The island in the sky and maze districts have short kid friendly trails for families to explore. Participating parks have junior ranger booklets that include activities and information about the park. Inspiring new generations for parents and guardians, one practical benefit of the little cub and junior ranger programs is directing some of that boundless kid energy to. Participants who complete activities will receive a junior ranger badge and certificate. We started visiting the national parks and monuments when my youngest was about 4 years old, and since then, completing the junior ranger booklet and learning about the location we are visiting is a highlight for the family. Children who are interested in the junior ranger program must ask for a junior ranger booklet inside the park. See yosemite today in the summer for a schedule of.
Once you visit, just turn it in at the park information center in order to become a mesa verde junior ranger. Get started now by downloading your mesa verde junior ranger booklet now. Jun 12, 2017 children who are interested in the junior ranger program must ask for a junior ranger booklet inside the park. This activity booklet is designed for exploring wilderness, either at a wilderness area you are visiting, one near. Booklets are usually free, but at some parks, they may have a small fee. The positive effects of the junior ranger program escaping. While the activities are geared more towards kids, adults can get a lot out of the program, too. Inviting the youngest park visitors to become a member of the national park service family, the junior ranger program gives kids and families the opportunity to uniquely explore and learn about their national parks, and how they can help protect them today and into the future. A junior ranger cares for the land and its resources.
The junior ranger program is a wonderful initiative by the national park service to connect and engage young park visitorsthe future stewards of our parksto their surroundings. Yosemite national park rangers through late december had sworn in 22,600 junior rangers, a record for the highest number of junior rangers sworn in in a year each of these young people completed their duties, either by attending a junior ranger program or completing a booklet, and took an oath to continue to explore, learn, and protect yosemite national park. Take the pledge to become a spaceflight explorer junior ranger, and put your name on the certificate. The junior ranger program in yosemite aims to engage children as stewards for one of.
Yellowstone junior ranger programs for kids my yellowstone park. Ynp junior ranger handbook yosemite online store official. The ultimate guide to exploring yosemite with kids no back home. All of our products are also available on our newly redesigned website, bookstores and junior ranger center expand matt seiler i n 2008, the association increased both revenue and. They also offer a get outdoors georgia gopher badge to encourage kids to get outside and learn about nature. In addition to the park booklets, you can become a junior ranger in things like archaeology, fishing, caving, and other fun activities. Nps requirements include attending a rangerled program, hiking on a park trail or boardwalk, and completing activities in the booklet to learn more about park resources, issues, and concepts such as hydrothermal geology, wildlife, and fire ecology. She answers questions, draws pictures, goes on the scavenger hunts, even prepares for a final quiz from a ranger. You can pick up an activity booklet at any visitors center inside the park.
You can become a yosemite junior ranger by purchasing this selfguided booklet. At yosemite my son and 6 year old grandson joined us for the weekend. Junior ranger program handbook california state parks ca. An article in yosemite nature notes, published in june 1937, states, the 1936 summer meeting of the yosemite junior nature school showed an increase in the numbers with a total enrollment of 410 children. You will recite the junior ranger pledge and earn your official junior ranger. Then to receive your junior ranger badge and signed certificate. Find your park in utah free junior ranger booklets savvy nana. Potential junior rangers received a booklet from the visitor center, and. Ynp junior ranger handbook children 7 to softcover 21 pages learn about. They were sworn in as junior rangers and they were so proud to wear their badges. The ultimate guide to exploring yosemite with kids no.
The nps is working to better document the details of the junior ranger program history, but medema says the curriculum was established enough that, in 1989, he wrote about it for his masters thesis. An aspiring junior ranger achieves his or her badge by completing the full booklet as well as attending a guided program in yosemite for kids and collecting one bag of litter. Dec 29, 2015 this sets a record for the most number of junior rangers in a year. Jul 24, 2018 explore the park as a family and fill out a booklet with fun activities, like mazes and word searches, to earn a collectible badge. Complete six or more of the activities in this book at pompeys pillar national monument, at home, or on another piece of public land. Kids learn more about national parks with the junior ranger. On sunday am we attended the junior ranger walk at happy isles nature center with ranger elsa. Kids 7 to can earn a certificate and a patch as they learn about the mysteries and marvels of yosemite.
The roots of the nps curriculum can be traced to the yosemite nature school, founded in the 1930s to educate children about yosemite national park. Find a park ranger at the kohm yahmahnee visitor center or loomis museum. Sep 19, 20 yosemite national park junior ranger completed. Please allow for several hours to complete this booklet as activities include traveling. The program is a tool for kids to engage with the park, and because there is such diversity and variety in yellowstone, everyones experience is a. My kids love to become national park junior rangers. The georgia department of natural resources offers a junior ranger badge for kids ages 612. They were so eager to complete their books and they finished all the required activities.
