Why connect children with nature?
Connecting children with nature is essential to their mental, physical, intellectual, and spiritual well-being. When Growing Up Boulder was founded in 2009, our staff, colleagues, and partners knew about and touted the benefits of children spending time in nature; however, connecting children to nature was often seen by our society as "nice to have" but not essential. Now, as a result of the youth mental health crisis, climate change, and the covid pandemic, the call for young people to spend time outdoors has become mainstream. Learn how Growing Up Boulder is working with young people and partners to make nature experiences accessible for every child in Boulder.
Featured Projects
Primos Park
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In partnership with the Boulder’s Parks and Recreation Department, Growing Up Boulder provided early childhood nature-based programming to families and schools near Primos Park as part of a city-wide project called, A Year in the Life of a Park. During the spring and summer, Growing Up Boulder held five Picnics in the Park events, inviting neighboring families into nature play and sharing a meal together.
Growing Up Boulder also held three Walking Field Trips with nearby preschools, including New Horizons Co-Op and Boulder Journey School. The partnership with New Horizons Co-Op has provided an opportunity for Growing Up Boulder staff to learn directly from families living in Boulder Meadows, the manufactured home community adjacent to the park. The outcomes from these events include deeper relationships built with the neighboring community, a stronger connection between young children and nature within the park, and many ideas for future park improvements. For more information, visit our Primos Park webpage. 
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Eco-Healing with Youth
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In response to the Marshall Fire, which devastated the greater Boulder community in late December 2021, Growing Up Boulder (GUB) partnered with the City of Boulder, the University of Colorado (CU), and Whittier Elementary School to explore the concept of “eco-healing”, or the ways nature connection can foster emotional resilience for young people living in a wildfire prone community. More than 130 children and youth ages 6-22 participated, offering insights and preferences about the types of nature-based programs, media, and facilities they feel would most support their emotional wellbeing. This input then led to theoretical design interventions around the Marshall Fire site, conceived by students in an undergraduate studio as part of CU’s Program in Environmental Design (ENVD).
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