Daily Sparks: Writing Prompts with Rangers

National Park Service Rangers created these writing prompt videos to inspire your writing and can’t wait to ‘visit’ you in your classroom, your home, or your office! Respond to the prompts online via #writeout or send a postcard back to the Rangers; they look forward to hearing from you!

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Park Rangers Alanna and Socorro from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area ask: Create a story about someone (could be you) who passes through an imaginary portal in the park. Where would this magic door lead?

Respond on Twitter or Instagram using #writeout or send a postcard to:

Rangers Alanna and Socorro
c/o Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Building 201, Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94123-0022

Grand Canyon National Park

Park Ranger Tarryn from the Grand Canyon National Park asks: Imagine yourself standing on the landscape one million years in the future. Create a postcard depicting what you see. On the back, write a letter describing your experience. How will our world continue to change?

Respond on Twitter or Instagram using #writeout or send a postcard to:

Ranger Tarryn
c/o Grand Canyon National Park
PO Box 129
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023

Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

Ranger Kerstin from Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park asks: Who is represented in monuments in your community? Who isn’t represented? Who decides what or who gets remembered?

Respond on Twitter or Instagram using #writeout or send a postcard to:

Ranger Kerstin
c/o Saint-Gaudens National Historic Park
139 Saint Gaudens Road
Cornish, NH 03745

Colorado National Monument

Ranger Sam from Facebook using #writeout or send postcard to:

Ranger Sam
c/o Colorado National Monument
1750 Rim Rock Drive
Fruita, CO 81521

George Washington Carver National Monument

Ranger Ryan from George Washington Carver National Monument: Make an art nature journal. Take your journal outside and document what you see. Write it, draw it, or paint it.

Respond on Twitter or Instagram using #writeout or send a postcard to:

Ranger Sam
c/o George Washington Carver National Monument
5646 Carver Road
Diamond, MO 64840

Crater Lake National Park

Ranger Makenzie from Crater Lake National Park: Design a poster that encourages people to be safe and respectful when they spend time in the natural world. Use art supplies or found objects from outside.

Respond on Twitter or Instagram using #writeout or send a postcard to:

Ranger Makenzie
c/o Crater Lake National Park
PO Box 7
Crater Lake, OR 97604

First State National Historical Park

Ranger Hugh from First State National Historical Park asks: Draw a picture or write a letter describing what you think life was like for your ancestors, who had to live off the resources they had available. Could you have survived this way?

Respond on Instagram using #writeout or send a postcard to:

Ranger Hugh
c/o First State NHP
211 Delaware Street
New Castle, DE 19720

Cumberland Island National Seashore

Ranger Ethan from Cumberland Island National Seashore: Pourquoi stories, or origin stories, that tell how or why something came to be. Write an alternate origin story of Thomas and Lucy Carnegie’s Dungeness mansion, which now lay in ruins, reclaimed by nature! Come up with your own characters, plot, and events that took place here.

Respond on Twitter using #writeout or send a postcard to:

Ranger Ethan
c/o Cumberland Island National Seashore
101 Wheeler St
St. Marys, GA 31558

Canaveral National Seashore

Ranger Ashley from Canaveral National Seashore asks: Write a things to do poem! Pick a plant, animal, or thing and imagine what kind of actions it performs—what words describe these actions?

Respond on Instagram using #writeout or send a postcard to:

Ranger Ashley
c/o Canaveral National Seashore Headquarters
212 S Washington Ave
Titusville, FL 32796

Springfield Armory National Historic Site

Ranger Pearl from Springfield Armory National Historic Site asks: Think about an invention that changed the course of history and describe why it is so important. (versions in English and Haitian Creole!)

Respond on Facebook using #writeout or send a postcard to:

Ranger Pearl
c/o Springfield Armory National Historic Site
One Armory Square, Suite 2
Springfield, MA 01105

Jimmy Carter National Historical Park

Ranger Jacob from Jimmy Carter National Historical Park asks: Think about someone who inspires you. What characteristics of that person make them so inspirational? Use those characteristics to inspire your writing.

Respond on Twitter or Instagram using #writeout or send a postcard to:

Ranger Jacob
c/o Jimmy Carter National Historic Park
300 North Bond Street
Plains, GA 31780

Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument

Rangers Suzan and Nia from Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument ask: Imagine that a person from the past visited you as a ghost! Write a story or draw a meme. What message does the spirit have for you?

Respond on Twitter using #writeout or send a postcard to:

Rangers Suzan and Nia
c/o Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument
900 Ohio Drive SW
Washington, DC 20024

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Rangers Casey and Anna from Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area: Create a protest poster about an issue that you care about related to protecting public spaces.

Respond on Twitter or Instagram using #writeout or send a postcard to:

Rangers Casey and Anna
c/o Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
1978 River Road
Bushkill, PA 18324

Longfellow House Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site

Ranger Beth from Longfellow House Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site: Create an Ode: a poem that is about one specific thing that you think is truly amazing or praiseworthy. This type of poem can be centered upon a person, an object, or something abstract like a feeling or an idea.

Respond on Instagram using #writeout or send a postcard to:

Ranger Beth
c/o Longfellow House Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site
105 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138