Starting with the 2015-16 school year, fourth graders and their families are entitled to free admission to all national parks, federal lands and waters thanks to the new White House youth initiative, Every Kid in a Park. The effort is in anticipation of the 100th birthday of the National Park Service in 2016, and serves as a way to encourage families to get off the couch and into nature. Students in fourth grade simply sign up online and they will receive a voucher that grants entrance to the student and their carload of passengers.
For more information go to www.nationalparks.org/ook/ekiap-signup. You can also download National Park Owner’s Guide, Parks for Play: 35 National Park Adventures for Kids of All Ages on the website.
Another program for third and fourth graders is the Ski Free NY program. This program lets third and fourth graders ski or ride free at the majority of New York resorts this winter when accompanied by a paying adult. If your child is a third or fourth grader and has never skied before, the Learn to Ski or Ride Passport is available for free. Go to the link for the application: www.iskiny.com/files/public/pdf/iskiny_free_for_kids_passport_brochure_2015-16.pdf.
