The TurfMutt Foundation Helps Combat “Summer Slide” and Screen Fatigue with Free Outdoor STEM Lessons

Photo courtesy of TurfMutt Foundation

The TurfMutt Foundation, which advocates for the care and use of backyards, public parks, school yards and other green spaces, reminds parents and guardians of its free educational resources designed to entice kids away from their screens and into the green space around them this summer.

The TurfMutt Foundation offers downloadable activity guides,

interactive lesson plans and outdoor exploration challenges tailored for children in grades K-8. These hands-on lessons are rooted in STEM standards and encourage kids to engage with the “outdoor learning labs” of their backyards and community parks.

“Our lessons are designed to help kids see the world through the eyes of Mulligan the TurfMutt’s – where every backyard is a living laboratory to be explored,” explains Kris Kiser, President and CEO of the TurfMutt Foundation. Mulligan is a real-life rescue dog and “spokesdog” of the Foundation. “By following Mulligan’s lead into the green spaces around them, students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills while forming a lifelong connection with the environment.”

Families can watch a quick “Mulligan Minute” for inspiration before heading outside to start their own exploration. See the latest segments from CBS Lucky Dog at https://www.turfmutt.com/education/videos.

The TurfMutt educational suite includes lessons on: 

•    Environmental Superpowers: Understanding how green space produces oxygen, combats heat islands and traps carbon.
•    Bio-Mapping: Identifying and charting local flora and fauna to understand neighborhood diversity.
•    Rain Gauging: Tracking rainfall patterns to understand drought and water conservation.
•    Wildlife Support: Learning how backyard biodiversity helps ecosystems thrive and supports pollinators.

To download TurfMutt’s free educational resources, visit TurfMutt.com.

About the TurfMutt Foundation

TurfMutt, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2024, was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s (OPEI) TurfMutt Foundation and has reached more than 70 million children, educators, and families since 2009. The Foundation is title sponsor of “Lucky Dog,” the Emmy Award-winning CBS broadcast television show in support of dog rescue and rehabilitation. Both TurfMutt spokesdogs have been rescue dogs, and Mutt Mulligan is a cast character on the show, where her “Mulligan Minute” segments teach viewers about the benefits of green space. In 2024, the Great Lawn at Louisville’s award-winning Waterfront Park on the Ohio River was renamed the TurfMutt Foundation Great Lawn as part of a $1 million sponsorship. Championed by Mulligan the TurfMutt, and through education partners such as Scholastic, Discovery, Weekly Reader, and the USBGC Global Learning Lab, TurfMutt has taught students and teachers how to “save the planet, one yard at a time.” TurfMutt has been an education resource at the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, Climate Change Live, Petfinder and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2017, the TurfMutt animated video series won the coveted Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award for Best Interstitial Series. More information at https://www.turfmutt.com/