Custer State Park has a great Junior Naturalist Program that the kids participated in. The first activity they attended was about water bugs. Maddie and her new friends all had nets and were straining the water for insects. They put the things they found into specimen jars to sort with the ranger.
It sounded like a pretty interesting discussion they had going.
Max was a little too young for this class, so he explored on his own.
The next activity was Fish Prints. The kids made fish art and learn about the different parts of fish. They got good and messy here.
The last ranger-led activity that we did was the family gold panning demonstration. Everyone got knee deep in the river to try their hand at it. I think Max found a few specks.
Maddie received her Junior Naturalist Patch, Certificate, Seal and Stickers.
Max received his Cub Patch and Certificate.
Know Before You Go: This is a very involved program. The rangers suggest a week or longer in the park to complete it. We only had a few days, but we powered through it just fine. The rangers may be a little dismissive if you tell them you have a short stay, but don't let that stop you if your kids are interested. Ask for a schedule of activities and requirements and if see if you can get it done. We learned a lot and saw more of the park by completing the activities.
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