Family Fun and Learning Series: Ranger Badges

Have you ever been to a National Park?  We learned this year that they have a Junior park Rangers program.  My husband had to go near Fort Vancouver and the Park Service office there gave my daughters (who was with my husband) a Fort Vancouver Junior Park Rangers Badge (Fort Vancouver is a historic site).   Each park has their own badges with the name on it. This started us off on a family adventure to collect as many of the badges that we can.  On our first camping trip this summer we stopped at Fort Clatsop.  My kids were able to collect a Lewis and Clark badge, this site is a National Historical Park.

On our camping trip to Mt. St. Helens there was two badges they could have collected.  One at the park we stayed in and another at the Ape Cave .  Unfortunately, both places were out of the badges (we plan to go back on a later date so hopefully they will have the badges then).  One gave us a different badge and the Ape Cave had the booklet that they usually give to go with the badges.

The booklets are really cool! It provides information on that park and it has activities for them to do.  The Ape Cave booklet starts out with what would be needed to safely explore a cave.  On a later page it gives information on the different cave speleothems (decorations) and how they form.  It also gives information on the different types of bugs and animals you could find in a cave.

These badges and booklets are something fun and educational.  Check out their website, they have even more fun and educational things online!  Here is the link: https://www.nps.gov/kids/jrrangers.cfm

Have you or your kids collected any badges?  What parks have you been to?