Kids can sign up for ‘No Child Left Inside’

Registration for the 2018 No Child Left Inside Great Park Pursuit — Connecticut State Parks Family Adventure is open until May 4, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

“The No Child Left Inside program has been an important part of Connecticut summers for more than a decade,” said DEEP Commissioner Robert Klee in a written statement. “As the father of two boys, who both love the natural world, the No Child Life Inside program is always a summer highlight for us. I encourage families across the state to get outside and enjoy the fresh air, sunlight and share in those moments that will create memories for parent and child alike.”

The Great Park Pursuit is a series of activities designed to introduce families to the outdoors, build the next generation of environmental stewards and showcase Connecticut’s state parks and forests.

The 2018 Great Park Pursuit kicks off Saturday at 9 a.m. with the free Family Fishing Day (no license required) at Wharton Brook State Park in Wallingford and will end June 16 with a campout at Salt Rock Campground in Sprague. Activities will be held at a different state park on the four Saturdays in between.

Registration is not required, but families or teams, with at least one adult 18 years or older and one child under 18, who register in advance and attend all six weeks of the program will be eligible to win a prize.

To be eligible for the final prize, families must register in advance by May 4, attend all six weeks of the game, check in at the registration table at each location, hand in an activity card and provide documentation they attended the self-guided events.

Launched in 2006, No Child Left Inside is a promise to introduce children to the wonder of nature — for their own health and well-being, for the future of environmental conservation, and for the preservation of the beauty, character and communities of Connecticut.

For information, visit www.NoChildLeftInside.org.