Teaching the Kids About Our National Parks

Teaching the Kids About Our National Parks

Did you know that 2016 is the 100th anniversary of the National Parks in America? We’ve been talking about taking a few trips to visit a few of the national parks around the country and would love to get the kids interested and excited before we go! So we are teaching the kids about our national parks with a few new titles from National Geographic for Kids!

National Geographic Kids National Parks Guide USA Centennial Edition: The Most Amazing Sights, Scenes, and Cool Activities from Coast to Coast!

Happy 100th Birthday, National Parks! Join the centennial celebration by reading all about these greatest of American treasures — from Acadia to Zion — in preparation for a parks visit sometime soon. Filled with color photos, information on animals, fascinating lists, fun facts, maps, cool things to do, conservation tips, and much more — think of this book as your trusted guide to these most majestic of places.

This is the perfect road trip companion! It’s filled with all kinds of activities, information and games for the whole family.  The book is broken into “regions” of East, West, Southwest and Midwest so you can easily narrow down the area or park you’re visiting. And the maps are great for finding interesting points and visitor centers for each park you go to. The book also includes plenty of neat photographs, what to pack, and they make suggestions for side trips for biking and cave exploring.

National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States

In time for the National Park’s 100th birthday, this flagship, best-selling guide is fully revamped and updated with all new text, photographs, and design. National Geographic writers hit all 59 national parks—including Pinnacles, the newest in the crown—for intensive on-the-ground research. 300 photos and 80 colorful maps complete the extraordinary package. Practical and comprehensive coverage includes engaging, individual park descriptions and brief history, travel planning tips, itineraries and directions, activities, park lodges and hotels, visitor center contact information, and camping information. Well-known national parks writers provide new insights into the parks and share favorite spots for viewing scenery, wildlife, sunsets, and more in this Centennial edition.

This is the adult companion to the Kids Guide from National Geographic. I loved all the colorful pictures and maps to study and learn about the different parks we’re considering going to visit this year. Plus this is a perfect way for me to get deeper into the history and information about each park so I can discuss it with the kids as we’re getting ready to go. Also, I found the maps very helpful as we plan our trip along with “what to pack” and what other local activities we should consider!

Junior Ranger Activity Book: Puzzles, Games, Facts, and Tons More Fun Inspired by the U.S. National Parks!

Calling all explorers and nature-lovers! From Acadia to Zion, discover all 59 of the United States’ amazing National Parks in this jam-packed book of games, trivia, jokes, fun facts, and so much more, all inspired by the National Parks outdoor-based Junior Ranger Program. Great for generating pre-trip excitement, long car rides, poking around historical sites, or general learning, these fun and sometimes silly activities will entertain while they draw kids into the majestic and historic importance of America’s national parks. Check out the most amazing park habitats, plus awesome sights and animals you might see, from birds to bears. Fun facts are jam-packed onto every page, so kids learn something amazing about each cool park.

This is a lifesaver when it comes to traveling with the kids. Not only did it help get the kids into the spirit of upcoming trips, but it is packed of fun things for them to do while we’re actually driving or flying! Whether they are telling each other jokes or playing the games from the book, they are able to keep each other entertained without a whole lot of help from the parents. There are mazes, maps, trivia questions and more. You might consider picking up a second copy if you have more than one child traveling with you. Trust me!

National Geographic Kids Funny Fill-In: My National Parks Adventure

Get ready to spin webs with spiders, wriggle with worms, and caper with catydids–this is the world of BUGS, and you’re in it. This colorful fill-in-the-blanks book is filled with laugh-out-loud illustrations, fun facts, and cool photos. And you’re invited to join the buggy adventure by telling your very own story starring…YOU! There are lots more adventures, so collect them all.

Remember those silly stories we use to fill in with adjectives or nouns and then read the completed story when we were done? Well that’s what this book is, all about our National Parks! The beginning explains the directions and parts of speech, but if your kids are younger they may need a little help understanding what the book is asking for. If the kids write in pencil, they can even erase their responses and fill them out again!

Buddy Bison’s Yellowstone Adventure

Butterflies flutter, birds soar, and geysers burst into the sky. Join Buddy Bison and his two new friends as they explore the majestic Yellowstone National Park. Breathtaking photographs of Yellowstone serve as the backdrop for the wacky adventures of a curious pair of twins, Elena and Christopher, who are spending the summer with their aunt Rosa, a park ranger.

Instead of waiting patiently when their aunt gets an emergency call, Christopher wanders off. That’s when Buddy Bison, the adorable plush toy clipped to Elena’s backpack comes to life and to her aid. The unlikely pair heads out on a wild adventure through Yellowstone to search for her brother. As soon as Buddy leads Elena safely to her twin, her new oversized pal disappears. What happened to Buddy Bison? Did Elena imagine him or did he really come to life? This charming tale is sprinkled with helpful tidbits about the park, weird-but-true facts about the animals, and more fun facts kids adore. A comprehensive afterword offers a short history of the park and ways kids can get involved in parks preservation.

This is a super fun book that follows twins as they explore Yellowstone National Park with the magical stuffed toy, Buddy Bison, who comes to life. As Elena looks for her lost brother with Buddy Bison, she learns all about the history of Yellowstone, odd facts about the animals, and it’s full of beautiful pictures showing the different places they see during their adventure.

So whether you’re planning a trip like my family is doing, or you use these books for teaching the kids about our National Parks, these books are a few of the fun and educational titles being released by National Geographic for Kids!

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