If you’re looking to plan a field trip in the near future, next month would be a great time to do so because the National Park Service is offering free admission to all of the nation’s park during National Park Week (April 16-24).

Besides offering free admission to visit any of the country’s 410 national parks, the National Park Service is also hosting a series of events throughout the week to engage visiting children.

"National Park Week will kick off with National Junior Ranger Day on Saturday, April 16. Parks will host kid oriented activities and the new Centennial Junior Ranger booklet and badge will be unveiled. Throughout the week, many parks will also host Every Kid in a Park events, which encourages fourth grade students to visit national parks and other public lands by offering a free annual pass,” said the National Park Service in a statement.

"Other highlights during the week include an education summit on April 20, Earth Day events on April 22, a national park InstaMeet on April 23, and Park RxDay on April 24. Park Rx is a community health initiative where medical doctors ‘ prescribe' time in parks to promote wellness and help prevent and treat chronic disease. More than a dozen national parks will offer health screenings and recreational activities, including an event with the U.S. Surgeon General.”

If you’re looking to plan a field trip for next month, be sure to take advantage of the abundant resources available that make teaching about national parks easy.

Examples of such resources include sites like the Geology of National Parks, which includes field graphs, online quizzes and more.

#FindYourPark here.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

3/24/2016