Are you a fan of silly stories? How about absurd anecdotes? Yes?! Then let's play Park Libs!
Get a friend and follow the instructions below to create zany tales based off of the real history, flora, and fauna of the park. This is your chance to make our stories your own!
How to Play
Park Libs are best done in pairs. Person 1 hides the story from Person 2 and asks Person 2 for words to fill in the blanks. Person 2 must choose words without knowing the story or the topic while Person 1 inserts them into the story. Then either player can read the story back with the zany words and everyone has a good laugh!
We’ve included the actual text from the short stories below each Park Lib, but don’t read them until the game is over!
Here’s a key to help you out with the hints:
Verb – An action. Examples: swim, skip, toss. An -ing verb is an action that is still going on. Examples: swimming, skipping, tossing. A past tense verb is an action that already happened. Examples: swam, skipped, tossed.
Noun – A person, place, or thing. Examples: truck, cupcake, pencil.
Plural – More than one. Examples: owls, chairs, potatoes, plumbers.
Urban landmark – A building or famous place found in a city. Examples: the mall, the bowling alley, Times Square.
Adjective – Describes something or someone. Examples: red, funny, cold.
Superlative – Describes the highest degree of something. Examples: largest, smelliest, most amazing.
Personal attribute – Something that could describe someone’s personality. Examples: Caring, rude, curious.
If you see hints with numbers, such as “Place #1” or “noun #2,” it means that you will use the same word in two or more different locations in the story.
If the hint is for something like “number,” “mineral,” or “profession,” give an example of that thing.
If the hint is for a pet’s name and you don’t have one, make one up! You can make up relatives’ names, too.
John of the Mountains
_________ [profession] John Muir is well-known for his travels in _________ [urban landmark], earning himself the nickname “John of the _________ [food].”
He mostly traveled alone and by _________ [body part], sometimes bringing along a _________ [adjective] mule, and is rumored to be responsible for many of the place names in the region, including _________ [adjective]_________ [noun] in Sequoia National Park.
Tales abound of John Muir _________ [-ing verb] to the tops of trees in the middle of storms, _________ [-ing verb] out to edges of waterfalls, and challenging _________ [plural animal]. He died in 1914, but his soul still wanders the Range of Light.
Curious what the "right" answers are? Here's the original story:
Naturalist John Muir is well-known for his travels in the Sierra Nevada, earning himself the nickname “John of the Mountains.” He mostly traveled alone and by foot, sometimes bringing along a reluctant mule, and is rumored to be responsible for many of the place names in the region, including Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park. Tales abound of John Muir climbing to the tops of trees in the middle of storms, creeping out to edges of waterfalls, and challenging grizzlies. He died in 1914, but his soul still wanders the Range of Light.
If you ever see a colorful blue-green streak in the _________ [plural noun] surrounding Cedar Grove – that’s _________ [mineral]!
In the late 1880’s when Napoleon Kanawyer saw that same streak he cried, “_________ [exclamation/funny noise]!” He quickly brought his wife, Viola and their _________ [plural animal] into the canyon so that he could mine.
Like a lot of mining ventures, it didn’t “pan out,” but thankfully Viola had another idea. She began to mine the _________ [plural article of clothing] of _________ [plural animal] instead. Eventually, she built a _________ [noun], _________ [noun], _________ [noun], and pack station to serve visitors.
She was well known for her _________ [-ing verb] and _________ [-ing verb] skills as well as her wonderful _________ [food] pies. It’s probably because of her _________ [personal attribute] and welcoming nature that we can credit “Auntie Vi” to Cedar Grove’s popularity today.
Curious what the "right" answers are? Here's the original story:
If you ever see a colorful blue-green streak in the cliffs surrounding Cedar Grove – that’s copper! In the late 1880’s when Napoleon Kanawyer saw that same streak he cried, “Eureka!” He quickly brought his wife, Viola and their children into the canyon so that he could mine. Like a lot of mining ventures, it didn’t “pan out” but thankfully Viola had another idea. She began to mine the pockets of tourists instead. Eventually, she built a store, hotel, restaurant, and pack station to serve visitors. She was well known for her hunting and fishing skills as well as her wonderful apricot pies. It’s probably because of her ingenuity and welcoming nature that we can credit “Auntie Vi” to Cedar Grove’s popularity today.
Also called _________ [adjective]_________ [noun], sequoias aren’t the _________ [superlative] or the _________ [superlative], but they are the biggest by trunk volume. That means that if you filled the tree trunk with _________ [beverage], they would hold more than any other tree on _________ [planet name].
They only _________ [verb] on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada because there they have the perfect amount of _________ [food] and _________ [food] and it’s never too hot or too cold.
Come to think of it, sequoias are a lot like people! As babies, they need lots of _________ [noun] to grow. As teenagers they get very _________ [personal attribute], very fast. As adults they get thicker around the _________ [body part]. To have a family they must sacrifice; they need fire to prepare the ground for seeds. Fire often causes damage to the tree, making them bald on top!
