Do You And Your Kids Like 'Freebies'?

Do you and your kids like 'freebies'? We do!

One year we went up to Devil's Lake State Park in Wisconsin. In the Nature Center we found that there is a Wisconsin's Jr. Ranger/Wisconsin Explorer Program. Many, if not all states have them. Our kids really enjoyed working to get their patch - they did most of the work themselves.

With a Junior Ranger (grades K-3) or Wisconsin Explorer (grades 4 and up) activity booklet to guide them, families set off on trails to learn about the environment. Children can listen for crickets, take a bat walk, do a soil experiment, draw themselves as a ranger, look for a den tree, imagine themselves as a deer, or play log tag. When at least half of the activities in the booklet are completed, the child receives a colorful patch and a certificate.

The patch and certificate can be awarded at any participating state park, or you may complete the activities at home, and mail the checkoff sheet to a park.

The program is designed so that a child may do a different activity ooklet each year, from kindergarten through sixth grade. Patches for 2004 have a butterfly for Junior Rangers and a bat for Wisconsin Explorers.

These activities help children develop an awareness and appreciation of the natural world and a sense of stewardship toward Wisconsin's natural resources.