Bedford promotes outdoor activities for area children

Murray Forest Park in Bedford, Ind. will celebrate Get Outdoors Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 8.  Games, crafts, archery, prizes, and demonstrations will entertain kids for a day of outdoor activities.

“We want kids to unplug from all of their videogames, iPods and computers in order to get outdoors,” said Teena Ligman, assistant public affairs officer for the Hoosier
National Forest.

Get Outdoors Day is a presidential initiative created by first lady Michelle Obama to encourage healthy, active outdoor fun. The first Get Outdoors Day was held at the White House Garden.

“They hope to create a ripple effect that will allow all communities to participate in it and hopefully make it an annual event,” Ligman said.

A variety of local organizations, including the Hoosier National Forest and the Bedford Parks and Recreation Department, have teamed up to offer opportunities for southern Indiana families to experience both traditional and non-traditional outdoor activities.

“We partner with the forestry department for a number of different events including Get Outdoors Day,” Recreational Director Gary Dorsett said. “Murray Park is a great place for these activities.”

During the event, there will be bird hikes, dog demonstrations and games that will teach kids about duck migration and bee pollination. Accompanying demonstrations will be set up with two labrador retrievers as well as bee colonies and pollinator gardens.

Kyle Knight will provide the two labradors to demonstrate working with dogs. Mike Johnson, a world-renowned dog trainer and local police dog trainer, will also be there to teach kids about training dogs and the joys of working
with animals.

“Both men are very qualified and kids just think it’s cool to see dogs go and fetch sticks and sit on command,” Ligman said. “They really enjoy it.”

Children can learn to shoot a bow, learn about gun safety and play old-fashioned pioneer games. One such pioneer game involves pushing a hoop around with a stick while running and trying not to let the hoop fall.

If kids are not interested in these types of games, kites and a bounce house will be provided.

Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts will be there with relay games and other activities. As people come, the kids can rotate to different stations in order to experience most of the activities provided.

“There should be a lot of different things to do,” Dorsett said. “We also have several picnic areas at the park as well as
softball fields.”

Another possible activity for the children to enjoy is Project Noah. The name “Noah” is an acronym that stands for “networked organisms and habitats.” The purpose of the project is to mobilize and inspire a new generation of nature lovers.

“Kids can take pictures of different things in nature and naturalists will help them to identify what they have found with its most common name,” Ligman said. “We will upload them into a database with the kid’s name and they can see it on the Project Noah website. This is just one more way for kids to be involved in the outdoors.”
The first 150 participants will receive a backpack filled with prizes including a magnifying glass to examine bugs with, a bandana with all of the local trails on it, a miniature gardening kit as well as bird seeds and a nature jar to collect leaves and different natural items from around the park.

“If kids want to come, but can’t find a ride, we are providing transportation for areas around Bedford,” Ligman said.

Bedford City buses and Rural Transit are providing limited free transportation. The local buses will pick up from Hamilton Courts and the Boys & Girls Clubs. Rural Transit will make pickups at Persimmon Court Apartments, Mitchell Junior High and Oolitic Junior High. Transportation can be reserved by calling 812-275-5692.