​You're invited to come outside and play!

Who:  Children and their adults.
​
What:  Free-play, family hikes, educational experiences, volunteer activities. When you join us, prepare to have fun, make friends, and earn your bath!

Where: Natural areas in and around Howard County, Maryland. 

​When: Two Sunday afternoons per month for all ages outings and two Wednesdays for our CFIN Seedlings events. See our event info for more details.

​Why: People who spend frequent time outdoors experience enhanced use of the senses, fewer attention difficulties and decreased rates of physical and emotional illness and obesity. Spending frequent time outdoors is also the best way to develop a connection to nature, which is essential for environmental stewardship. Having close relationships with important adults also gives children a sense of well-being and confidence that allows them to connect with the world around them. 

​CFIN is committed to giving families the opportunity to connect with nature, each other and their community.  There is no fee to participate. Come on out and play!​

Learn More At: 

• Columbia Families in Nature Introduces Families to the Great Outdoors
• Our YouTube video

Vertical Divider

• "​Once again we had a fabulous time! I am learning to love nature more and more! My daughter was so excited to dig, plant, and just get dirty!"
  
• "Getting through the trail's 'obstacles' - climbing on rocks and balancing on tree trunks - made us feel really connected."
  
• ​"I enjoyed meeting new people in our neighborhood and seeing my children get enthusiastic about nature."
  
• "I love hiking and have wanted to get my kids involved, but the kids usually get bored along the way and it becomes a slog. But having other kids around made it so much more fun for them!" 
  
• "We had an outstanding time! It was something new for all of us and I an experience I know the kids will never forget!"
  
• "It was great to spend time together as a family. It gave us the opportunity to get outside our comfort zone, get dirty and be silly."
  
• "The outing was great for our family - having 4 kids with ages spread out... it's not easy to find a family activity that will interest them all - yesterday all of the kids had a lot of fun."
  
• "We really enjoyed making the monarch way station because it was a fun way to do something positive for nature." 
  
• "Finding CFIN has been a genuine blessing in our lives!"​