Is Your City Involved in the 10 Minute Walk Initiative?

There are over 60 protected areas that make up the national parks. The national parks are a great way to expose young hikers to nature in so many different forms. From mountains to wildlife and everything in between, there's so much to explore. Tips for Exploring the National Parks with Kids America's national parks have something to offer visitors of all ages. To make the most out of your trip to the park, whether it's for an hour or a few days, plan ahead with these tips! Explore the park's website or purchase a guidebook about the national parks. With so much area to cover in each park, you will only be able to see what time allows. Plan ahead for your must-sees, whether that's taking in a sunset at Grand Canyon National Park or hiking to a waterfall at Rocky Mountain National Park, planning ahead will leave you with a feeling of accomplishment at what you did and saw instead of disappointment about what you missed. Plan for souvenirs. Leave no trace and leave everything as you found it. Instead, visit the park's gift shop and collect souvenirs from each park you visit. Patches for backpacks or pins for bulletin boards will help keep your memories alive as well as leave the park complete for all visitors to enjoy. Stop at the Visitor Center. Make sure to stop at the visitor center before you begin your exploration. Park rangers can provide you with maps and lists of daily activities to help plan your journey. They will know what trails and areas are best for young kids to enjoy. Research OutGrown online resources before you go.  The OutGrown website is a great resource for gathering information on head to the blog to read up on all our national park resources, and the Family Trail Guide offers kid-friendly hiking trails across the U.S. and in national parks. National Parks Fun Facts Indiana Dunes National Park received its recognition as a national park just a few years ago. It was previously designated a national lakeshore. The smallest national park is Gateway Arch National Park in Missouri. California has the most national parks out of any state with 9. There are 29 states with at least one or more national parks. Accessing the National Parks All Year To take full advantage of the national parks, here are some ways to make visiting easy and affordable. Senior Pass: Seniors can purchase a lifetime pass for the national parks for $80. This pass allows free entrance for seniors and passengers in their vehicles. Seniors wishing to purchase an annual pass may do so for $20. More information can be found here. America the Beautiful Pass: This annual pass is available for $80, and it allows you to enter all the national parks for a one-year time period. Access Pass: This pass is available for free for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities. U.S. Military: Current U.S. military members and dependents in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard are eligible for free annual passes. Reserve and National Guard members are also eligible. Free parks passes for 4th graders: As part of the Every Kid in a Park initiative, 4th graders are eligible to get a pass that allows them free entrance in the national parks. All 4th graders (and their families) are able to access the parks for a year from September to August of the child's 4th grade year. The Every Kid in a Park initiative selected 4th graders to receive the free passes because research has shown that kids ages 9 to 11 are beginning to learn about the world around them, and they are open to new ideas and likely to connect to nature and history. Information for educators and parents is also available. The year my daughter was in 4th grade, we got the 4th Grade Pass because we had plans to visit several parks that year (Rocky Mountain, Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks). Unfortunately, it also happened to be the year I got laid off work. While it was unfortunate, it turned out to be the best summer of memories for our family - especially for my daughter and myself as we set off for a cross-country drive out West to visit family. We took advantage of the 4th Grade Pass and added on Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde National Parks to our road trip. The Pass is such a great opportunity for families to travel and save some money while building memories. –Vong Hamilton Are you planning to visit a park during National Parks Week? We'd love to hear about your adventures in the comments below! Read more: 10 Places to visit in Acadia National Park with kids 10 Fun things to do with kids in Yellowstone 6 Helpful websites to make outdoor adventure planning easy Photos by Arika Bauer and Vong Hamilton. ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org  EDITOR’S NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.

You wake up in the morning and go through your normal routine. It’s going to be a good day- you’re ready to adventure and explore with the kids and enjoy all the beauty that the summer has to offer. Before you get dressed, you decide to check the weather: “Alexa, what’s the weather today?” “Today, there will be sunny weather with a high of 90 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of 72 degrees.” WHAM- suddenly all your hopes and dreams of taking your family on a fun outdoor adventure seem to come to a screeching halt. But, never fear! While hot and sticky weather can put a damper on the plans you had for outdoor exploring with the family, as long as you plan your day appropriately, it will all be ok. One key to a successful outing in the heat is to set your sights on locations where you will have lots of opportunities to cool down. Then there’s no need to shut the door on family adventuring because of the heat (unless it becomes an unsafe level of heat). Other things to consider to help you have a more enjoyable experience are to time your outing during the coolest time of the day, pack lots of water, and wear hats and light clothing. Here are some additional tips on how to keep your kiddos cool while hiking during the summer. Photo Credit: Monique Vargas Incorporating water in your outdoor summer adventures is a great way to keep cool and have fun on those really hot summer days. Here are 10 super fun ways that you and your family can incorporate water fun to help keep cool while adventuring out and about during the summer: 1. Splash and wade hike: Choose a hike or location for your family that includes a clear stream or lake where you can put your feet in a refresh yourselves in cool water along the way (clear running water is the best for wading because it is more likely to be clean and safe). Make sure you have appropriate footwear figured out before the hike to help things run a bit more smoothly once you reach the water. 2. Waterfall hikes: Find a waterfall hike in your area and enjoy the sights, sounds, and perhaps even a little mist here and there to help cool you off. Some waterfall hikes may offer opportunities for wading or swimming as well. 3. Beach exploration: Plan a trip to a local beach and explore the surrounding area on foot with your family to get a little extra exercise and adventuring in. 4. Splash pad fun: Check out your local parks and see if any of them include a splash pad during the summer season.  The kids will love running through the cool spray on a hot day and moms and dads can cool off a bit too by standing nearby and enjoying some of the accompanying mist. *Be aware of fees, as some splash pads do charge for entry. Photo Credit: Anna North 5. Backyard water adventuring: All you need is a hose and something to hold water and you are all set for a fun time in the backyard with the kiddos. If you don’t have a pool or water table, grab an empty tote or bucket. You can have the kids test different items to see if they will float or not. Maybe use some aluminum foil, or use sticks and string to build your own boats. Or, you can even give the kids some kitchen utensils to play with if you don’t have any toys specifically made for the water. Play with water balloons or grab the hose and (on a low-pressure setting) take turns spraying each other. 6. Splash pad at home: Turn on the sprinkler and just let the kids run through and around it (or splash through the puddles, as my youngest prefers to do). To add a little extra fun, you can find creative and fun places to put the hose or sprinkler to change the height of the spray (make sure it is safe and secure) or even use it to make a water slide with one of your outdoor slides (test the bottom to be sure that it doesn’t get too slippery). 7. Neighborhood sprinkler hunt: Take a walk with the family with the intention of seeking out active sprinklers in the area and, perhaps, spending a little time in the spray. This might not work out timing-wise, but if that’s the case you’ll at least have had a lovely family walk around the neighborhood together. 8. Stone skipping: Find a local pond or lake where you can skip stones together. 9. Learning with water: Fill some cups with a little bit of water and add a couple of drops of various colors of food coloring. Let your little one explore how different colors combine with other ones to make new colors. Talk about it with them. 10. Puddle jumping: Just after the rainfall, take the kids out to search for puddles in the area to jump and splash in (rain boots and rain suits are helpful to keep the kids from getting too dirty and wet). Photo Credit: Anna North Let’s all get on our swimming gear and keep to good times rolling despite the heat in order to make summer memories with our kids that will last a lifetime!  Do you have any tips for beating the heat in the final days of summer? Let us know in the comments below!   ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org    EDITORS NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.