Choose Outside Summer Challenge
Maine summers are short and spectacular. This summer, we're inviting every Maine student to make the most of them - one adventure at a time.
Time outside does more than get you away from a screen. Research shows it reduces stress, lifts your mood, sharpens focus, and boosts overall well-being. Add in the trails, tidal pools, and blueberry barrens right in your backyard, and there's really no reason to stay in.
Do a couple. Do a lot. Do them all. Earn points. Win prizes. Choose Outside.
Dates: June 15, 2026 to August 14, 2026
Participants: Students of all ages
The prize: Outdoor Gear Raffle + Photo Contest
Why it Matters
Being active outdoors builds more than good stories. It builds strength, confidence, and community. Whether you're hiking a ridge, catching a sunset, or just breathing fresh air with bare feet in the grass, time outside helps you slow down, be present, and experience Maine in ways no screen ever could.
This challenge extends the Life Happens Outside Challenge beyond May, keeping the momentum all summer long.
How to Participate
Register for the Challenge.
The Challenge begins on
June 15, 2026, but you can
register throughout the summer.
*Information collected at registration will only be used to communicate about challenge events and prize winners.
Download and print your tracker.
Fill in one shape for 30+ daily minutes
outside, phone-free.
Fill in one letter for one adventure or
new skill learned.
Get Outside!
Use the adventure ideas for inspiration - or invent your own. Adventures can be big (summit a mountain) or small (draw a landscape in your yard). It all counts.
Submit Your Adventure Tracker by August 17th!
The Choose Outside Summer Challenge wraps up on August 14th, though we encourage you to keep spending intentional, uninterrupted time outside all year long.
Submit a photo of your Adventure Tracker below (or email to programs@teenstotrails.org) before August 17th to be entered into our outdoor gear raffle.
Prizes & Rewards
Everyone who participates in the Choose Outside Summer Challenge and submits their Adventure Tracker by August 17th receives a certificate of completion.
Certificate of Completion
Outdoor Gear Raffle
Every Choose Outside Summer Challenge participant who submits
their adventure tracker earns 1 raffle entry for a chance to win one
of 5 outdoor gear prize packages!
Complete more adventures to earn bonus entries:
25 Adventures (+1 Entry), 50 Adventures (+2 Entries),
75 Adventures (+3 Entries), all 88 Adventures (+4 Entries).
Example Adventure
Tracker Submission:
1 entry just for submitting
2 additional entries for completing
51 Adventures (35 shapes filled for
35 days of 30+ minutes phone-free spent outside, and 16 letters filled
for 16 adventures or new skills learned)
Need Adventure Ideas?
Sleep in a backyard tent
Cook food over a campfire
Hike a new (to you) local trail
Watch the sunrise or sunset
Explore a tide pool at low tide
Skip rocks across a river or ocean
Pick wild blueberries in August
Share a picnic lunch with friends
Take a walk outside in the rain
Draw a landscape outdoors
Build a fort in the woods
Make a bouquet of wildflowers
Climb a mountain or big hill
Walk at night with a headlamp
Star gaze on a clear night
Bike on a rail trail
Walk barefoot outside
Start a nature journal
Photograph insects or wildflowers
Explore Geocaching (free app)
Explore a nearby stream
Search for frogs in a pond
Learn to tie five knots
Learn to identify 5 constellations
Learn to identify 10 birds
Learn to fly a kite
Learn how to clean + maintain your bike
Learn how to use a compass
Learn the parts of a topo map
Learn how to identify Maine trees
Teens to Trails Choose Outside Summer Challenge participants are responsible for their own safety while completing any activities. Please be sure to choose activities that match your skill level, adventure with others whenever possible, follow all local rules and guidelines, and use appropriate gear. Youth should participate with parent/guardian permission and supervision when appropriate. Be aware of weather and trail conditions, and always let someone know your plans before heading out on any adventure. By participating in this challenge, you acknowledge and accept the inherent risks of outdoor activities.