Vacations and day trips are fun and at the same time these trips can be educational.  Preparing for and visiting a park offers the family opportunities to learn subjects like geography (visiting new places), history by visiting parks like the Statue of Liberty and math (think preparing a trip budget y measuring the distance to the park).  Not only that, but park visitors could learn new skills like how to paddle a kayak or canoe, how to identify the planets in the sky or how to fish.

Below are a few links that show the connection between parks and education. If you want to learn more about your own state’s standards, look up your state education agency on the web.

The state of Massachusetts

Science in the state of Massachusetts Grades 3-5

The lifecycle and more  http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/scitech/1006.pdf

All of Massachusetts standards http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html

Texas

All of Texas’ standards

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=6148&menu_id=720&menu_id2=785

The lifecycle is on page 23 of this informational website by Texas Parks and Wildlife

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_p4503_0131n.pdf

Photo is courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife

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Elephant Seals along the California coast  http://www.elephantseal.org/livecam.htm

Bald Eagles in Decorah, Iowa http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

Turkey Vultures in Missouri http://www.ustream.tv/missouriturkeyvultures

Peregrine Falcons in the Mississippi River Valley http://www.ustream.tv/greatspiritblufffalcons

Peguins at the Monterey Bay Aquarium http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/efc/efc_splash/splash_cam.aspx

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Texas Outdoor Family- This highly successful program provides families step by step instruction on how to get started camping.  It also includes instruction on how to make a campfire, geocaching and a variety of other skills such as fishing and kayaking at select events.  All of this can be had for only $65 for a group of up to six people!

Becoming an Outdoor Family Nebraska - This program offers outdoor skill instruction for beginners.  Instruction topics include fishing, camping, kayaking, archery, hunting, and more.

New York City Parks and Recreation - New York City offers families an opportunity to camp with park rangers in a New York City park.  This program is free and participation is based on a lottery system.

NatureRocks.org - Part of the Children and Nature Network, this website helps parents find outdoor activities in their area.

Boy Scouts of America - The Boy Scouts is centered around the personal skill and leadership development of young men using excursions into the outdoors as a platform to do so.

Girl Scouts – The Girl Scouts mission statement “Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.” says a lot about this organization.  Plus, the girls and their troop leaders learn about the outdoors.

Campfire USA - Campfire USA is an outdoor oriented organization for the entire family.  Like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts it has a long history (founded in 1910), focuses on developing strong values in our youth and it has strong ties connecting people to the natural world around them.

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Find a park HERE and read 44 Ideas for Getting Your Kids Outdoors HERE.

Photo is courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife

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Federal Fish Hatcheries http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/nfhs/offices.html

State Fish Hatcheries

Alabama- http://www.dcnr.state.al.us/research-mgmt/hatcheries/

Alaska- http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSportStockingHatcheries.hatcheries

Arizona- http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/hatcheries.shtml

Arkansas- http://www.arkansas.com/outdoors/fishing/resources/fish-hatcheries.aspx

California- http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/hatcheries/

Colorado- http://wildlife.state.co.us/Fishing/ClinicsAndEducation/Hatcheries/Pages/Hatcheries.aspx

Connecticut- http://burlingtonct.us/visitors/dep-fish-hatchery.php

Delaware-

Florida-

Georgia- http://www.n-georgia.com/fish-hatcheries.htm

Hawaii-

Idaho- http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/fish/?getPage=84

Illinois- http://www.ifishillinois.org/programs/Hatcheries/stocking.html

Indiana- http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/5457.htm

Iowa- http://www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/DNRStaffOffices/FishHatcheries/DecorahFishHatchery.aspx

Kansas- http://kdwpt.state.ks.us/news/KDWPT-Info/Locations/Fish-Hatcheries

Kentucky- http://fw.ky.gov/navigation.aspx?cid=352&NavPath=C101C139

Louisiana-

Maine- http://www.maine.gov/ifw/contactus.htm

Maryland- http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/hatchery/index.asp

Massachusetts- http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/facilities/hatcheries.htm

Michigan- http://www.michigan.gov/hatcheries

Minnesota- http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/petersonhatchery/index.html

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/crystalsprings_hatchery/index.html

Mississippi- http://www.mdwfp.com/north-ms-fish-hatcheries/fish-hatchery.aspx

Missouri- http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places-go/fish-hatcheries-and-trout-parks

Montana- http://fwp.mt.gov/fishing/hatcheries/

Nebraska- http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/fishing/programs/hatcheries/calamus.asp

Nevada- http://ndow.org/fish/stocking/hatch/index.shtm

New Hampshire- http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Inside_FandG/hatcheries_visitor_centers.htm

New Jersey- http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/pequest.htm

New Mexico- http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/recreation/fishing/documents/NMhatcheries.pdf

http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/recreation/fishing/index.htm

New York- http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7742.html

North Carolina- http://www.ncwildlife.org/Fishing/HatcheriesStocking/NCWRCHatcheries/ColdwaterHatcheries.aspx

North Dakota-

Ohio- http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/LinkClick.aspx?link=6153&tabid=6499

Oklahoma- http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/wildlifemgmt/byron.htm

http://www.eregulations.com/oklahoma/fishing/odwc-fisheries-offices/

Oregon- http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/hatchery/

Pennsylvania- http://fishandboat.com/dir_sfh.htm

Rhode Island- http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/

South Carolina- http://hatcheries.dnr.sc.gov/

South Dakota- http://gfp.sd.gov/fishing-boating/hatcheries/

Tennessee- http://www.tn.gov/twra/fish/hatchery/hatchery_sys.html

Texas- http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/management/hatcheries/

Utah- http://wildlife.utah.gov/hatcheries/

Vermont- http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/fisheries_hatcheries.cfm

Virginia- http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/stocking/hatcheries.asp

Washington- http://wdfw.wa.gov/hatcheries/

West Virginia- http://www.wvdnr.gov/fishing/warmwater_hatchery.shtm

Wisconsin- http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/hatchery/hatcheries.htm

Wyoming- http://gf.state.wy.us/admin/hatchery/index.asp

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1. Take swimming lessons at a local pool or park district lake.

