Junior Ranger Programs - National Park Activities for Kids

Junior Ranger programs offer a fun way for kids to learn about the history of America’s National Parks. Through Junior Ranger activities, games and puzzles, participants ages 6-14, learn all about a specific national park and earn badges, patches, pins, and/or stickers. Interpretive presentations and walks, special events, and guided tours are offered at select times during the year. While visiting a site, pick up a Junior Ranger Activity Booklet and then return it to the visitor center to receive your award when you’ve completed the activities.

Junior Ranger programs are offered at about 286 of the 388 national parks, in collaboration with local school districts and community organizations. For information about a specific program, you should contact the individual park.

Junior Ranger Pledge

“I, (fill in name), am proud to be a National Park Service Junior Ranger. I promise to appreciate, respect, and protect all national parks. I also promise to continue learning about the landscape, plants, animals and history of these special places. I will share what I learn with my friends and family.”

Junior Ranger Programs in the Washington, DC Capital Region

• Lincoln Memorial
  
  
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
  
  
• Presidents’ Park - The White House
  
  
• George Washington Memorial Parkway
  
  
• Korean War Memorial
  
  
• Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park
  
  
• Mary McLeod Bethune Council House
  
  
• Rock Creek Park
  
  
• Arlington House
  
  
• Ford’s Theater
  
  
• Fort Dupont Park
  
  
• Great Falls Park
  
  
• Wolf Trap Farm for the Performing Arts
  
  
• Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
  
  
• Manassas National Battlefield
  
  
• Prince William Forest Park
  
  
• Catoctin Mountain Park
  
  
• Fort Washington Park
  
  
• Greenbelt Park

For more information about Junior Ranger programs, see Sam Maslow’s website. He’s completed over 260 of them!

Web Rangers – A National Park Service Website for Kids

The National Park Service has a Web Ranger site for children ages 6 to 13 that contains puzzles, games and stories based on America’s natural and cultural heritage. Kids might learn how to guide sea turtles to the ocean, pack a dog sled, place defensive forts in position, and decipher flag signals. Students from around the world can participate. The online program gives access to the parks to kids who may not be able to participate in a Junior Ranger Program.

The web ranger address is www.nps.gov/webrangers