Who’s got a 4th grader? Did you know all 4th graders can get a FREE National Park Pass for their 4th grade year? It’s good from September 1 of the year they start 4th grade until August 31 of the following year!
Every Kid Outdoors program
All you have to do is sign them up for the Every Kid Outdoors program here. It gets the whole family into any National Park for free for the year! With 63 official National Parks and another 360 sites that make up the U.S. National Park System, you could visit one every day of the whole year and still not hit them all.
Each national park is set aside to preserve the natural environment, whether it be for its beautiful landscapes or because of its historical or scientific interest. Within each national park, you’ll find most of the landscapes, plants, and animals in their natural state.
The National Park Service founded the Every Kid Outdoors program to encourage kids and families to get out and explore the vast landscapes, history, wildlife, and resources that make up the United States. Spending time outdoors also boosts kids’ confidence, encourages creativity and imagination, and promotes a healthy lifestyle.
We totally took advantage of getting this free national park pass when Emily was in 4th grade. That year, our family visited The Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Arches, and Canyonlands National Parks. Emily got excited about choosing some of the destinations and helping with the planning. It was really fun to see what she came up with. We’re looking forward to Zach’s 4th grade year next year!
She loved learning about the different parks and preparing for her National Park visits. So do all our kids actually. We absolutely LOVE the National Geographic Kids books, and this National Parks Guide for Kids is perfect for gearing up for your child’s 4th grade year. We keep these in the car, and my kids love to read them while we’re driving.
Become a Junior Ranger
Each National Park has a free Junior Ranger program. Pick up your free activity guide at the entrance or visitors center for fun facts, activities and more. It makes the visit so much more exciting and educational for the kids. For even more activities, check out this awesome Junior Ranger activity book (perfect for long car rides or to generate excitement for your trip).
Plus, each kid gets a free badge at each park as part of the Junior Ranger program! My kids have loved doing these activities and collecting their badges.
Other free National Park days
If you don’t have a 4th grader, you can always take advantage of six free free admission days every year. Check out which days are free here. Typically they are Martin Luther King Jr Day, the first day of National Park Week (mid-April), August 1 (anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act), August 25 (National Public Lands Day), and November 11 (Veteran’s Day).
What’s your favorite National Park? Our kids love Arches and Joshua Tree National Parks! And I am dying to visit Glacier National Park.
Note: I only recommend products that I love and would use myself. This post may contain a few affiliate links. When you purchase something through a link on this site, we may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you). See our full disclosure here. Thank you for supporting our family!