Overview of campaigns on Children and Nature in Flanders (Northern Belgium)

There has been a tradition of children playing in the Flemish forests, nature and agricultural areas, although this was illegal. Since 1997, several projects and campaigns have been developed in the Flemish Region to legalise this use of forests and green areas, to foresee green spaces for playing activities and to raise awareness with forest and nature managers, owners of forests and green areas and youth organisations.

The presentation will give an overview of these projects, campaigns and programmes. Some examples:
* legislative adaptations to allow playing in green areas,
* Go4Nature co-finances small projects that stimulate play activities in green areas,
* Date4Nature creates partnerships between owners and managers of green areas on the one side and youth organisation on the other side,
* supportive projects have run
o to help forest managers to assign specific play zones in their forests,
o to stimulate local authorities to assign, develop or realise play zones in existing forests or new play forests,
o supporting handbooks and roadmaps have been developed,
* the Kiekebosboek gives tips and tricks and describes specific games for youth organisations in green areas,
* an educational project has been raising awareness of youth organisations on the opportunities of playing in green areas, but also on the aspects they have to keep in mind when playing in green
* also forest and nature managers have been informed on aspects of children's play in green areas