Children from the community gathered at the Taylorsville Walmart on June 21, 2019, to celebrate the launch of the Every Kids Outdoors (EKO) Initiative. The program, created by the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation, encourages kids and families to get outside, be active and try new affordable and accessible activities.
The EKO summer explorer passport is possible thanks to the generous support of Walmart, Lifetime and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake.
Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox participated in the event and urged kids to get outside and experience the power of nature. “Did you know that you’re better in school if you’re active and play outside? Research shows you’ll actually be better in school, it’s really important for us to get outside,” he said.
Families can download and complete an activity passport for their children, and they will receive a certificate for engaging in outdoor recreation activities.
Following is the list of 10 free or low-cost outdoor recreation activities that are part of the Every Kid Outdoors initiative:
- Observe nature and wildlife in Utah
- Explore Utah’s parks, public lands and wild places
- Experience The Greatest Snow on Earth
- Gaze at the starry sky
- Bring along a friend to nearby nature
- Splash in Utah’s rivers, lakes and streams
- Follow a trail
- Plant a seed
- Play on Utah’s rocks and mountains
- Be a steward and take care of Utah’s outdoor places
Any Utah child can complete these activities near their home, at a city park, National Park, State Park or in the thousands of acres of U.S. Forest Service and BLM land.
For more details, visit business.utah.gov/outdoor/eko.