Kids National Park Tips

Ten Camping Commandments for Kids from GORP
How do you get a girl or boy excited about the outdoors? How do you compete with the television and remote control? How do you prove to a kid that success comes from persistence, spirit and logic, which the outdoors teaches, and not from pushing buttons?

The answer is in the Ten Camping Commandments for Kids. These are lessons that will get youngsters excited about the outdoors, and will make sure adults help the process along, not kill it. Some are obvious, some are not, but all are important:

Take a Hike with a Tyke
How to Make Family Time Outdoor Time
By GORP Hiking Expert Karen Berger
Worried that you'll never go hiking, biking, or camping again now that you've got a baby or toddler in tow? Don't. The great outdoors offers virtually unlimited opportunities for you to spend time with your family away from the bustle of everyday life. It's chock full of healthy, non-competitive, family-oriented activities.

Bicycle Touring With Your Kids
Most children love to ride a bicycle. The pace is fast and the scenery constantly changing. Little ones sit happily, fascinated from the vantage point of their bicycle seat or trailer. Older children enjoy the thrill and independence of riding on their own. Given the near universal appeal of bicycling as an inexpensive mode of transportation, plus its status as one of the most popular activities with children, a bicycle tour is an excellent choice for a family adventure.

Hiking with Children - Keeping it Fun
When we decided to take a backpacking trip along the Appalachian Trail to Grayson Highlands in Virginia, we told our daughter, Griffin, that she would probably see a number of wild ponies. She was thrilled. All the way from Georgia to Virginia, she repeated over and over, "Mama see wild horse, Papa see wild horse, Griffin see wild horse." And we would respond, "Yes, honey, we're all going to see the wild ponies."

Kids & Poison Ivy
Fear not! GORP.com Family Expert arms you and your kids with the knowledge and best advice for lotions and cleansers that can help lower the odds that anyone in your family will have to deal with those resulting nasty rashes.

Nature's Web - National Parks For Kids
Nature's Web is a collection of the top 15 US national parks for kids. You'll find fun facts and beautiful scenery throughout the whole site. You can even contribute your opinions on the parks! This site is designed for kids, by kids. That's what makes this site unique! Explore, have fun, and crawl into Nature's Web!

Taking the Kids: National Parks Make Great Family Vacations
Dallas Morning News August 6, 1999
With millions of Americans heading to the country's 378 national parks, battlefields, monuments and historic sites this summer - the National Park Service estimates 290 million visitors this year, most during the summer - I invited readers to send me some of their stand-out memories from trips they'd made with their families.

Yahooligans Kid's Guide To the National Parks
Yahoo does a great job of offering park resources just for kids

Earth Science Camping Adventures
With Portage Educators - Portage Middle School, Portgage, Wisconsin
We're a group of middle school teachers who have taken our students to almost every National Park in the western U.S. Because we have a decade of experience traveling and living and adventuring with young adolescents, we know which NPS sites kids enjoy most, which trails are most worthwhile, the best places to camp and see wildlife, how to get around safely and economically, and what to avoid. Now we're offering the wisdom gained from experience and our best tips to educators and parents so that you, too, can share with your youngbloods the experience of a lifetime in these magnificent places.

Parks with Junior Ranger Programs
The Junior Ranger Program for younger kids is a great introduction to the national parks and is filled with activities and learning opportunities that make kids first visits to the parks both memorable and great fun. Not available at all parks, but worth the effort to seek out.

Parks As Class Rooms
The Parks As Class Rooms program from the National Park Service uses the parks as a resource for teachers and students to learn more about history, science, biology, conservation and a wide range of subjects that are brought to life at these great open air class rooms.