Department of Energy and Environmental Protection No Child Left Inside®

NCLI® Families in the Parks Program 2024

Happy 19th Anniversary to No Child Left Inside® (NCLI) Program! For the second year in a row you'’ll experience some new activities, events, programs and pop-up events (as well as enjoying some of the ole’ favorites) and meet some new partners and friends. NCLI’s Families in the Parks program expands on the Great Park Pursuit Family Adventure Program by reaching more families and youth, while also extending the season, the locations, and number of activities, events and programs. You and the children in your care can enjoy a wide variety of FREE, fun and educational outdoor recreational opportunities. Visit State Park and Forest locations for boating, fishing, hiking, a StoryWalk®, Nature Center and Museum Days and much more. Or you can find the NCLI staff, along with the NCLI Mascots- Nuts, Nuts 2, Nuts Jr. and his friends, at library programs, pop-up events and other family-friendly sites across the State of Connecticut. Join us for cool weekly or monthly outdoor discoveries including seasonal festivals, treasure hunts, self-guided challenges, and more. Enjoy time together and reconnect with the outdoors, nature and each other.

CT State Parks Centers and Historic Buildings Day Pass

As part of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) No Child Left Inside® initiative, DEEP has provided the main branch public library in each city/town across CT with a CT State Parks Centers and Historic Buildings Day Pass. These passes are used to waive the admission fees at those State Parks where DEEP charges an admission fee to enter a building or museum: Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam and Fort Trumbull State Park and Visitor Center in New London. This pass waives entrance fees for the building, center or museum for two adults and four children (12 years and under). This CT State Parks Centers and Historic Buildings Day Pass cannot be used for camping or special events. Please note that the utility of the library pass changed in 2018 as a result of the Passport to the Parks Program. The pass is no longer needed to cover parking fees at state parks and forests for CT residents, as all CT registered vehicles will be allowed in without a fee. CT residents can visit their local main branch library and borrow the library pass. It is the hope of the NCLI Program that the library pass will allow more CT residents and their families the opportunity to visit the CT State Park Centers and Historic Buildings.

NCLI® and ParkConneCT

Park ConneCT is a collaboration between CT DEEP and CT DOT. This year, NCLI® will be piloting a program to provide guided bus excursions to NCLI® events in August. Tentatively, the excursions will be to Dino Day at Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, August 3, 2024 and Saltwater Fishing Day at Fort Trumbull State Park in New London, August 10, 2024. If you'd like to join, please complete our "Interest Form."