FAMILY FRIENDLY Reconnecting With the Natural

Firefl y Fling offers families outdoor opportunities

FAQ

FIREFLY FLING

WHEN - 7-10 p.m. Saturday

WHERE - Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, 4703 N. Crossover Road in Fayetteville

COST - $6 for individuals, $20 for families

INFO - 750-2620 or bgozarks.org

— Though many authors have written of the positive and cathartic effects of spending time in nature, parents today often struggle between a desire to keep their children in the safety of their home and an inclination to let them play outside.

In an effort to bring the youngest generation of Northwest Arkansas closer to the natural world, the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks will host the Firefly Fling festival Saturday, with a potpourri of activities to encourage families to spend time together outdoors.

“Kids are spending so much time with computers, computer games, cell phones and all of those electronic devices that are keeping them from being outside,” says Judy Smith, communication and education coordinator for thegarden. “This is really trying to swing that the other way and show parents and kids they can have a lot of fun outdoors.”

This third annual festival will take even more of a family orientation than the previous two, Smith says. “It’s going to be very interactive, not just sitting down watching someone else doing something.”

Kids and their families canchoose from a wide array of activities, such as fairy house building, raft constructing and racing, fairy wand and necklace making, sprinkler play and firefly catch and release.

“It’s really going to be a magical evening,” says Marie Vukin, producer for the event. “In my experience, a lot of activities that are built for families are all about waiting in line, waiting your turn, doing an activity and gettinga trinket. ‘Firefly’ is about engaging family members of all ages with activities that everyone can do at the same time, and the reward is that play time with their family.”

The festival will feature live entertainment from Still on the Hill, Trike Theater, Shaky Bugs and Kindling Spirit throughout the evening. Vukin says she hopes that families will come out not just to enjoy the evening but to find inspiration for how they can play outdoors together in their own backyards.

“In my research, I’ve found that parents reconnect with nature through their children’s experience,” Vukin says. “This is sort of that baby toe into thepool of water, and they get a taste of it and see the joy in their child’s face and they’ll want to do it. They’ll think, ‘Oh my gosh, I used to do this and catch fireflies in a jar,’ and now they can do those things with their kids.”

Smith says another unique aspect of the festival is the fact that it is in the evening, rather than the heat of the day.

“So many of our other activities are in the daytime, but this is taking advantage of the beautiful evenings,” she says. “We close at 5 p.m.

normally, so most people don’t get a chance to see the gardens at this time of day, when it’s the height of firefly season.”

“It’s reconnecting witha piece of ourselves that’s missing,” Vukin says. “There’s something missing in childhood today, and ‘Firefly’ is filling that place.”

Whats Up, Pages 22 on 07/23/2010

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