SHARON LEFFINGWELL, 65
Childhood Hours Outdoors per Week: 55
“I was a regular farmhand growing up in Michigan. Work was play for us, watching mice run out of hay bales, getting my first kiss in the hayloft. We raised our children on a farm, too. I was never one to say, ‘Don’t climb that tree or swim that lake.’ It bothers me that my grandchildren aren’t experiencing farm life—the love of animals and the freedom. If Shelley parented the way I did, someone would probably turn her in. Society puts a lot of pressure on these young mothers to be protective.”

SHARON SHELLEY ANCHETA, 35
Childhood Hours Outdoors per Week: 48
“When I was 6, I got a pony. I remember jumping off a wooden divider in the barn to land in the saddle, the way I’d seen cowboys do on TV. I went everywhere on my horse, packing something to eat and staying out all day. My sister and brother and I played in the stream for hours, slipping on rocks and climbing over dead tree branches. It makes me sad that my sons might miss what I had. Nathan likes to go to the stream in the park across the street, but I have to go with him. He might fall in the cement culvert. And in the back of my head is the fear of who might be in the park.”

NATHAN ANCHETA, 6
Childhood Hours Outdoors per Week: 35
“One time, when I was counting birds with my mom, a hawk landed by me. I was putting out my hand, holding a tomato, and my mom was screaming to me, “Nathan, come back!” The hawk was awesome, with pointy ears and yellow eyes like an owl. He thought I was very awesome, too. He stared at me like I was a basketball player. That’s just an expression.”

CLARA PARKER, 61
Childhood Hours Outdoors per Week: 0 – 3
“We didn’t do anything outside. I can remember being at home. It was to the house and back every day. I’m not saying go jump in the Grand Canyon. There’s so much to do right here in Chicago, especially by the lakefront. We took the kids camping—bought tents at thrift stores and took blankets from home. When they cooked a little hot dog on a stick, they were in heaven! I grew up in foster homes where there wasn’t much money, so I never learned to ride a bike. Now I’m learning so I can ride with my grandkids.”

VICTORIA PARKER, 34
Childhood Hours Outdoors per Week: 28
“We’d get out of school, and were outside from four to nine. I jumped rope, played jacks, rode my bike. And then when we went to the country, we’d go swimming, walking, we’d pick corn and peas. I take my kids out one-on-one for lunch dates. We take a picnic to the park, or we ride our bikes to the lake. Being outside causes you to think. The TV is always telling kids something, but when they go outside, they ask their own questions. Autumn wonders how a tree started off as a baby, and now it’s so big. Jalen says, ‘Mama, look how fast the clouds are moving tonight!’ You don’t have to be spending everything in your pocket to look at trees or watch the sun rise.”

JALEN PARKER, 7
Childhood Hours Outdoors per Week: 28
“My favorite place outside is with my dog, bouncing the ball with him. I like to go to McDonald’s or Burger King. I like video games. I’m going to get Xbox for my birthday, when I turn eight in July.”

AUTUMN PARKER, 6
Childhood Hours Outdoors per Week: 28
“I would rather play outside, because you can do lots of things there, like play freeze tag and ride your bike. My granny took me to the North Pole [Polar Adventure Day sponsored by the Chicago Park District, February 2007], and we rode in the horse wagon all along the lake. It was cold outside, but I had my mittens on, so I was so warm. Now I’m learning to play baseball. Sometimes my granddad takes me to the park. He watches the baseball game while I ride my bike.”

PATRICIA KAUFMAN, 82
Childhood Hours Outdoors per Week: 80+
“As a kid, most of my outdoor time was spent with animals on the farm. Exploring the world outside was our full-time playground. We swung across the river on rope-like vines. From collecting baby skunks to getting into poison ivy, we did it all.”

LINDA CHENEY, 55
Childhood Hours Outdoors per Week: 40
“As a kid, I spent time on my grandparents’ farm. It was a great change from the hustle of a big city suburb. We spent time riding, playing baseball, and exploring the same woods and fields that my mom and her siblings enjoyed.”

LEE CHENEY, 17
Childhood Hours Outdoors per Week: 9
“As a kid, I did the usual stuff outdoors, played soccer, swam at the local pool. I also went to the local forest preserves with my family and walked. One time we saw a family of deer cross in front of us.”