Summer Youth Programs

Summer Explorers

July 1 - August 19, 2021

• Thursdays for eight weeks

• 10:00 am - 12:00 PM for elementary participants

• 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM for middle and high school participants
• Join the FREE fun!
• Sessions limited to 12 participants for health and safety reasons

• Registration is required
  To register for sessions or for more information please call Christal Tongish at 406-846-2070 ext. 227 or e-mail us.

 

Summer Explorers navigate a bale maze in a sack race.

NPS Photo/ Brian Mayhew

Elementary Program Sessions

(10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)

July 1 – The Power of Nature

Discover how solar, wind, and water power the world around us!

July 8 – Dots, Dashes, and Deliveries

The Pony Express provided one of the early services to send mail across the United States while the telegraph and the railroad were expanding west. How did people text before the cell phone? Come find out.

July 15 – Astronomy: Daytime Edition!

Explore our local solar system, scale, and our position in the universe!

July 22 – Bouncin’ Down the Road

What was it like to travel by wagons, stagecoaches, or train across the frontier?

July 29 – Feathered Findings – Bird Banding

Learn about feathered friends in the park and how scientists track birds.

August 5 – The Big Sky Treasure Box

Why is Montana the “Treasure State?” Let’s find out what minerals, gems and other treasures can be found throughout the Big Sky State.

August 12 – The [Tiny] Worlds Around Us

There’s a whole world too small to see with your eyes to discover by looking into microscopes!

August 19 – Trail Day

Let’s explore the new trails in the park and the stories they tell!

 

Summer Explorers learn to safely approach the horses with this draft horse that is taking a break from his chores.

NPS Photo/ Bruce Wright

Middle and High Program Sessions

2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

July 1 - The Ten Cent Hero and Villain

Dime novels told the stories of outlaws and lawmen from across the frontier. They created stories that are told still today about men and women of the West, many of which were twisted truths!

July 8 – Tools of the Trade

Cowboys used many tools to help them in their work with livestock.

July 15 – Don’t Lick the Wallpaper

Victorians were exposed to poisons and toxins in their everyday lives in their homes. What forms of medical treatments were available to help treat people in the Victorian Era?

July 22 – The Wild Side of Produce

How can you tell if a plant is edible or not? What can I make from wild edible plants?

July 29 – Feathered Findings – Bird Banding * 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Learn about feathered friends in the park and how scientists track birds. (*This session only will be held from 10 a.m. – noon so participants can work with the scientists.)

August 5 – The Science of Sampling

Learn about environmental sampling to understand the health of an ecosystem over time.

August 12 – Nuts and Bolts: Deconstructing

What special skills and parts were needed to build a chuckwagon? Learn about how it all came together to build a solid wagon able to make it hundreds of miles across the Great Plains!

August 19 – Trail Day

Let’s explore the new trails in the park and the stories they tell!