April 26-30 is Every Kid Healthy Week. This national celebration promotes the importance of well-rounded health in children – not just physical, but also social and emotional health. One easy way to maintain each of these types of health is to spend time outside. Spending time among trees is scientifically proven to reduce stress and boost the immune system. When kids appreciate the benefits trees provide not just us, but also our planet, it can start them on the path of lifelong love for the natural world.

Each year the last day of Every Kid Healthy Week also happens to be Arbor Day! In Wisconsin, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) helps celebrate Arbor Day with an environmental education program designed to teach students the importance of trees. We provide thousands of free tree seedlings to Wisconsin fourth grade students for this celebration on a yearly basis.

If you’re celebrating Every Kid Healthy Week with family or friends at home, consider capping it off on Arbor Day with a safe stroll to check out your neighborhood’s trees. Enjoying some fresh air while appreciating everything trees do for us and our world is a healthy activity for all. 

This post was adapted for Wisconsin from the Northeast-Midwest State Foresters Alliance “Healthy Trees Healthy Lives Campaign” blog. Jane Raffaldi wrote the original post.