small investment in our kids today will have lasting benefits to the health of our kids, our economy, and our planet. Passing the Every Kid Outdoors Act will support more kids enjoying America’s most awe-inspiring wild places. I urge you to cosponsor this important bipartisan legislation (the Every Kid Outdoors Act – H.R. 6925), and help create a generation of kids who experience the mental and physical health benefits of being outdoors. In doing so, you are helping these next generations of youth continue to visit these parks for years to come.

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