A Christian Science Monitor report on declining outdoor participation among young people notes that the state parks in Connecticut have a program designed to mirror something kids (and, ahem, their parents) understand — a reality TV show — to get people off the couch.

Alarmed, conservationists and government officials are looking for ways to reverse the trend. Connecticut has already started, with a new campaign this year called “No Child Left Inside.” The idea: bring families back to parks, families like the Verdones.

“I was always in the woods. As soon as my bed was made, I was out the door,” says Brenda Verdone, strolling with her family through Mashamoquet Brook. Pointing at her daughter, Deanna, who is skipping ahead after their white husky, “I want her to do this stuff. Being inside isn’t good for you.”

Connecticut has begun advertising and promoting the outdoors. Borrowing a concept from reality TV, organizers invited teams of families with kids to follow clues in an adventure contest spanning eight state parks.

I know, why should we have to contrive this whole game thing to get people to do what they should be doing anyway? Probably for the same reason they started putting sugar coating on breakfast cereal.