2. Go on an early morning hike.

3. Visit a local cave or cavern where the temperatures are usually cooler

4. Take a trip to a spring fed swimming hole

5. Go up into the mountains for a picnic, day hike or overnight stay where the temperatures will be 10-20 degress cooler

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Image Courtesy of the National Park Service

Cover Image Courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife.  Kids don’t realize it but their parents care about them and want them to know that more exists to life than video games, computers and television. In order to change where and how kids use their electronic devices, parents need to find activities that can compete with video games and movies. How about dinosaur tracks, seeing and feeding thousands of fish at a fish hatchery, swimming at a local lake, going on a fossil hunt, seeing the rings around Saturn through a telescope, flying a kite or camping out.

To make these activities even more successful parents/adults should plan to have food when the children are hungry, plenty of water to keep them hydrated and happy, sunscreen to prevent painful sunburns, insect repellent, the appropriate clothing in case the weather changes and patience to let the children explore to their hearts delight.

Below is a starter list of activities and links that should help get kids outside.

44 Fun Ideas for Getting Out of the House with Children

1. Sea Turtle Release

http://www.nps.gov/pais/naturescience/releases.htm

http://www.seaturtleinc.org/

2. Watch bats come out from under the Congress Street bridge in Austin, TX or check out bats in your area

http://www.batcon.org/index.php/all-about-bats/species-profiles.html

http://www.austincityguide.com/content/congress-bridge-bats-austin.asp

3. Visit a fish hatchery (call ahead to check on tour availability)

National Fish Hatcheries http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/nfhs/offices.html

Texas State Hatchery http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/management/hatcheries/

State Fish Hatcheries of the U.S.A. State Fish Hatcheries

4. Construct a planter box or stand for the back yard or for the railing at an apartment

5. Grow plants that attract monarch butterflies

http://www.monarchwatch.org/

6. Grow vegetables, strawberries, watermelons, sunflowers and/or pumpkins at home

http://www.burpee.com/

http://www.sustainableseedco.com/

http://www.texasheirloomseeds.com/

7. Harvest sunflowers or pumpkins and roast their seeds in the oven

8. Plant and tend to flowers that can be cut for the dinner table or taken to a nursing home

9. Take an evening away from the city to see the stars or a meteor shower

http://stardate.org/nightsky

10. Take a walk at a local park with binoculars and Frisbee in hand

11. Take swimming lessons at a local park or pool

12. Pick apples at an orchard

http://www.pickyourown.org/TX.htm

http://www.allaboutapples.com/orchard/tx.htm

13. Try camping in the backyard or get instruction through a state sponsored “How to Camp” workshop by searching Becoming an Outdoor Family or calling your state parks to see what programs may be available

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/outdoor-learning/texas-outdoor-family/

http://www.uvm.edu/extension/family/?Page=outdoorfamily.html

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/education/bow/bow_calendar.htm

http://gfp.sd.gov/outdoor-learning/BOF.aspx

http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/education/programs/bow/BOF/outdoor_family.asp

14. Check out backyard Birds with younger children

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0904.pdf

15. Go hunting for fossils

http://www.fossilsites.com/

16. Put water outside and see how long it takes to freeze

17. Visit a park to see alligators

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/brazos_bend/

http://www.nps.gov/ever/index.htm

18. Visit a park to see where maple syrup comes from

19. Take a walk in the snow and look for animal tracks

20. Take a walk along the beach or the edge of a lake or pond and look for animal tracks

21. Go sledding on a sand dune or on a local hill in winter

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/monahans-sandhills

http://www.nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit/sledding.htm

http://www.nps.gov/slbe/forkids/parkfun.htm

http://www.nps.gov/grsa/planyourvisit/index.htm

22. Go ice skating

23. Try ice fishing

24. Put a rain gauge in the backyard to see how much it rained

25. Put a thermometer in the shade near the house to know the temperature

26. Start a compost pile to be used on the garden the next year

27. Put a bucket under the bath faucet to see how much water is wasted when warming up the shower and use that bucket of water to water the plants in the garden

28. Have a water balloon fight and then pick up the broken balloons on a hot summer day

29. Go see dinosaur tracks at a park

Texas

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/dinosaur_valley/

Colorado/Utah

http://www.nps.gov/dino/index.htm

30. Go to the beach at low tide and look to see what is there

31. Listen for as many sounds as possible in the backyard (wind, birds, cars, raindrops, dogs, cats, coyotes)

32. Go for a picnic, lay out a blanket and watch the clouds for different shapes

33. Go for a bike ride

34. Play catch with your parent, sibling, friend or cement wall

35. Build a fort out of fallen branches in the backyard

36. Fly a kite in a park

37. Go to a kite festival

38. Go cross country skiing

39. Go snowshoeing

40. Rake leaves to make money

41. Go skateboarding

42. Kick the soccer ball in the yard or at a local park

43. Walk to the local fishing hole and fish

44. Visit Science and History Museums (and remember some days are free admission)

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