Homeschoolers Love to Learn at National Parks & Historic Sites

The best thing about being a homeschooler is that learning doesn’t just happen at home. We also learn on vacation, like when traveling to national parks and historic sites.

Traveling to places like these are the perfect way to add some fun to middle school geography, history, and science lessons. It also helps my children explore and appreciate the world around them.

Homeschoolers Love to Learn at National Parks - Education Possible

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America’s National Parks & Historic Sites

“A taste for the beautiful is most cultivated out of doors” Henry David Thoreau

Conservationism and environmentalism are important issues we have been discussing in our homeschool geography studies.  Conservationism in America can be traced back to more than a hundred years.  “The writer Henry David Thoreau was one of the first widely known advocates for preserving nature so that future generations could enjoy untouched, wild spaces.” – North Star Geography.

During the Civil War, Yosemite Valley was protected by the state of California. In 1872 President Grant made Yellowstone America’s first national park. In 1916 the National Park Service was officially formed with the goal of protecting the parks for the enjoyment of future generations.

Today hundreds of spaces across the United States have been recognized for their scenic, scientific, and historical value. The National Park System designates these places as national parks, monuments, preserves, memorials, historic sites, seashores, and battlefield parks.

National Park ServiceLearn at National Parks & Historic Sites

Visits to National Parks help our children understand our country’s rich history and breathtaking landscape. Families can learn about history, science, and geography through guided tours, nature hikes, educational programs, and more.

To offer ideas of how homeschool families can learn in the parks, I asked some friends to share thoughts and experiences about their favorite National Parks & Historical Sites.  Here are some of their stories, tips, and, family memories:

Dianna Kennedy of The Kennedy Adventures

My family enjoys exploring the cave system at Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky. I remember going here as a child many times, and I’ve taken my oldest daughter a time or two. Many nature & science topics to explore, and some history lessons too.

Crystal Wagner of Triumphant Learning

We really enjoyed Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado. It is full of history about the Pueblo people. There is so much to see (cliff dwellings, climb down inside a kiva) and most do not require a long hike.

We also enjoyed Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Colorado. It was a one-day trip on the way to someplace else in Colorado but it was such fun. It is best visited in warm (not hot) weather and if you have elementary-aged and younger children, bring a change of clothes. I wish we had known that beforehand! There is a small creek that runs alongside the sand dunes that is a blast to play in.

And of course, the Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona is amazing! Enough said. They do have a junior ranger program. We did not do that but did participate in some of the free scavenger hunts. We did purchase the National Park Passport Books so we can stamp our books as we travel to new National Parks. It is our goal to visit many of them before our girls graduate high school.

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Karen Tripp at Teach Beside Me

We took a trip to Yellowstone National Park recently and wrote about our adventures at the park and how we continued our learning at home – Yellowstone Learning~ Old Faithful Geyser Experiment.

A favorite park in our home state is Arches National Park, Utah. It is incredibly beautiful with red rocks and rock formations. We have been there hiking as a family & loved it. There is also river rafting and horseback riding.

 Kendra Fletcher of Homeschooling IRL

Yosemite National Park, California is practically in our back yard! We love to walk the fairly easy trail to the base of Yosemite Falls because you can push a stroller and follow wandering toddlers but teens can run ahead at their own pace and are genuinely wowed by the falls when it’s not a drought year.

The Mist Trail up the side of Vernal Falls is a challenge for good hiking kids and sturdy adults. Prepare to get wet – it’s called the Mist Trail for a reason.

Pack a picnic and find a great spot in any of the meadows. There’s no lack of space on the Valley floor, even at the height of summer when visitors are everywhere. Degnan’s Deli in Yosemite Village makes fresh sandwiches in case you’d rather not pack your own lunch.

Take a homeschool field trip through the Indian Village. The center is staffed by helpful and interesting rangers. The John Muir gallery is lovely. Cyclists wend their way through the Village, and you might even encounter the occasional coyote running through.

Hiking Half Dome will take you a day to do, and isn’t for the faint of heart. The hiking is steady but the cables at the end to actually get you to the top require a lack of fear of heights 🙂

Learning at America's National Parks - Education Possible

Jimmie Lanley of Jimmie’s Collage

Yellowstone National Park is our favorite! I wrote about Our Yellowstone Family Vacation and Ultimate Field Trip in detail because it was the BEST vacation we’ve ever had.

As for learning programs – Sprite also did the Junior Scientist program at Old Faithful. She was loaned a backpack with rock samples, information about geysers, a stopwatch, and most fun of all a digital temperature gauge. She had a ball measuring the heat of the geysers and hot springs. She took notes of all her findings and reported back to the Old Faithful Ranger’s station.

 Jennifer Dunlap of Forever, For Always…no matter what

Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota was awesome. It has been several years since we visited.  There is a TON of learning to do around the area, so much fun stuff we would like to go again someday.

Homeschoolers Love to Learn at America's Historic Sites - Education Possible

My Family Adventures at National Parks

My kids love to dive deeper into their history and geography studies. Some of our favorites places include:

Colonial National Historical Park, Virginia, including Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown. We lived in Virginia for many years and often made trips to explore Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America.

We have made several trips to the National Mall & Memorial Parks, District of Columbia and still have not been able to see and do everything on our wish list! On our most recent trip we walked all around the Mall stopping at the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and more. We are always in awe of how many symbols of our nation’s history can be found in this one space.

Extend Your Learning

Did you know the National Park Service offers a Junior Ranger Program for children between the ages of 5 to 13?  This program gives children an opportunity to complete a series of activities during their visit to the park, share their findings with a park ranger, and receive an official Junior Ranger certificate.

If you aren’t able to plan a visit to a National Park, you can always bring the parks to you. Using the WebRangers Program and Nation Park Foundation Electronic Field Trips your family can learn all about the parks without leaving home.

Learning about America's National Parks - Education Possible

And don’t forget about the many books, videos, and maps that showcase the beauty and details of our National Parks, including:

Our National Parks & Historic Sites offer a glimpse into our country’s past as well as space to learn, grow, and make new memories with your family. If you have a chance to take your homeschool lessons on the road and visit a National Park, please share your favorite stories and tips here so others can add to their family’s educational travel wish list!

7 Comments

  1. Great reference! It is on my list to post about some of the parks in our area. We have some amazing things… 🙂

    1. Thank you! When you post about the parks in your area it would be great if you could stop back and share a link – would love to share even more stories and ideas about our parks!!

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