Yosemite national park rangers have sworn in 22,600 junior rangers so far this year. Aspiring junior rangers must complete the booklet, collect a bag of trash, and attend a guided program. Yosemite national park junior ranger senior friendly. National park junior ranger program park ranger john. Passport to your national parks junior ranger cancellation. How families are using the junior ranger program rei co. Junior rangers program thrives in yosemite sierra news. Each of these young people completed their duties, either by attending a junior ranger program or completing a booklet, and took an oath to continue to explore, learn, and protect yosemite.
With death valley national park junior ranger adventure in tow, little ones who visit death valley can become an official junior ranger. More than 45,000 visitors used the yellowstone junior ranger booklet to discover more about the park, with 36,588 completing the program to become official junior rangers and earn a patch. Zion offers a guided and selfguided junior ranger experience. My kids love earning badges and patches at various national parks through the junior ranger program. To become a junior ranger complete 3 of the activities shown for your age group. Print out your glen canyon rainbow bridge junior ranger book and send it back in to earn your junior ranger badge and certificate. Puzzles, games, facts, and tons more fun inspired by the u. Junior ranger responsibilities as a junior ranger, it is your responsibility to help take care of the national parks you visit.
Now an expert, she wrote the junior ranger booklet for waco mammoth national monument in texas, where she volunteers. Nov 06, 2014 one of the coolest and maybe least known activities at many national and state parks is the junior ranger program. A guide to camping with kids in yosemite national park the. Each of the junior rangers received a junior ranger badge. Junior ranger spaceflight explorerexplorers activity. Become a junior ranger yellowstone national park u. They were sworn in at the happy isles nature center. Freeman tilden said it best in his 1957 classic, interpreting our heritage. Dec 19, 2019 find an online schedule of interpretive programs, including special junior ranger programs, in the yosemite guide newspaper. Both will enable your child to earn a cool wooden yosemite junior ranger badge. Junior ranger cancellation station locations updated 090119 new listings are in red while nearly all national park sites with junior ranger programs were sent a junior ranger cancellation, participation is voluntary.
I dont know why the national park service doesnt market this more, because it is an amazing program for children and families. The program has a collectible aspect to it, as junior rangers are encouraged to get badges from other national parks. Every junior ranger book you can print at home go the. The visitor centers have free junior ranger program booklets and explorer packs deposit required which will teach kids and parents about the park. Yosemite national park junior ranger senior friendly programs. The free, printable booklet has math puzzles, thought questions, spot the difference pictures, matching puzzles, scrambled words and anagrams. Its my first stop after entering the park and it usually offers restrooms. Junior ranger activity book bureau of land management. Aug 08, 2018 become a junior ranger at yosemite national park. You can become a yosemite junior ranger by purchasing a selfguided booklet. The books teach her about the parks plants and geology, and about safety and leave no trace guidelines. September 15, 20 at yosemite my son and 6 year old grandson joined us for the weekend.
Once you arrive at a national park, head to the visitors center to pick up your junior ranger booklet. Pay the small fee at either the mammoth or old faithful visitor center to obtain the activity booklet or buy it online in advance see link below, and enjoy checking things. Find your park in utah free junior ranger booklets. All of our products are also available on our newly redesigned website. Becoming a zion junior ranger is a fun way to explore and enjoy zion national park and the natural world. The paid version is a booklet filled with fun activities and exercises for your child to do before earning their badge. Underground railroad junior ranger activity bookkids learn about the civil war and the road to freedom for slaves. The junior park ranger program dates back to the 1930s in yosemite national park when the yosemite field school of natural history began offering programs to young naturalists, allowing them to engage in handson, field.
Yosemite conservancy 2020 projects junior ranger programs. Junior ranger activity book puzzles games facts and tons more fun inspired by the u s national parks national geographic kids junior ranger activity book love this free program for. Yellowstone junior rangers forge deep connections to the. You can become a yosemite junior ranger by purchasing a selfguided booklet published by the yosemite conservancy. Fortunately, a big bearded ranger at the yosemite valley visitor center told us about the junior ranger program.
Its like a scavenger hunt to find information and clues about the fort. You can use this printable list of national parks to help keep track of which junior ranger programs you have completed. Nearly 23,000 junior rangers sworn in at yosemite national. Children aged four and older can complete pages in the booklet to earn their junior ranger badge for zion national park. It also offers a map for kids to circle the places they have visited at the park. Apr 20, 2015 the island in the sky and maze districts have short kid friendly trails for families to explore. Nature center at happy isles may through september wawona and tuolumne meadows visitor centers june through.
You must also complete all the activities required for both age groups. Fun for kids of all ages, the parks junior ranger program lets your entire. Zion national park junior ranger program junior ranger. In fact, on january 14th, 2019, rose trophy, a 103yearold woman, earned her junior ranger badge at grand canyon national park. The zion national park junior ranger web page states children ages 6 through 12 can earn a junior ranger badge or a patch by completing an activity booklet during their visit.
