We love the Junior Ranger program offered by the National Park Service. I’ve talked about it here and here and here and here and here and here and here and …. You get the picture.

We were first introduced to it when we visited the Grand Canyon almost nine years ago. That’s when Sunshine earned her first Junior Ranger badge. Within a couple weeks, she had 4 badges on her vest. And yes, we have bought <overpriced> vests for each of the kiddos. We’ve found that it helps keep them excited about adding to their collection of Junior Ranger badges.

Do you also love the Junior Ranger program, but want to stay close to home this summer? Or maybe a trip to a national park just isn’t in the books right now. Did you know there are online Junior Ranger programs available? You can learn about the parks even if your budget or other circumstances don’t allow for travel right now.

• Pros: keep the kiddos busy and learning (without realizing it!) Junior Ranger booklets make great unit studies for the whole family.
• Cons: not all of them have physical pins or patches to add to your collection (we like our pins and patches, what can I say? 🤷‍♀️)

Online Junior Ranger Resources

1. Trains and Railroads

You can read about the Junior Ranger Railroad Explorer program here, including the link to download the Junior Ranger workbook. It does not look like there is a physical pin or patch associated with the Junior Ranger Railroad Explorer workbook. There is a certificate at the end of the booklet that you can fill out.

The Junior Ranger Railroad Explorer program was just introduced May 8, 2020. It was created to commemorate the Golden Spike anniversary of the first transcontinental railroad. National Parks that tell the story of our railroads can be found here. If you have a railroad buff in the family, do the Junior Ranger Railroad Explorer booklet now, and then go to each of the parks on the list I just linked to and do the Junior Ranger workbooks for them, too.

2. Space

In conjunction with NASA, the NPS now has two Space Junior Ranger programs. The first was introduced in July 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing.

You can find the Space Flight booklet here and the Space Tech booklet here. There’s no physical pin or patch for either, though there is a certificate to fill out at the end of each booklet.

3. Fishing

Read about how to be a Junior Ranger Angler here. There’s no physical patch or pin, though you can print out a paper patch. Some parks that allow fishing do offer physical books and pins for the Junior Ranger Angler program. Check with a ranger for availability.

4. Caving

Read about how to become a Junior Ranger Cave Scientist here. Normally you can mail your booklet in and receive a pin in return. This service is currently on hold, but you can fill out your booklet and send it in once the national parks are open again. More cave-related activities can be found here.

5. Archeology

Read about how to become a Junior Ranger Archeologist here. It looks like this is another one you can mail in for a pin. So fill it out now and send it in later. This booklet includes a parent guide with activities, discussion questions, and additional reading recommendations.

6. Paleontology

Read about how to be a Junior Ranger Paleontologist here. Planning a trip to Dinosaur NM or Badlands NP? Or just really like dinosaurs or fossils? Maybe you want to celebrate National Fossil Day (October 14). This booklet can help you learn more about fossils.

This is another one that you can mail your booklet in and receive a pin. So fill it out now and send it in once everything opens up again.

7. Water

Read about how to be a Junior Ranger Underwater Explorer here. This one is actually available in some parks. If you’re at a park where exploring under the water is an option, be sure to ask for the booklet. Otherwise, you can download the booklet and fill it in at home. Then once everything opens up, mail it in for an Underwater Explorer pin.

8. Night Skies

Read about how to become a Junior Ranger Night Explorer here. This one is also available in some parks, so be sure to ask for it if you’re at a park with Night Sky programs. Or download it and use it to explore the night skies as a family this summer. Mail it in once the parks open for a Night Explorer patch.

9. Sounds

Read about to be a Junior Ranger Sounds Explorer here. This booklet will help you explore the sounds you hear at our parks. There’s no pin or patch, but there is a certificate to fill out. If you email a completed page to the email address in the booklet, you’ll receive a digital high five. (we haven’t done this one yet, so I’m not really sure what that means 😉)

10. Other online learning resources

You can find virtual tours, videos and more here. And you can find online activity guides and interactive activities here. And you can watch webcams at various NPS sites here.

Badlands NP has a cool “Pick Your Park Adventure” program that allows you to explore Badlands, Choose Your Own Adventure style (who else remembers those books?). It can also be used to earn the Badlands NP Junior Ranger badge. It doesn’t appear that other parks have a similar program, but I’m hoping this is just the beginning and that we’ll see others following suit.

A lot of the parks will also allow you to download, fill in, and mail in their Junior Ranger books in exchange for a pin or patch. We prefer to do them in person when possible, but if you’re stuck at home and want to learn more about a park, it’s a great alternative. Just be sure they’re open and accepting mailed booklets before you send it in.

Not sure where to find info on each park’s Junior Ranger program? It’s easy! Go to the homepage of a park, hover over the menu option “Learn About the Park”, hover down the dropdown list to “Kids & Youth”, then click on the option “Be a Junior Ranger” when it appears.

What are your plans for the summer? Will you be visiting parks in person, or will you be making use of these online Junior Ranger resources?