Girls Outside After-School Program in 2021
At the time of the year with the earliest sunset*, these girls are loving being outside after dark in the woods. Our Girls Outside after-school program continues after daylight savings starts and over an hour of the 2+ hour program is in the dark. I am always impressed how much the girls enjoy being outside in the cold, dark woods. As the light fades, the girls gradually put on headlamps and resume playing at their special spot in the woods that they call "Girls Secret World". The older girls (5th grade) and the adult female mentors model comfort and confidence in the woods and soon even the youngest girls (1st and 2nd grade) happily continue playing. This year, they had fun cracking open acorns (see photo above) for later consumption (candied acorns and an apples and acorns dish).
In the dark, they carry on with their activities like building forts, swinging on the big vine, cleaning the leaves out of the stream or refining the bridge they built.
With the support of our caring mentors, these girls are developing their curiosity and observation skills, enjoying creative imaginative play, building friendships, and reaping the many benefits of time in nature.
They are on the path to become the intrepid, nature-connected, young women that I think the world needs today. -Lucy
*Did you know that the earliest sunset is in early December and the latest sunrise is in early January?
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Please consider making a year-end donation to Everyone Outside to help us provide our programs, like Girls Outside, to those who would otherwise be unable to attend. Click here to make a donation
The Girls Outside program is funded in part through a grant from the Community Foundation of Middlesex County's Sari Rosenbaum Fund for Women and Girls.