About Out🌱Grown
Connecting Families to Nature from Birth
Connecting Families to Nature from Birth
At OutGrown, we believe that nature should be a part of every child’s life from day one, but too many families face barriers to getting outside. Opportunities for nature-based experiences often don’t start until school age, leaving a critical gap in early childhood development.
We call this the Baby Nature Gap, and we’re on a mission to bridge it.
Through community-led programs, outdoor experiences, and caregiver support, OutGrown helps families with children ages 0-5 build lasting relationships with nature to:
✔ Improve mental and physical health
✔ Prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
✔ Encourage environmental awareness from birth
💡 OutGrown is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Beaverton, OR.
Our Mission
OutGrown is dedicated to bridging the Baby Nature Gap by ensuring that families have access to, support for, and opportunities to incorporate nature into their daily lives, starting from birth.
We take an intergenerational approach, recognizing that when caregivers feel supported and confident outdoors, children grow up with nature as a natural part of life.
Our Vision
We envision a future where families no longer require downstream interventions to address physical and mental health concerns from adverse childhood experiences, because they have been supported from day one in building a strong connection to nature.
Despite rising rates of outdoor recreation, outings for families with young children have declined, and most nature-based programs typically start at school age or later. This gap leaves many children without early exposure to nature’s benefits, increasing risks of social isolation, poor mental health, and developmental delays.
OutGrown exists to change that.
By targeting the critical early years (0-5), we help caregivers and their little ones:
- Form lifelong outdoor habits
- Strengthen community connections
- Promote positive, healthy behaviors
- Prevent ACEs before they begin
Through accessible, low-barrier programs, we create real opportunities for families to engage with nature early and often, ensuring that every child has the foundation for a healthier, more connected future.
How We Make Our Vision a Reality
Our programs ensure that families, especially those with young children, have the resources, support, and confidence to integrate nature into their lives.
Hike it Baby
Creating Local Outdoor Connections
- Our flagship program is built to help families find and lead local outdoor experiences.
- Provides free nature outings and a Family Trail Guide for easy outdoor access.
- Empowers volunteers to become Outside Guides and host outings in their communities.
📩 Learn More about Hike it Baby
Bring It Outside (BiO)
Helping Families Get Outside in Ways That Work for Them
- Provides simple, low-barrier, and positive outdoor opportunities for families.
- Strengthens the connection between caregivers and children ages 0-5.
- Offers curriculum, workshops, and events tailored to each community’s needs.
Turn the Blues Green
Supporting New Caregivers Through Nature-Based Mental Wellness
- Focuses on caregiver well-being, particularly maternal mental health.
- Helps new parents experience the healing benefits of time in nature.
- Connects families with community health workers and nature-based support tools.
📩 Learn More About Turn the Blues Green
Join Us in Bridging the Baby Nature Gap
Nature has the power to heal, connect, and transform lives, and every child deserves to grow up with that opportunity from the very start.
💡 Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, volunteer, or partner, you have a place at OutGrown.
