Embedded Files
1 - 3 years old
Color scavenger hunt: Pause here and there and ask "What colors do you see?"
Follow the tracks: What animals were here?
Look for shapes in nature: What shapes do I see?
Sensory play: Pick up a leaf. Touch the leaf or bark from a tree. How does it feel? When happens when you drop it?
What is that smell? Do you notice any new scents or smells?
What is that sound? Do I hear any sounds? What do they sound like? Can you make that sound?
4 - 6 years old
Color scavenger hunt: Pause here and there and ask "How many colors can you find?"
Follow the tracks: What animals were here?
Sensory play: Pick up a leaf. Touch the leaf or bark from a tree. How does it feel? Does it feel rough, smooth, hard or soft?
What is that smell? Do you notice any new scents or smells? Do all the leaves and flowers smell the same?
What is that sound? Do you hear any sounds? Where are the sounds coming from? Can you point to the source of the sounds?
7+ years old
Color scavenger hunt: Pause here and there and ask "How many different shades of green & brown can you find?"
Follow the tracks: What animals were here?
Sensory play: Pick up a leaf. Touch the leaf or bark from a tree. How does it feel? Does it feel rough, smooth, hard or soft?
What is that smell? What do the smells here remind you of? Which leaf or flower do you like the smell of? If you rub a leaf or flower, does it smell more strongly?
Look for unusual things in nature: Do you see anything unusual? Anything look like it does not belong? Do you see anything strange?
Listening Challenge: Can you sit still and silent for four minutes and just listen? How many sounds do you hear? Where are they coming from? What do you think is making each sound?
The Florida State Parks Junior Ranger Program provides the opportunity for kids to learn, serve and share Florida's natural and cultural resources. You can either participate in a scheduled park program or do it self-guided in the park.
The Junior Earthwise Ranger
The Junior Earthwise Ranger Pledge: I pledge to protect the plants, animals, water, geological features, culture and history of our ecosystem. I will continue to learn about nature and share what I have learned with others as I explore the wonders of nature. I will practice to develop understanding and compassion in order to live peacefully and protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals.
To live like a Junior Earthwise Ranger is not simply to be in the forest or walk the trails. It is to become part of the living world, to walk with care and protection in your heart. The Junior Earthwise Ranger is not separate from nature, but is a listening presence within it.
A Junior Earthwise Ranger walks through the world as if every stone and tree were special. Every step is a offering of respect for the living Earth. The Junior Earthwise Ranger sees nature not as a resource to be used, but as a friend to be listened to. The forest, rivers, birds, beaches, and winds are seen as parents, teachers, and friends we can learn from.
The Inner Wilderness
Just as the Junior Earthwise Ranger knows the outer wilderness, they also explore the inner wilderness where all our thoughts, feelings, and emotions live. They are aware of their inner weather, and like the outer weather they know how to prepare and adapt for clear skies or stormy days. They do not turn away from discomfort. They track it. Sit beside it. Learn its shape, size, and color. They befriend their inner wilderness. They learn that to walk the wild outside, one must first befriend the wild within.
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