Junior Ranger

 

"Explore, Learn, and Protect!" The Junior Ranger motto is recited by children around the country. Each takes an oath of their own to protect parks, continue to learn about parks, and share their own ranger story with friends and family.

The National Park Service Junior Ranger program is an activity-based program conducted in almost all parks, and some Junior Ranger programs are national. Many national parks offer young visitors the opportunity to join the National Park Service "family" as Junior Rangers.

How Do I Earn My Junior Ranger Badge?

Junior Ranger Challenges

Are you up for a challenge? Join us for a Junior Ranger Challenge! These drop-in programs, geared for kids 4–12 years old, are offered most Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 10 am–2 pm between June 17 and August 15. Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Cuyahoga Valley National Park and learn what makes this such a special place. Complete four challenges to earn a prize! Find more information on the calendar below.

Junior Ranger Handbook and Activity Sheet

Interested youth complete a series of activities during a park visit and share their answers with a ranger. Anyone who completes the Junior Ranger Handbook or the Junior Ranger, Jr. Activity Sheet will earn a Junior Ranger badge. Junior Rangers are typically between the ages of 5 to 12, although people of all ages can participate. Find more activities and a virtual Junior Ranger badge by scrolling down this page.

When park facilities are open, Junior Ranger Handbooks and activity sheets are available at Boston Mill Visitor Center and Canal Exploration Center (Canal Exploration Center is open seasonally; please check our website for specific hours). When complete, take your book or sheet to a visitor center to receive a badge from a ranger.

Looking for suggestions for where to go with your Junior Rangers? Start with this list of kid-friendly activities in the Everett area.

 

A ranger shows a child how to sit in a kayak for Junior Ranger Careers Day during Junior Ranger Day Camp.

Conservancy Aaron Self

Junior Ranger Day Camps 2025

The Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center is excited to offer two weeks of Junior Ranger Day Camp this summer!

• Ages: 6–12 years old
• Times: 9 am–3 pm, Monday–Friday with drop off time of 8:45 am
• Registration closes July 7.

Week 1: Outdoor Adventure Camp, July 21–25

Spend the week in Cuyahoga Valley National Park testing your outdoor skills. Learn how to use a map & compass, tie knots, set up shelters, and stay safe in the outdoors. Adventures include outdoor cooking, pond and forest exploration, art in nature and more! If you love being outside and want to learn more, then join us for an Outdoor Adventure!

Week 2: Explore Camp, July 28–August 1

Spend the week exploring Cuyahoga Valley National Park and along the way get to know other national parks across the country. Which parks are home to bats? How are the forests in this national park different from forests in other national parks? The week will include pond exploration, hikes in the forest, learning about bats, tree investigations, and an encounter with a volcano! If you want to discover more about national parks and what rangers do to preserve and protect them, then come Explore with us!

Junior Ranger Questions

If you have questions about the Junior Ranger program at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, call and leave a message on the Junior Ranger Hotline: [phone].

Upcoming Programs

 

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  Junior Ranger, Jr. Online Activities

  Explore nature inside and outside the home with these wildlife activities for children ages 3 - 6.

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  Junior Ranger Online Activities

  Find fun Junior Ranger activities you can do at home or before visiting Cuyahoga Valley National Park, for children ages 7 - 12.

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  Other Online Junior Ranger Books

  Check out these other Junior Ranger books that you can download and do at home or at your favorite park.

 

A Junior Ranger takes the oath

NPS / Sue Simenc

After You Finish

Once you've completed a Junior Ranger activity, download your badge to print or save!

To have a ranger administer the official Junior Ranger oath, call us and leave a message with your name and phone number. A ranger will call back within the next day to swear you in!

We would love to hear from you!

Did you do any of the Junior Ranger activities on our website or design your own patch in The Valley Guide? Share your creations with us – take a photo, create a poem, share a drawing or just send us an email at [e-mail].