Junior Explorer Activity Booklet Teaches Youth All About Boulder Parks and Recreation

Boulder Parks and Recreation (BPR) has created an exciting and educational Junior Explorer activity booklet that’s perfect for kids ages eight and up who are eager to explore Boulder. This 12-page booklet is packed with fun activities for youth to learn about BPR’s work in the community from Aquatics to the Urban Park Rangers and everything in between.

Each page is filled with interactive content like coloring pages, crosswords and scavenger hunts that are designed to make learning about BPR and Boulder fun and educational.

“This booklet provides an opportunity to learn about Boulder, the important work the city does to take care of public lands and the fun things we provide for the young people in our community,” said BPR Director Ali Rhodes. “Not everyone knows we have a fishing pond just for kids in the Civic Area or that we take care of over 50,000 public trees.”

Community members can pick-up a Junior Explorer activity booklet at any of our recreation centers, Flatirons Golf Course, and Boulder Reservoir or from Urban Park Rangers who are out and about in city parks. We will also be passing them out at different city events throughout the year.

If a community member completes or colors eight of the 10 activity pages, they can bring their booklet to an Official Junior Explorer Ceremony where they’ll receive an Urban Park Ranger badge and a free day pass to a recreation center, good for two people (one child and one parent). The ceremony will happen the first Saturday of every month between 10 a.m. and noon at North Boulder Recreation Center, starting in October.

Parents, teachers and community members are encouraged to support their Junior Explorers on this journey. Whether it's helping with activities, taking them to BPR locations or joining in the fun at the recreation center, there’s something for everyone.

The Junior Explorer activity booklet was created by Emily Burgess, a CU Boulder student who interned with Boulder Parks and Recreation during summer 2024. Burgess’ passion for education and the outdoors shines through in every page of this booklet, ensuring that kids not only have fun but also learn valuable lessons about nature and conservation.