Watch kids develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledge of an explorer.

Developed in conjunction with National Geographic Education, this unique program helps kids and teens under 18 get more out of exploring and have more fun, too. On every Galápagos, Alaska, Baja California, and now on Journey To Antarctica: The White Continent expeditions, kids and teens choose fun activities, from earning a Zodiac “driver’s license” to recording wildlife sightings in their Field Notebook. Each one is designed to help them see and do more.

Go with National Geographic certified field educators

Kids benefit from naturalists who are specially trained as National Geographic field educators. They optimize daily “In the Field" activities to prompt kids to watch out for a particular item, like a creature with scales or a giant coral head on land, then record their observations in their Field Notebook.

Kids also take part in a variety of active adventures: snorkeling with sea lions in Galápagos and Baja California, identifying whale flukes in Alaska, or kayaking with penguins in Antarctica. Parents and grandparents, and extended family see kids connecting with nature and learning in new ways.

Kids are given room to use their creativity to tell stories about the unique things they see and do through photos, videos, music, and drawing. It helps develop their observation skills and they go home with new skills, knowledge, and confidence. 

A Day in the Life of a National Geographic Global Explorer

7:00 AM | Up on the Sundeck

Hop into a Zodiac, zip along the shore, and then hike in search of wildlife and strange and interesting plant life. In Alaska, spot a bald eagle fishing. In Galápagos, observe sunbathing marine iguanas. In Baja California, get up close with baby gray whales. And in Antarctica, search for leopard seals resting on the ice. Snap photos with your smartphone and jot notes in your Field Notebook.

10:00 AM | Microscopic Exploration

Drop a net over the side of your Zodiac to collect plankton, then check it under a video microscope to see how it looks and moves. 

1:00 PM | Video Shoot 

After lunch, meet your Lindblad-National Geographic certified photo instructor or the ship's video chronicler in the lounge and get some tips on how to create impressive slow-motion and timelapse videos, then test out those new skills in the field.

2:00 PM | License to Explore

Time to drive! Learn to operate a Zodiac and earn your license. (Sorry adults, kids only.)

4:00 PM | Wildlife List

Before dinner, meet up in the lounge to go over all the wildlife you saw and mark it down in your Field Notebook. Be sure to include creatures big and small—from humpack whales in Alaska to tiny krill in Antarctica. Add the day's points to your tally so that you can keep track of your progress on becoming certified as a National Gegraphic Global Explorer.

8:00 PM | Night Sky

After dinner, head to the top deck to watch the stars come out as the sun goes down. Find new constellations with the help of your naturalists and make notes of them.

Take the whole family on a Lindblad Expedition and create memories to last for generations to come.