Inside the booklet are instructions as to how many pages the child is to complete, based on their age. Nearly every national park has its own junior ranger program and booklet. Each of these young people completed their duties, either by attending a junior ranger program or completing a booklet, and took an oath to continue to explore, learn, and protect yosemite national park. Junior ranger program national parks are very special places that protect the most important stories in our nations history and allow all visitors to experience our heritage. National parks junior ranger program overview fivepax. Find out how to get involved with a junior ranger program at national. This was the first time ive ever had a to pay for a junior ranger booklet especially as they are usually given free of charge at other parks. There may also be some parks with junior ranger cancellations that are not on this list.
The unspeakable beauty of yosemite valleys mountains, majestic waterfalls, lush meadows, and beautiful forests make every activity unforgettable. Yosemites junior ranger programming inspires kids to learn about and protect natural resources in our national parks and in their own backyards. The junior ranger handbook can be purchased for one dollar plus tax at both visitor centers and the human history museum. This sets a record for the most number of junior rangers in a year. Junior ranger books programs and special events offer junior ranger books to engage visitors at an early age. She frequently helps at the junior ranger booth, providing information and encouraging other kids to participate in the program. First, pick up junior ranger booklets at the parks visitor center. Yosemite s junior ranger programs create fun, educational outdoor experiences that inspire kids to feel comfortable in and connected to the natural world. The goal of the junior ranger program is to nurture young environmentalists who may go on to protect and advocate for our national park system in the future. Yosemite national park california junior ranger senior. Junior ranger activity book puzzles games facts and tons more fun inspired by the u s national parks national geographic kids junior ranger activity book love this free program for kids through the national park service. Aug 27, 2016 what exactly does it take to become a junior ranger at yosemite national park.
Each year, tens of thousands of children earn their wooden yosemite junior ranger badges through ranger led walks and talks, educational worksheets, and stewardship activities. A junior ranger leads others to learn, explore, and care. How families are using the junior ranger program rei coop. Dec 29, 2015 yosemite national park rangers have sworn in 22,600 junior rangers so far this year. This handbook will help you discover why the manhattan project national historical park is one of these special places. Junior rangers program thrives in yosemite sierra news online. Each time, she spends several hours sometimes more going through the activities in each parks junior ranger booklet. Jul 03, 2017 although yosemites junior ranger program is aimed at kids aged 7 to years, anyone even senior citizens. It was a fun exploration of 3 different environments. This booklet guides you through what to pack for your adventure to death valley. When you have finished these requirements, take this book to any yosemite visitor center. Id rather have a fun way, and the booklet kind of sums up what i need to know about the park.
For example, in yosemite, there is a free program in the yosemite paper as well as a booklet you can purchase, which has many more activities and gives you a buttonpatch in. Children aged four and older can complete pages in the booklet and attend a rangerled program to earn their junior ranger badge for zion national park. In addition to the junior ranger program run by the national park service, many states also have their own junior ranger programs worth exploring. We hope you enjoy this list of us national park junior ranger programs. Kids learn more about national parks with the junior.
In addition to national junior ranger badges i found regional badges that cover regional themes. The ultimate guide to junior ranger badges travelingmom. Apr 22, 2019 the roots of the nps curriculum can be traced to the yosemite nature school, founded in the 1930s to educate children about yosemite national park. Check out these special interest books that you can download and do at home or at your favorite park. With that, i took the booklet and began the journey to becoming a junior ranger. Although yosemites junior ranger program is aimed at kids aged 7 to years, anyone even senior citizens. Junior ranger spaceflight explorerexplorers activity guide. How to become a junior ranger as a junior ranger at timpanogos cave, you can help park rangers protect the caves and the land around them. Bookstores and junior ranger center expand matt seiler i n 2008, the association increased both revenue and.
So, here is the junior ranger book list alphabetically by state or territory some states do not have any parks who do this. A guide to camping with kids in yosemite national park. Aug, 2018 both will enable your child to earn a cool wooden yosemite junior ranger badge. Yosemite national park has two handbooks, where you can become a junior ranger or a little cub.
This printing of the junior ranger activities booklet was made possible printed with soy based ink on recycled paper by a grant from lassen association. What exactly does it take to become a junior ranger at yosemite national park. Follow the junior ranger trail to complete all of the activities in the book. Earn your junior ranger badge from home nations vacation. Yosemite has both a free and a paid version you earn a patch with. Lessons in motion national parks conservation association. Ynp junior ranger handbook at yosemite national park online store. For younger children, the little cubs programs offers ageappropriate activities for kids ages 36. In order to earn a junior ranger patch, the booklet must be completed, a bag of trash collected, and a guided program attended. The origins of the program date back to 1930 with the junior ranger nature school. See yosemite today in the summer for a schedule of rangerled junior ranger programs.
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