It’s the weekend, “Baby Shark” is permanently burned into your brain, you NEED to get out of the house, and you’ve been to every playground in your town umpteen-million times. If you are the parent of kids under the age of five, this scenario may sound painfully familiar. But what if we told you that there was somewhere fun that you can take your small children that you BOTH will enjoy? Why not try a museum or historic site in the National Park System!
The mission of the National Park Service is “to preserve the natural and cultural resources of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of current and future generations,” and they take that mission very seriously. This means that all sites within the National Park System do their best to be a welcoming place for all ages. Not only can your family enjoy the wonders of natural parks, but museums and historic sites will also happily welcome you and your little ones.
Before visiting a national park site, check out its website. Every park’s website has a “Kids and Youth” section, and many include specific activities for toddlers. Many people are aware of the NPS Junior Ranger Program, which is typically geared towards children over the age of five, but some parks have recently adapted their Junior Ranger booklets to include activities for younger children. For example, Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site includes a picture scavenger hunt that leads children to various places around the historic home.
Some sites have interactive exhibits that are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. The museum at Gateway Arch National Park features touchable exhibits like a beaver pelt, a replica pirogue kids can sit in, and interactive touchscreens with educational games. They even have a scale map of Lewis and Clark’s expedition route on the floor that kids can stomp on!
Make sure you check out a park’s calendar of events and keep a look out for programs targeted at families with small children. Museums and historic sites often have programs such as puppet shows, touch tables, or reading with a ranger. Many special events also have activities for the whole family, such as the annual NPS Birthday Bash at Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park.
Here are a few tips for your visit:
- Try to read a book or watch a video that ties into the theme of the site before you visit. We sell kids’ books for a number of partner parks in our online store. Get them excited!
- SNACKS. Make sure your children eat well before your visit and keep a few extra snacks on hand in your car.
- Try to burn off some energy before your visit. Many sites have walking trails or some sort of greenspace nearby. Let your kids stretch those little legs and get their wiggles out!
- Bring a stroller or carrier. It will help you keep your child from wandering off, and it will help your child to feel safe and comfortable in new situation.
- Manage your expectations. You are more than likely not going to read every interpretive panel in the museum, and that is ok! Instead of trying to see everything, try to see the site from your child’s perspective. What can they see from their eye level? What draws their attention? You’d be surprised what small things a child will notice that most adults overlook.
- Go early when it is less crowded. It will be easier for you to relax, and there will be more opportunities to speak with park staff. Which brings me to my next point…
- Talk to a ranger! Park rangers are excellent and engaging storytellers, and they know the site better than anyone. They will be able to point you toward exhibits and activities that are most likely to spark your child’s interest.
- It can also be fun to let your children lead. Hold their hand and see where their curiosity takes them. If they are old enough to speak, ask them about what they see.
- Point out the kids in the stories. Show them Bill Clinton’s childhood bedroom and toys at President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site or talk to them about how the Little Rock Nine were just kids when they bravely became the first African American students to attend Central High School.
- Let them ask questions! Toddlers LOVE to ask what seems like millions of questions a day. Let them ask about anything and everything that strikes their fancy and make it a game to find the answers together!
- If you need to leave, leave. Do not feel like you have to see every exhibit. It is better to leave on a happy but unfinished note than to leave on a bad one.
No matter which site you choose to visit, we are sure you will make many happy memories with your little ones.
JNPA Blog 