What we do for our kids!
Curious what the "right" answers are? Here's the original story:
Also called Big Trees, sequoias aren’t the tallest or the widest, but they are the biggest by trunk volume. That means that if you filled the tree trunk with water, they would hold more than any other tree on the planet. They only grow on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range because there they have the perfect amount of sun and rain and it’s never too hot or too cold. Come to think of it, sequoias are a lot like people! As babies, they need lots of room to grow. As teenagers they get very tall, very fast. As adults they start to get thicker around the middle. To have a family, they must sacrifice, for they need fires to prepare the ground for seeds. Fire often causes damage to the tree, making them bald on top! What we do for our kids!
Whether they’re _________ [color] or _________ [color], _________ [color] or _________ [color], all bears in the parks are black bears.
There are several hundred black bears in the park, feeding mostly on _________ [plural food], _________ [plural candy], _________ [plural fruit], and _________ [plural vegetable].
They can run pretty fast, about 35mph, but generally do not chase down _________ [plural noun].
Momma bears can have up to _________ [number] cubs at once, but usually it’s two or three. She has her babies while she’s in a deep sleep called torpor. She has to be _________ [-ing verb] to have cubs, but not all bears sleep during winter! If there’s food out, they’re out!
A bear’s sense of smell is one of the _________ [superlative] on earth – 2,100 times that of a human’s. That’s why we must always be careful to store smelly _________ [relative's name] properly while camping. Smell ya later!
Curious what the "right" answers are? Here's the original story:
Whether they’re black or brown, blond or cinnamon, all bears in the parks are black bears. There are several hundred black bears in the park, feeding mostly on grasses, berries, acorns, and insects. They can run pretty fast, about 35mph, but generally do not chase down prey. Momma bears can have up to five cubs at once, but usually it’s two or three. She has her babies while she’s in a deep sleep called torpor. She has to be asleep to have cubs, but not all bears sleep during winter! If there’s food out, they’re out! Bear’s sense of smell is one of the best on earth – 2,100 times that of a human’s. That’s why we must always be careful to store smelly items properly while camping. Smell ya later!
Fascinated by the tales of the giant _________ [noun] as a young _________ [animal], Walter Fry eventually made his way to California and got a job as a _________ [profession] in the 1880s.
But after counting _________ [number] rings in a freshly-felled tree, he abruptly changed his profession and set out to _________ [verb] all he could about the nature surrounding him.
He got a job protecting the very _________ [plural noun] he had logged, riding his _________ [animal] over 50,000 miles patrolling all corners of the new Sequoia National Park. After a brief role as the superintendent, he dedicated himself to _________ [-ing verb].
He was known to collect sequoia _________ [plural noun] and keep track of how any _________ [plural noun] fell out – a 20-year project!
He ended his working years as a _________ [profession] and his knowledge and love for the _________ [plural noun] lives on in his writing.
Curious what the "right" answers are? Here's the original story:
Fascinated by the tales of the giant sequoias as a young boy, Walter Fry eventually made his way to California and got a job as a logger in the 1880s. But after counting 3,000 rings in a freshly-felled tree, he abruptly changed his profession and set out to learn all he could about the nature surrounding him. He got a job protecting the very trees he had logged, riding his horse over 50,000 miles patrolling all corners of the new Sequoia National Park. After a brief role as the superintendent, he dedicated himself to science. He was known to collect sequoia cones and keep track of how many seeds fell out – a 20-year project! He ended his working years as an author and his knowledge and love for the trees lives on in his writing.
We have a _________ [adjective] mistake to thank for the long, _________ [adjective] road leading to the _________ [place name] District of _________ [pet's name]National Park.
In 1853, a man named Thomas Fowler made the _________ [adjective] decision to purchase a _________ [noun] mine at _________ [place name] before there was a road to get to it. Using his own _________ [noun], he built the road and brought in expensive equipment to _________ [verb] rock and _________ [verb]ore. Sadly, the mine never _________ [past tense verb] and he died in debt.
But his _________ [adjective] judgement is our _________ [adjective] fortune. Thomas Fowler’s road allows thousands of _________ [plural noun] the opportunity to _________ [verb] into the picturesque _________ [place name] Valley every summer.
Curious what the "right" answers are? Here's the original story:
We have a big mistake to thank for the long, windy road leading to the Mineral King District of Sequoia National Park. In 1853, a man named Thomas Fowler made the ill-fated decision to purchase a silver mine in Mineral King before there was a road to get to it. Using his own money, he built the road and brought in expensive equipment to crush rock and transport ore. Sadly, the mine never produced and he died in debt. But his bad judgement is our great fortune. Thomas Fowler’s road allows thousands of visitors the opportunity to drive into the picturesque Mineral King Valley every summer.
