Prescribe Outside, Philadelphia’s nature prescription program, has launched to provide physicians and families with tools to improve the health and wellness of children.

Prescribe Outside is a partnership among Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Awbury Arboretum, Let’s Go Outdoors, USDA Forest Service, and the Temple University Center for Sustainable Communities that helps children locate and use safe, accessible, and convenient public green space and discover the benefits of time spent in nature. 

In recent years, the rise of behavioral health concerns among young patients has increased the demands on the healthcare system. Prescribe Outside serves as an alternative for healthcare providers to support their patients by directing them to free, accessible, family-friendly outdoor activities on Prescribe Outside’s website.

Designed to address top behavioral and physical health concerns, environmental educators facilitate experiences ranging from creative play and mindful nature walks to higher-intensity hikes that increase heart rate and improve physical fitness. With new listings each month, the program’s Event Calendar offers drop-in activities at varying times and locations throughout the city, intended to accommodate the busy lifestyle of families with young children and teenagers. 

“Prescribe Outside’s mission is simple: to help children and families become healthy and happy by spending time outside in nature and creating safe and enjoyable connections with the outdoors,” said Dr. Barbara Rolnick, pediatrician at CHOP Primary Care in Roxborough. “This robust nature prescription program will go a long way in addressing health disparities that exist in the City of Philadelphia. Not to mention, it will result in a break from screen time and devices.”

The program’s mission is supported by a growing body of literature that points to the healing effects of green space. Studies indicate that access to safe, natural areas improves health across a wide variety of outcomes, including cardiovascular health, hypertension, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and stress. Exposure to nature can also improve focus and overall mood. Prescribe Outside’s researchers at the Forest Service and the Temple University Center for Sustainable Communities aim to measure the overall health impacts of the program over time. 

“Whether a walk in the woods, a stretch in the park, or a scavenger hunt in the garden, physical activity in green spaces can reduce stress, improve mood, and even lower blood pressure,” said Grace Parker, Prescribe Outside Project Manager of Awbury Arboretum. “The concept of spending quality time in nature is simple, but its impact on both mind and body can be profound.”

With programs currently concentrated at Awbury Arboretum in Germantown, as well as the Roxborough and Cobbs Creek neighborhoods, Prescribe Outside intends to expand into additional locations in Northwest, West, and South Philadelphia. As the global nature prescription movement continues to grow, Prescribe Outside aims to bring the benefits of nature to children and their families in Philadelphia.

Learn more about how nature can heal or find an activity near you at Prescribe Outside.