Marvel at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the Florida Keys, and the Frederick Douglass house. Listen to wolves howl. Walk in dinosaur tracks. Look up into the inky night sky, and reach for the stars! These amazing U.S. sites belong to all of us. And, if you have a fourth-grader, now is the time to see them!
That's because all fourth graders can receive FREE entry to hundreds of national parks, recreation areas, forests, monuments, and wildlife refuges.
This free program, known as Every Kid Outdoors is run by the United States National Park Service and allows fourth-graders and their families FREE entry to some of America's most dazzling national lands, from the St. Louis Arch to the Florida Keys.
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Find out more about the Every Kid Outdoors initiative and sign your fourth-grader up now!
All fourth-graders have to do to receive their FREE pass is complete an online adventure diary. The most current pass is valid through August 31, 2024.
Why fourth graders? Because research shows that kids ages 9 to 11 are beginning to learn about the world around them. They’re open to new ideas, and they are likely to connect to nature and our history. Over time, every kid can get a free pass to explore our country.
As a fourth-grader with a voucher or pass, the student, and anyone in the vehicle with the child, is admitted for FREE at sites that charge per vehicle. If visiting a site that charges per person, up to three accompanying adults will be admitted FREE with a fourth grader with a pass. If the fourth grader and his or her family are riding bikes, up to three accompanying adults are included too. The fourth-grader must be present to use the pass.
The Every Kid Outdoors program is designed to give all families a chance to get out and explore our amazing country. As President Theodore Roosevelt once said:
"There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of the Colorado, the Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Three Tetons; and our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children’s children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred."
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Purchase a park passport and get it stamped at each park you visit. The Every Kid Outdoors program is designed to give all families a chance to get out and explore our amazing country ... and it can save you some serious money on your next vacation!
Encourage kids to become junior rangers
The Junior Ranger program is FREE, educational, and also available online. Kids complete activities in a booklet designed for that particular National Park, and then take an oath to protect the parks. It was such a sweet moment to watch!
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Working on their junior ranger booklets at Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota.
Involving children and families in such meaningful ways is part of the National Park Service's mission. Established on August 25, 1916, it was created to "preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations."
The National Parks are a great way to get kids (and you!) outside, to enjoy nature, and to be mindful of our environment.
Make it a goal to visit a National Park this year with your family! It's a chance to have fun together, soak in the beauty of nature, and maybe even start a tradition that'll last for generations.
