A Hit with Kids, Believe it or Not
The National Parks Junior Ranger Program name alone would have convinced me, as a kid, to run the other way. Perhaps my grandchildren would have thought the idea of a National Parks Junior Ranger Program was on the dorky side of life too, if they hadn't had the opportunity to experience one hands on during a recent trip to the state of South Dakota. When they got home sure they wanted to tell everyone about the buffalo, Wall Drug and their tenting experience but right up there on the top of the list of wonderful memories was,you guessed it, National Parks Junior Ranger Program.They first connected with the National Parks Junior Ranger Program at Badlands National Park . Rangers encouraged the kids to think about becoming Junior Park Rangers by appealing to their sense of adventure, their interest in wildlife and their instinct to help maintain the Badlands and other national parks across the country that have been set aside to provide habitat for animals and wilderness by which we are all enriched. Those who wanted to participate were provided with activities to complete within their own time frame and at their own pace. Kids who completed their activities and pledged to help keep parks as beautiful as they are today found that as new Junior Park Rangers they were awarded with a special patch emblematic of the Badlands and the National Park Service. The kids were proud of their accomplishment and loved the acquisition of a special badge, but strangely enough they also loved learning about the Badlands.
Their connection with the National Parks Junior Ranger Program continued at Mount Rushmore National Park. A place that parents or even grandparents might feel skeptical about taking kids to really can turn into an incredible adventure - especially if you are a National Parks Junior Ranger. My grandkids received activity books that helped them to explore the Mount Rushmore park, learning as they went. When they were finished they checked their answers off with a ranger and then were eligible to purchase their second special Junior Ranger Patch. They quickly caught on to the pattern and could hardly wait to explore further.
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