Fourth graders can take their family to any National Park for FREE and it's easy enough to start the exploration in Virginia (Click Here for nearby National Parks).
DETAILS: Across the USA, Fourth graders and their families are invited to explore hundreds of national parks, recreation areas, forests, monuments, and wildlife refuges. The program, run by the United States National Park Service is called Every Kid in a Park to Every Kid Outdoors
All fourth graders, including home school equivalents, can complete an adventure diary online to get their free entrance passes. The most current pass is valid Sept. 1, 2019, through August 31, 2020.
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.
Planning and Arriving
- Look at the weather. Many national parks take you way above (or below!) sea level. This makes for drastic weather changes. Make sure you know what the typical weather is for when you are going. You can find weather updates on www.nps.gov.
- Take a look at the National Park System website. You will find general information, directions, maps, and facility information (restrooms, parking, visitor centers, etc) for the locations you plan to visit.
- Find out when the visitor center opens and start there. Many national parks have a visitor center with a movie and/or an exhibit about the park. My elementary-aged kids can enjoy the landscape more when they understand the history behind it.
- Talk to a ranger. Every visitor center has a ranger on staff to answer any questions you may have. With maps and papers in hand, they can point you in the direction of the best hikes and views for your family's needs.
- Get a paper map. Do not depend on GPS navigation or cell service to guide you through a park.
- Ask for a Junior Ranger packet. Every national park has a Junior Ranger program. This is a booklet of assignments kids of all ages can do while visiting a park. It's a great way to keep them engaged and learning while in the park. When completed, kids can turn them in to a ranger and get sworn in as an official Junior Ranger.
 Junior Ranger ceremony, during which kids promise to help take care of the parks. |
Then it's time to take a hike!
There is no better way to get to know a national park than to hike in it. Most parks will have trails ranging from a short overlook to an entire day’s hike. They are rated on difficulty by terrain and elevation gain/loss. As our kids have gotten older, we’ve been able to add in two or three-mile hikes, on top of the many half-mile loops they loved as youngsters.
Kyrie Collins is the publisher of Macaroni Kid Highlands Ranch-Parker-Castle Rock-Lone Tree, Colo.
Toni Bentel Bailey is the publisher of Macaroni Kid Harrisonburg & Rockingham County, VA.
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