Active Staycation: Explore America’s National Parks Virtually This Spring Break

When you consider spring break, unwinding on a beach may be the first thing that comes to mind. Not for my family!
Last year, we pulled our 1990-vintage pop-up camper trailer (imagined above!) to the remarkable desert landscapes and sandstone developments of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in Utah. Joshua Tree in California, with its uncommon yucca trees and substantial granite stones is our destination this April. Up until now, weve checked out 15 national forests, and we wish to visit all 63! On our trips, weve treked, mountain biked, saw unbelievable scenery, observed wildlife like bison, moose, bear, elk, mountain goats, and pika at close (but carefully safe!) variety, marveled at the night sky, and found out a lot about nature, history, and the value of protecting wild places.
The mission of the National Park Service is “to maintain unimpaired the cultural and natural resources and worths of the national forest system for the enjoyment, education, and motivation of this and future generations.” There are many ways to appreciate and learn from these really unique locations whether you are planning a trip this spring break or not! Listed below, youll discover a selection of amazing resources to engage students, from virtual tours, to learning more about science and history, to understanding how and why its vital to care for the environment.
You may want to bookmark Find Your Virtual Park, the starting point for a huge collection of learning experiences from NPS.gov. Our favorites are connected here:.

Pictured Above: Our camper “The Paddyshack” (our canine is called Paddy!).

Teaching with Historic Places offers activities and products to engage students in finding out about Americas diverse past..
Trainees can experience the parks live with fascinating webcam views. I just took a look at the West vent in Halemaʻumaʻu and lava lake in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park!
Go to the Games and Challenges page for enjoyable and special activities that will get students thrilled about the parks.
Encourage trainees to become Junior Rangers! The Junior Ranger motto, “Explore, Learn, Protect,” is a fantastic idea to share with students. Almost every national park has a junior ranger book, loaded with finding out activities, which you can download from the website. Students can finish their books along with your virtual trip!

Explore the Educator Resources and Lesson Plan pages from the National Park Service, searchable by park, grade level, subject, and common core standard.

Here are a few more ideas for your virtual getaway!

The National Parks Foundation is the official charitable partner of the National Park Service. Their site has lots of fantastic resources to explore. Their Virtual Visits are amazing!.
After your online visit to a national forest, share the Every Kid Outdoors program with households to continue the adventure. All 4th graders can receive a free family pass to go to any national forest. You can even get passes for your students!

1,000 Hours Outside is committed to encouraging kids to hang out playing outdoors and families to prioritize unstructured experiences in nature. Its an excellent resource for families!
To discover the history and creation of the national forests, view Ken Burns documentary, The National Parks: Americas Best Idea. The PBS website offers clips from the movie with accompanying lesson ideas for various age levels.
For a lot more motivation, check out this Checklist of 20 Virtual Ideas to explore the parks.
Unplugging and getting out in nature is excellent for our bodies, hearts, and minds! Go to the Wellness in Nature page for ideas to get active, de-stress, and end up being a Park Health Ambassador. There are fantastic concepts to support trainee wellness, too!

Nearly every nationwide park has a junior ranger book, full of learning activities, which you can download from the site. The National Parks Foundation is the main charitable partner of the National Park Service. After your online check out to a national park, share the Every Kid Outdoors program with households to continue the adventure. All 4th graders can receive a totally free household pass to go to any nationwide park. Wallace Stegner called the national parks “Americas finest concept,” and its an honor to share this idea with young individuals.

Wallace Stegner called the nationwide parks “Americas best idea,” and its an honor to share this idea with young people.

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