Making Memories and Building Language at National Parks

Summertime brings warmer weather, brighter days, and endless chances to explore, play, and grow your child’s listening and talking skills along the way!

One of the best summer activities for kids is exploring the great outdoors! And an extra fun way you can get outside, introduce new words, and create lasting memories is by visiting National Parks. The best part? Children with hearing loss are eligible for the Lifetime National Parks Access Pass, which gives them free admission to all National Parks – for life!

Planning a Trip? Take These LSL Tips Along for the Ride!

If you’re planning a national park visit this summer, with your child’s Access Pass in hand, or even just exploring local parks and sites, here are some LSL tips to make the most out of your adventures!

And be sure to take lots of photos so you and your child can keep the conversation going by talking about all the fun memories you make together!

National Parks are Great for the Littlest Ones – Even Babies!

Many parents are looking for ways to get out of the house and enjoy the summer with their baby. It may take a little extra packing and preparation, but getting outside and exploring is a perfect time to build listening and talking skills!

Whether you’re carrying your baby on a hike or enjoying a relaxing afternoon sitting by a lake, talk about everything you hear, feel, see, and smell.

How can your baby benefit from adventures like these?

• In your baby’s first year, they’ll develop joint attention – that special skill when your baby shows interest in sounds, objects, and events and looks to you to share the experience together.
• Then, between 9-12 months, they’ll take the next steps in their development by pointing at objects or events!

Your baby’s brain is growing rapidly, and this is a perfect time to build their listening and spoken language skills by adding words and meaning to all of the moments you share together.

LSL Strategies for Babies – Outdoor Edition

• Be a Director and Be a Bird Dog: Use these LSL strategies to point out sounds and label them to help your little one learn what different sounds mean. For example, you could say, “Listen! I hear that raven. He’s squawking from the tree!”
• Play-By-Play with what you see: Try this strategy by following your baby’s lead and describing what they see and hear. You could point out a duck and say, “The duck goes quack, quack – he's splashing in the water!”
• Play-By-Play with what you feel: Keep going with this strategy and describe what your baby is doing, thinking, and feeling. You could say, “That water is cool, brrr. You feel the waves on your feet!”

Toddlers Take on National Parks

National Park adventures are great for curious toddlers who will love the outdoor fun! Take your terrific toddler to explore the great outdoors this summer. How can your toddler benefit from adventures like these?

• Toddlers learn best through play and experience.
• Between 13 months to age 3, your toddler’s new walking skills and curiosity to learn open a whole new world of conversational opportunities.
• During this stage, you’ll see your child’s vocabulary growing rapidly, and they’ll start to combine words to share their thoughts.

LSL Strategies for Toddlers – Outdoor Edition

• Level Up Play-By-Play: Talk with your toddler about what you’re experiencing together. Add new words for actions, details, and sensory experiences. Here are some examples to try:
  • “You’re crunching the pine needles with every step.”
  • “You’re stacking those rocks. I see tiny pebbles and big round rocks!”
• It’s Your Turn: Practice this strategy by pausing after you point something out to give your toddler a chance to respond. Then, help them move from single words to longer phrases by expanding on what they say. Here’s an example:
  • If your child notices a bird and says, “Bird,” expand on that. You could say, “Yes, that’s a bird! That robin flew down from the tree. I think he’s looking for worms.”

National Parks are Perfect Practice for Preschoolers

As your child gets older, trips to National Parks become even more exciting, and they’ll grow to appreciate adventures even more!

How can your preschooler benefit from adventures like these?

• Preschool years are an exciting time when your child begins to put their listening and talking skills into action by talking about past events and telling stories.
• Outdoor adventures help your child build memory, vocabulary, and the ability to describe things in more detail.

LSL Strategies for Preschoolers – Outdoor Edition

• Beyond the Here and Now: Use this LSL strategy by restating or expanding on something your child says to add even more words.
  • If they say, “I dig a hole,” you can restate it, highlight the past tense, and add more information. “You dug a hole in the sand. Look at that huge hole you dug.”
• All About Me: Make your child the main character of the story! Take photos of your little one during your outdoor adventures and afterwards use the All About Me LSL strategy to look at the photos together. Let your child tell the story and support them with more details. Here’s an example:
  • “You made an amazing sandcastle! Do you remember what you did first?”
• Experience Books: You can even take memories from your adventures and put them together in an experience book, a homemade book that captures important moments from your child’s life. These books help children talk about past events and grow their storytelling skills. Learn how to make an experience book here.

Keep the Conversation (and the Memories) Going

Watch this short video to learn more about capturing memories (and language learning opportunities) with experience books! Each time you pair an experience book with an important moment or memory, you give your child a chance to learn more about their world. Bonus! You’re also creating a heartwarming keepsake from their childhood.