Family Activities in Yosemite

Yosemite Junior Ranger

Join a Junior Ranger walk and learn about Yosemite wildlife and plants.

Drop by a Visitor Center or head straight to the Nature Center at Happy Isles for this great program. Kids age three and up can earn the official Junior Ranger badge by completing an activity book ($3.50 plus tax), joining a one-hour Junior Ranger Walk with a National Park Service ranger, and other educational activities.

Junior Ranger walks are held daily during the summer. Junior Ranger programs are for kids ages 7-13. Little Cubs Programs are for ages 3-6.

Location: Yosemite Valley

See the current Yosemite Guide for additional details and times.

Art in Yosemite

The Yosemite Art Center offers classes suitable for all ages and all levels

The Yosemite Art Center offers one workshop per day, Tuesday through Saturday ongoing from April through late October. Click here for full schedule.

Nature Center at Happy Isles

The Nature Center at Happy Isles is a family-oriented nature center that features natural history exhibits (with an emphasis on wildlife) and interactive displays.

Nearby are short trails demonstrating the area's different environments.  Kids may also enjoy seeing the site of the huge 1996 rock fall from the Glacier Point cliff far above the nature center.  The nature center is a short walk from the Happy Isles shuttle bus stop, and is open May through September.

Location: Yosemite Valley

See the current Yosemite Guide for details

Children's Theater at Curry Village

Ranger Ned's Big Adventure: A Show About Yosemite

Created specifically for Yosemite, Ranger Ned's Big Adventure is a fun, interactive, and informative play by The Traveling Lantern Theatre Company.

These free performances are scheduled Wednesday - Sunday at 9am and 4pm at either the Curry Village Amphitheater or Lower River Amphitheater.

Location: Yosemite Village

See Yosemite Guide for additional details.

Children’s Camera Walk

An hour of basic instruction; "learning to see" elements of composition, lighting and framing.

We also have fun with the concept of depth of field to create wacky trick photographs with kids and parents! Please plan to spend one hour in the field with your kids and our staff photographer on a short walk with many stops. Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather.

There are no restroom facilities available until our return from the walk. Walks leave promptly from the front porch of the Gallery at the scheduled time. The age limit is flexible, but a basic requirement is that the child should be able to follow directions from an instructor for an hour and be able to operate their own camera.

Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11-12 (summers only). Location: Yosemite Village For full details visit Ansel Adams Gallery

Family Camping Jamboree

Bring the whole family to enjoy fun outdoor activities and do none of the cooking or clean up.

Through Yosemite Conservancy’s Yosemite Outdoor Adventures program you can join a Family Jamboree. This is perfect if your idea of a fun camping trip is one where you don't have to cook! Families enjoy optional day hikes, nature and geological tours or simply relaxing back at camp. Check Outdoor Adventures schedule for dates.

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