Junior Ranger Program

One nice thing the government does with your money is the Junior Ranger program at National Parks. Certain parks have an activity booklet they give to children. The activities are classified according to age, and children have to complete a certain number of activities.

Since we visited the Wright Memorial last week, our son had the chance to participate in their Junior Flight Ranger program. Their booklet requires one decode some Morse Code and visit different parts of the memorial to find certain things. He also had to attend a presentation by one of the actual rangers. Once he completed the program, they awarded him a nice badge that we can sew to a jacket or shirt. The badge is custom-made for this memorial.

Our 9 year-old enjoyed this very much. Once he arrived at a particular location, our boy was happy to examine the exhibits. I saw quite a few children visiting the booth to pick up the booklets, so I imagine they must be popular.

We also picked up a booklet while visiting Fort Raleigh, but he didn't have time to attend a program. I'm not sure if we'll be able to go back before the move, so he may not earn that badge anytime soon.