Things to Do at Home
Table of Contents
Tag us on Instagram @azstateparks when you complete the activities and we'll give you a shout out on our story!
Many of us are spending more time than ever in the comfort of our own homes, and to prevent the kids (and you!) from going too stir crazy, we put together as many resources as we could to help you stave off boredom. Find new things to do at home with kids and keep everyone sane!
Listen & Watch
Podcasts
Listen to the Arizona State Parks and Trails (Awesome) Podcast
Neil and Randee take you through the parks on a trip through the trails, from wildlife viewing, to photography, to interviews with locals like Arizona Republic contributor and published author Roger Naylor. Episodes are live now with more coming every other week! Kids, teens, and parents of all ages will enjoy this fun, outdoor education podcast!
Listen to the Here with Her Podcast
Arizona Coyotes host and local Kristen Keogh tours the state hiking and adventuring and empowering you to do the same! Join guests like Roger Naylor and Arizona State Parks' own Neil Large for an insightful conversation about Arizona's great outdoors.
Listen to the See It Our Way Podcast
This is a student-run podcast produced by The Foundation For Blind Children’s Adult Services comprehensive program! They tell stories and speak with guests about journeys through life with low vision and blindness. You will hear stories of hope and perseverance, creating a conversation about how life with vision loss is not worse, just different.
Videos
Watch adventure hikes and park tidbits on our YouTube!
Take a virtual tour through famous hikes like Flatiron and Picacho Peak, explore Dead Horse Ranch State Park, and more, all to a groovy soundtrack and right from your couch! We bring the outdoors directly to you so there's no more being bored at home for anyone.
Tour the Historic London Bridge
Visit Lake Havasu's iconic London Bridge with 32 Bravo Media! See the architecture and learn about the history of the bridge, and how it made its way across the pond to Arizona's most happening beach!
Embark on a Safari
Join the Phoenix Zoo's online hub for videos, blogs, behind the scenes, and more of the wildlife that call the zoo home on the Digital Safari! This is a great resource for all ages, and anyone who wants to learn more about animals!
Playlist
Listen to the Arizona State Parks & Trails (Awesome) Playlist
Activities
Art
Browse Arizona Art!
Each week from April to May we hosted an art contest for all ages, and you can check out the gallery!
Draw with Me from @VikiArtCorner
Follow these instructions to draw your very own javelina, coatimundi, or Coues deer—then submit it to the Paint Arizona gallery and contest!
Zoom Backgrounds
Tag us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram and share a photo of your scenic Zoom meeting!
Alamo Lake State Park • Buckskin Mountain State Park • Catalina State Park • Cattail Cove State Park • Dead Horse Ranch State Park • Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area • Homolovi State Park • Jerome State Historic Park • Kartchner Caverns State Park • Lake Havasu State Park • Lost Dutchman State Park • Lyman Lake State Park • Oracle State Park • Patagonia Lake State Park • Picacho Peak State Park • Red Rock State Park • Roper Lake State Park • Slide Rock State Park • Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
Virtual Hikes & Yoga
Take a virtual hike on an Arizona State Park trail with Google Maps!
In 2019, AZ State Parks staff carried a heavy Google Trekker camera over 200 miles to map every trail in the state parks, and Google processed and uploaded the data to Google Earth and Maps. The information gives everyone the opportunity to take a virtual tour of a trail without having to physically climb or travel. For a preview of Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park, a difficult trail to hike and an important memorial site, you can view the Google data here. For more parks, type the park name into the search bar, select street view, and drag the yellow person icon to the map to navigate the trail.
Stay Active
Practice yoga, boxing, dance, and more (for all ages!) from local business around Arizona. Check out the full list of virtual classes.
Tell Us Your Story
We want to hear from you! Tell us about an adventure you had in a state park, a road trip or experience you cherish. Use it as a teaching exercise and ask your children to write their own story!
Digital Jigsaw Puzzles
Click on the picture to play!
