For Kids of All Ages
Ever seen a Mooselope? How about a Bighorn Bison? Play the Antler/Horn Match Game and see what kinds of strange creatures you can make. It's good fun for everyone.
Test your skill at name recognition with this Geyser Match Game.
Younger Kids May Enjoy these Activities
- Yellowstone Animal Alphabet Book
- Yellowstone Animal Alphabet Book with Sound (for faster connections)
- Yellowstone "Print & Color" Coloring Book Pages
Older Kids Should Try their Hands at:
- Yellowstone Website Scavenger Hunt
- Wolf Quest (An exciting 3D video game designed to teach wolf ecology and behavior.)
Also, If You are Planning to Visit:
Kids ages 5 - 12 who will be visiting Yellowstone in person can becomeJunior Rangers.
Children ages 5 and up can become a Young Scientist. An in-park science inquiry paper for ages 5 through adult is available at Old Faithful and Canyon.
Kids Who are Not Planning a Visit:
Even if you are not planning a visit, you can become Junior Rangers online through the National Park Service's Web Ranger Program.
Teachers and Students of All Ages:
Be sure to check out our Electronic Field Trips & Online EducationalPrograms at Windows into Wonderland.
And check our More Resources page for links to in-depth information on many park topics
Teachers and Students Grades 4-8 will be interested in visiting ourExpedition: Yellowstone! pages.
Our Online Slide File is another Great Resource
We have over 13,000 publication-quality images available for your use. These images are in the public domain and are available for use, free of charge..
Be A Junior Ranger
To celebrate the program's 20th summer, Yellowstone National Park's official Junior Ranger Program is free to visiting children ages 5-12! The goal of the Junior Ranger program is to introduce children to the natural wonders of the park and their own role in preserving these wonders for the future. To become a Junior Ranger, families may request a free 12-page activity paper at any Yellowstone visitor center. While the activity papers are available for download below, only children visiting the park can complete the requirements necessary to earn the patch. After completing the age appropriate requirements described on the last page of the paper and reviewing their work with a ranger at any visitor center, participants are awarded an official Yellowstone Junior Ranger patch. Modeled after the National Park Service patch, Junior Ranger patches feature a stylized bear track for 8-12 year olds, a wolf track for 5-7 year olds, and a snowflake for all winter junior rangers. Requirements include attending a Ranger-led program, hiking on a park trail, and completing activities on various park resources, issues, and concepts such as geothermal geology, park wildlife, and fire ecology.
Some winter activities require the use of a thermometer and hand lens, so make sure you ask to check out a Junior Ranger Snowpack. Snowpacks are available at both the Mammoth and Old Faithful visitor centers and snowshoes may be checked out in Mammoth.
Both children and adults benefit by learning more about the park and sharing the fun of becoming a Junior Ranger.
Some winter activities require the use of a thermometer and hand lens, so make sure you ask to check out a Junior Ranger Snowpack. Snowpacks are available at both the Mammoth and Old Faithful visitor centers and snowshoes may be checked out in Mammoth.
Both children and adults benefit by learning more about the park and sharing the fun of becoming a Junior Ranger.