Olympic National Park has become one of 36 national parks offering Let’s Move Outside Junior Ranger activities.
Let’s Move Outside, a new program from the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, provides tools and information to parents to make it easy to enjoy the outdoors and be active and healthy.
As part of the program, children who complete at least one physical activity in pursuit of their Junior Ranger badge receive a special sticker that designates them as a Let’s Move Outside Junior Ranger.
The activities range from hiking with a ranger to body surfing and canoeing.
“Olympic’s Let’s Move Outside Junior Ranger program offers kids and parents the chance to go on a guided hike with a ranger or try their hand at Nature Hike Bingo,” Olympic superintendent Karen Gustin said in a news release.
“These activities are not only great exercise, but also incredibly fun ways to see and learn about the park.”
By the end of the summer, 50 national parks will offer Let’s Move Outside Junior Ranger programs.
The program is also available at Mount Rainier National Park.
Young people can become Junior Rangers at more than 200 national parks nationwide.
For information about being active in Olympic National Park, visitors may visit the park’s web site http://www.nps.gov/olym or they can pick up a Junior Ranger booklet at any of the park’s visitor centers or ranger stations.
A $1 donation is suggested and helps cover costs of Junior Ranger badges and booklets.
Before heading out, families can visit http://www.letsmove.gov/letsmoveoutside.php for more information about activities and a list of participating national parks.
This website hub will link families to the outdoors and give tips and ideas on how to best plan and enjoy an active adventure.