Learn
Arizona has endless mountains and valley, and the ecosystem is one of the most diverse in the world. From the Ponderosa Pines of northern Arizona to the saguaro cactuses of the Sonoran Desert, you can learn about Arizona's desert plants! In all these ecosystems live a range of wildlife in Arizona, like javelina, deer, and tortoises! Discover new species of birds and how to identify them with an Arizona bird guide! Learn a new skill like fishing in Arizona! Explore Arizona's aweome past with Arizona's historic parks, and plan your trip for when they open their doors! Arizona is full of surprises, and there's always something new to learn about this incredible state!
Arizona Highways
Read the Arizona Highways blog, surf through hundreds of photo contest entries featuring amazing AZ views, or learn something new about the Grand Canyon State!
Library Resources
Phoenix Public Library Resources
While the branches are closed, Phoenix Public Library offers various library digital services in the meantime! Take advantage of learning platforms and Ask a Librarian for university courses, typing, language, and driving classes, citizenship preparation guides, computer programming, and more!
National Parks
Start checking off virtual adventures with the National Park Service! Here's 20 ideas for experiencing national parks from home.
Shop Western National Parks Association
Your purchases support parks at WNPA, a nonprofit education partner of the National Park Service. Shop fun park products like mugs, tshirts, Junior Ranger gear, and more, or make a donation to help the parks!
For Kids
Complete an activity booklet and color the pictures!
Explore the world around you with Rocky Ringtail as you learn about the environment through games and puzzles! The Junior Buddy booklet gives you things to do with kids at home for pages and pages of fun! This is designed for children aged 3-5 and their parents; however, the coloring pages and exploration it encourages is fun for all ages.
When you're done coloring the Junior Buddy booklet, follow Rocky into a new coloring adventure! Download pages of Arizona-themed coloring and activity pages with Rocky Ringtail, coyotes, desert mountains, and more!
Activity Booklet for Kids
While these are designed to be completed while exploring the parks, you can complete them using research online, virtual tours in Google Maps, and your own backyard! These activities are great for ages 6-12, or younger with parents' help! Happy adventuring! Download the booklet.
Coloring for Kids:
Curriculum
Constellations
Learn your constellations with this craft from Kartchner Caverns State Park, one of two Arizona State Parks designated International Dark Sky parks by the IDA (along with Oracle State Park). Watch night sky timelapses and get a glimpse of a star party as you embark on your journey through the night.
Sing Along with WIllie Waterdrop on his journey to Kartchner Caverns!
ADOT Kids
ADOT is bringing transportation to you! Learn about bridges, snowplows, litter, and more with downloadable activities and videos brought to you by #ADOTKids.
National Park Trust's Parks to Kids
Download Buddy Bison's Backyard Bingo, color a picture with National Park coloring sheets, or take a virtual dive with the National Marine Sanctuaries! Go with Buddy Bison on a Choose Your Own Park Adventure, and make sure you check the National Park Trust's website and sign up for the newsletter to get new activities in your email every week!
OdySea Aquarium & Butterfly Wonderland
OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland's #AQUArantine Series
From animals practicing social distancing, to horshoe crabs, to shark pups, you won't be bored at home as long as you've got OdySea Aquarium's video feed! Spend an hour (or five) catching up on all the aquatic shenanigans! Get lesson plans, watch live animal cams, and check out the animals on OdySea's Oceanic Adventure from home!
Butterfly releases, Cirque du Soleil, and Dwarf Caimans (Tiny crocodiles. Need we say more?) are all enjoying their time in the quiet at Butterfly Wonderland!
Grab 2 Tickets to Go to support the 6,000 animals being cared for at these sanctuaries. Buy two tickets now, use them for up to a year after reopening!
Support Local
Local First Arizona has resources for small business and tips on how you can support your local restaurants, museums, and more during this time! Your support is crucial to help small businesses through this time.Arizona Together
#AZTogether is the Arizona government's response to your needs for resources related to unemployment, housing, childcare, and other struggles you may be experiencing. It also has the most up to date information on COVID-19 in Arizona.
If you have a local organization or small business that is offering resources during this time, needs a social media boost, or wants to talk about other ways we can work together, please contact us.
