Go outside! And have fun

Six-year-old twins Kevin and Katie Greenhaw of Grayson have explored canyons, braved swinging bridges and climbed down into a gorge.

All the while, they’ve been in step with a new Georgia State Parks “Get Outdoors” campaign designed to lure kids away from the TV and get them hooked on playing outside.

This month, Kevin and Katie received the prize they’d been striving for —- “Get Outdoors” badges.

Katie enjoyed making homemade trail mix and finding rocks that look like crystals. But most of all, she loves seeing her dog, Abbie, revel in mountains, trails and streams.

“She’s really cute. She gets in front because she is so excited, and she loves to jump in the water,” Katie says.

Many states have declared Sept. 24-30 “Take a Child Outside” week, an observance that began last year in North Carolina.

In Georgia, the week coincides with an ongoing push to get kids more active. Launched in June, the Get Outdoors initiative has organized climbing and bike clubs and plans to create a paddling club for kids next month.

But it’s not just youngsters responding to the call for more playtime in parks.

Jan Waters, in her 50s, joined the Canyon Climbers Club with her sister and 22-year-old niece. They completed four climbs in four days over the summer.

“It was challenging but it was doable,” says Waters, who lives in Alpharetta. “But it also showed there is a wealth of outdoors opportunities so close to home.”

For her efforts, she received an “I did it!” T-shirt.

“I’ve been wearing it almost every day,” she says. “We are so proud of the T-shirts.”

JOIN A CLUB

Canyon Climbers

How it works: Buy a $10 membership card and start hiking —- scale the top of Amicalola Falls, explore Providence Canyon, dare the swinging bridge in Tallulah Gorge and climb the staircase in Cloudland Canyon State Park.

Get your card punched by a ranger at the four parks. And then turn in your membership card for an “I did it!” bragging rights T-shirt.

For more information on the membership card, call 770-389-7401.

Muddy Spokes

How it works: Buy a $10 membership card and then get pedaling at 11 state parks. Beginners can ride a 3-mile loop at Magnolia Springs State Park. Experienced bikers can tackle the 6.3-mile Gold Mine Loop at Fort Mountain State Park.

After riding your bike at 11 parks, members earn a “mud-splattered” T-shirt. Information: 770-389-7401.

Junior Ranger Get Outdoors Badge

How it works: Children can choose from a list of badge requirements that will get them closer to nature. Activities include making trail mix, learning a new outdoors skill such as canoeing and setting up a campsite. Recommended for children ages 7 to 14. Free. Information: 770-389-7401.

A SAMPLING OF GET OUTDOORS PROGRAMS

Fall Wildflower Hike

Panola Mountain State Park, 2600 Ga. 155 S.W., Stockbridge.

In this park 18 miles southeast of Atlanta, hike up Panola Mountain and see yellow daisies in their full glory. Guided tour is required. Check in at visitor’s center. Information: 770-389-7801.

New Manchester History Hike

Sweetwater Creek State Park, Mount Vernon Road, Lithia Springs.

Trek to the ruins of the Civil War-era New Manchester textile mill that sits alongside the whitewater rapids of Sweetwater Creek.

Tours every Saturday in September, and again on Saturdays in April. 770-732-5871.

Go star gazing

F.D. Roosevelt State Park, 2970 Ga. 190, Pine Mountain.

The Columbus Coca-Cola Space Science Center periodically hosts star talks, star maps and viewing of the night sky at this park near Callaway Gardens. The park also includes a 23-mile mountain trail and several structures built by President Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps. (The next “Evening of Astronomy” is 6-8 p.m. Nov. 22.) 706-663-4858.

Go fishing

Moccasin Creek State Park. 3655 Highway 197, Clarkesville.

Surrounded by Lake Burton, this park in the Blue Ridge Mountains offers fishing, canoeing and hiking. Tours are available at the nearby Lake Burton Fish Hatchery. 706-947-3194.

Explore a canyon

Tallulah Gorge State Park, U.S. 441, Tallulah Falls.

Tallulah Gorge, south of Clayton in northeast Georgia, is a scenic canyon two miles long and nearly 1,000 feet deep. Park visitors can hike rim trails to several overlooks or obtain a free permit (limit 100 per day) to hike down to the gorge floor. A suspension bridge sways 80 feet above the rocky bottom. 706-754-7970.

Note: State parks charge a $3 parking fee except for Tallulah Gorge, which is $4. Special events and programs may require additional charges. Call or check the Web site for details: www.gastateparks.org

GET OUTDOORS, BACKYARD VERSION

Listen and feel

How it works: Find a comfortable place to sit outside. Close your eyes for one minute (30 seconds for younger children). Listen to all the sounds you can hear. What are they? From which direction did they come? Who might have made them? Next, close your eyes again, this time focusing on the sunlight and air touching your face or arms. Talk about what you can notice about the world through the sense of touch. Where is the sun? From what direction is the breeze blowing? Does the air feel warm and gentle or sharp and brisk?

Rainy days

How it works: Go outside on a rainy day (but not during a thunderstorm). Dress to stay comfortable but keep your hands free —- no umbrellas. Peek into puddles; listen for bird and frog calls. Discover how many kinds of raindrops you can see. Find a plant with rain dripping from the tips of its leaves. Try to find out where animals go when it is raining.

Source: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and Take a Child Outside program; Georgia State Parks