{Spice Up Your Homeschool} Series

Got the homeschool blues? Need to spice things up a bit?
Have you been homeschooling for a while and want to try something new?
Maybe you are new to homeschooling and still trying to figure things out.
If you need a break from your “typical” day or routine then check out
{Spice Up Your Homeschool} for valuable tips and ideas!

{Spice Up Your Homeschool} National Parks

Have you checked to see if you live near a National Park? You might be surprised to find out that some parks are not all trees and nature! That’s right we live near a National Park that is composed of multiple facilities that focus on the history of Orville and Wilbur Wright! We have only earned 1 of the 3 types of Junior Ranger achievements  So we still have lots of fun and learning to do!

Have you heard about the Junior Ranger program offered through the National Park service? What is the Junior Ranger program you might ask?
“Are you interested in exploring? Do you like art, science, history or nature? How about animals, sailing ships, dinosaurs or trains? Would you like to learn more about the national parks that belong to you? Did you know you can help protect these special places – even if you never visit them all?” quoted from NPS The RangerZONE.

You can find a National Park with Junior Ranger Program at a location near you! Interested in what a Junior Ranger should read? There’s even an Environmental Education Reading List from NPS that covers nature, science, and conservation topics.

If you are NOT close to a National Park DO NOT FEAR! You can still participate in the Web Ranger Program and earn a patch. How cool is that? There’s even a Teacher’s Guide to Web Rangers (that is 109 pages) so you can learn right along with your child! Lots of subjects are covered from Science to History to Geography.

I set-up a profile for my youngest and played as him to check out the Web Ranger program. It is a neat way to learn. It starts out by explaining what the NPS logo means and tell some history along the way.

DISCLAIMER: I will have to caution those who are Creationists like me to be aware this is a public program and some activities could contain evolutionary content!

Want to find a National Park with Curriculum based activities? Yes, The NPS has that, too!

Not able to make it to a National Park and do not want to sit on the pc to learn. Maybe you have a group of students that need some hands-on learning, then the Traveling Trunk program might be just for you!

“Bring the park to your classroom. Contact the National Park sites below to borrow and/or purchase traveling trunks and kits for classroom use. Some kits and trunks may be available for limited time periods and within limited regions. For best results, contact the park with any questions you have.”

  

Wow, putting this post together has opened my eyes to all the wonderful resources available through the NPS! I am so glad we have these wonderful opportunities to explore science, preserve history, and enjoy nature!

What about adding some fun and FREE notebooking pages to your homeschool binder?

Check out more posts in this series:

{Spice Up Your Homeschool} PE: Try Tennis

{Spice Up Your Homeschool} Science: Nature Journals

{Spice Up Your Homeschool} History: Penny Collecting

{Spice Up Your Homeschool} Geography: State Quarters

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