KIDZ CONNECTION PAGE 38 theconnectionsnj.com Now enrolling for Fall 2025 QUALITY, AFFORDABLE CHILD CARE FOR 50+ YEARS Full time and part time schedules available for children: 6 weeks to 6 years. 816 Old York Road, Raritan, N. J. 08869 908-722-6789 Visit our website: www.thelearninggate.org Call to find out more details about our full day private Kindergarten program. ummer is here! It is time to plan fun, family adventures that create great memories, teach a thing or two, and (hopefully) not break the bank. Our beautiful National Parks and monuments check all of those boxes. Always on the inexpensive side as far as vacations go, if you have a fourth grader in the family, it’s even cheaper. Access to most national parks and landmarks is FREE for fourth graders (and up to three people in their group) with the Every Kid Every Kid Outdoors program. For details and to register, go to www.everykidoutdoors.gov. There are currently 63 national parks in the United States and an additional 433 national park sites managed by the National Park Service. These include national parks, monuments, battlefields, and other sites. There are so many options to see near and far. If you are thinking about exploring, your first stop might be your local library. Books like National Parks: A Kid’s Guide to America’s Parks, Monuments and Landmarks by Erin McHugh are a great help in learning about the parks in an entertaining way. No matter your age, books like this one give an overview of the parks and tidbits of information in simple terms. There are so many options when planning a vacation; it is easier when the information is broken down to make it simple. If you are thinking more of a day trip than a grand adventure, there are options right here in New Jersey. One that combines history while satisfying a love of gadgetry and STEM is a visit to the Thomas Edison Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange. The brick buildings on Main Street are unassuming by today’s standards, but this is where modern America was invented. Thomas Edison was responsible for so many inventions that ushered in the modern age and advanced electrical light, motion pictures and sound recording. These laboratories were where he brought together some of the greatest minds in science. Touring them is like stepping back in time and learning the genesis of many of the things that we take for granted. More information can be found at www.nps.gov/edis/index.htm. Another park right in our backyard is Morristown National Historical Park. This beautiful park preserves the history of Washington’s encampment in Morristown during the War for American Independence. Entry to the grounds and its buildings, including the Ford Mansion Ford Mansion where Washington stayed, Wick House Wick House, and the Visitor’s Center, is always free of charge to everyone. If you are eligible for one of the four passes that can be used to waive entrance fees to federal parks and facilities, they are available at the Jockey Hollow Visitor Cen- Jockey Hollow Visitor Center as well as the Washington’s Headquar- Washington’s Headquarters Museum. These passes are the Interagency Access pass which is a lifetime pass for US citizens and permanent residents of the US who have a permanent disability; the Interagency Annual Military Pass for active duty military members and their dependents; the Interagency Lifetime Military Pass for veterans and Gold Star families; and, of course, the fourth grade pass. More information on these opportunities can be found at https://home.nps.gov/morr/planyourvisit/fees. Check before your visit, because passes may not be valid for entry in all parks. Seniors over 62 can purchase an annual pass for only $20 or a lifetime pass for only $80. See a national park or one of the many parks run by the National Park Service National Park Service this summer. They are there for all of us! Got a Fourth Grader? Go to a National Park this Summer- for FREE! By Joanne Kleinle FAMILY ADVENTURES S
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