Taking the Kids Logo
April 24, 2015
Find Your Park!

Dear Family Travelers:

 

Name the one destination that truly offers something for everyone, no matter what their age or physical limitations.

 

Our 400-plus National Parks are guaranteed to be memorable and fun whatever your age, inclination, or interest.  Unfortunately, statistics show too many Americans now visiting the parks are older and white-not at all reflecting the diversity of our population.    

 

That's why the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation has launched a nationwide campaign to encourage Americans to Find Your Park.  You can share your memories and experiences online and via social media with the hashtag: #findyourpark.  This campaign comes as the country gears up for next year's National Park Service Centennial. 

 

The hope is we'll be inspired in new ways by the parks and historic monuments.  

 

I'll never forget the first "big hike" I did with my older two kids when they were six and eight to the top of a waterfall at Yosemite in California - or  repeating that same hike years later with my daughter and her future husband, both passionate backpackers.

 

I won't forget either the "time-out" my young son received at Glacier National Park  in Montana after he pushed his little sister into one of the park's famous lakes.

 

Of course National Parks aren't just about the Great Outdoors - they  showcase  our history  whether we climb up a ladder to an ancient cliff dwelling as my family  did at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado or retrace the steps of the founding fathers on the Freedom Trail at Boston National Historic Park.

 

It's so much easier these days to get the kids engaged with apps they can download to tour historic sites and national parks.  The WebRanger  and Junior Ranger programs come complete with materials you can download in advance. Some national park websites have special just-for-kids areas of their sites.  (A tip: I find the section "for teachers" a great place for parents too!)  

Let the kids help plan the itinerary by checking out the special activities at a park or historic site that are aimed at families. Use the Owner's Guide Series that the National Park Foundation has created for us including the "parks for play' guide with 35 national park adventures for "kids of all ages."

 

Our National Parks may be the best teacher your kids have had.

 

"Share a park, shape a life," the National Park Foundation urges.


 

Let's go!


 


 


And from our partners at Family Travel Forum


   

 Find out what local and visiting kids have to say about nine great American travel destinations through our Kids' Guides Series from Globe Pequot Press.

  

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