We see information like this in the news all the time. "Studies show that kids spend too much time in front of TVs, Smartphones, and computer screens and not enough time connecting with the natural world and their families."

As if that's not enough bad news, other studies also show that those disconnects from nature and family can undermine our physical and mental health. And too often the "cure" of participating in organized competitive sports only adds to our mental stress when we really need to be de-stressing in quiet, wide-open spaces.

Thankfully, there's a cure. It's called creating your own family-outdoor adventure. And the best part is that it's available on millions of acres in National Forest lands across the country. Plus, it doesn't cost an arm and a leg or make us jump through flaming hoops. Though some parts of the country do have more National Forests than others, most regions still have forests within a day's drive. The video here and information in the "LEARN MORE" section decodes the seven easy steps to creating your personal passport to angling adventure on YOUR National Forests.

Okay, we admit that we need guidance in life from parents and teachers. But we also deserve the chance sometimes to determine what we'd like to do and when. That only seems fair, right? How else are we supposed to problem-solve and develop life skills? So really, this whole passport to adventure exercise benefits our parents by helping us develop skills for navigating through life. (Nice psychology, huh?)

Here's the drill. You can do this with friends, siblings (you know, your brothers or sisters), or classmates. Watch the video once and simply enjoy the content. Then take a moment to consider what kind of outdoor adventure you'd like to have, what's realistic, and how you can use the millions of acres of National Forests. Then watch the video again and pause at the 7 key steps to make some notes on how you can accomplish each step. That may include recruiting help from adults.

We don't want to spoil the "fun" of planning your personal passport to an angling adventure, but chances are you're also going to learn problem-solving, math, geography, science, nature, and government. In fact, you and your class can elevate this fun educational adventure into a dynamic peer-driven learning (your teacher will love those words) experience where you ask and explore critical questions. Simply download the free lesson below, Discovering YOUR National Forests… Through Angling Adventures for learning fun stuff you can actually use in life right now. There's a win-win for you.

And don't forget to have your teacher open the LEARN MORE section below for additional information that will help guide the classroom learning where all the students get to design their own personal passports to adventure. Get a jump-start on designing your adventure by exploring the U.S. Forest Service Regions near you at... Fish YOUR National Forests.

For all kinds of other helpful information and resources on how kids can learn where to and how to go fishing, explore our companion KidsFishing.US website. To discover more about becoming a future angler, visit our educational partners that helped make this video, webpage, and lesson possible by clicking on their logos below.

Official Boater Safety Courses
and Boat Safety Education Materials