11 Most Interesting Arkansas Facts for Kids [UPDATED Facts]

Arkansas also called the Natural State, is located in the United States of America. The capital city of Arkansas is Little Rock. The 29th largest state and 33rd most populous in the USA, Arkansas has a pretty amazing history.

In this blog, we bring you the most interesting Arkansas facts for kids. These facts are certainly going to impact general awareness of your kids.

11 Most Interesting & Fun Facts about Arkansas for Kids

The capital of Arkansas, Little Rock, is the most populated city in the state. It is the center for business, education, culture, governance, and much more.

Here are the 11 Arkansas facts for kids that would delight them. The land of opportunity, Arkansas, has a lot of information to share with young minds.

1. The geographical location of Arkansas is unbelievable

Arkansas is surrounded by the USA states. To the south of Arkansas is Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma on the western border, Missouri on the north, and Tennessee and Mississippi on the east. Major rivers flow through this state.

2. The land of water bodies; rivers, lakes, and reservoirs

Many major lakes and rivers are found here. Mississippi River, Arkansas River, White River, St. Francis River, Mulberry River, Buffalo River, and their tributaries are found. Several lakes such as Beaver Lake, Greers Ferry Lake, Millwood Lake, Norfork lake, are located here.

3. 56% of the total area is covered with forests

The state is divided into three ecological regions. Plants such as oak, pine, and Hickory are found in forests. Paper milling activity is active in the pine belt region. The tulip tree is located in Crowley’s Ridge. The valleys have ferns such as Adiantum on Mount Magazine. The northwestern region has oak-Hickory hybrids along with dogwoods and redbuds.

4. Arkansas Native American Tribes

Arkansas’ history dates back millennia to when humans first arrived in North America. Arkansas was home to dozens of tribes, including the Quapaw, Tunica and Osage and they left their mark all over the state.

These are the three places in Arkansas where you can explore Native American heritage: Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park, Parkin Archeological State Park, and Bentonville’s Museum of Native American History

Many tribes used Arkansas as their hunting lands but the Quapaw, who was the main tribe settled in the Arkansas delta upon moving south from Illinois.

5. Economy, industry, and commerce are growing

It is the only state in the USA to produce diamonds. It also produces natural gas, oil, bromine, vanadium, and much more. The agricultural outputs are poultry, eggs, cotton, milk, and industrial outputs are food processing, machinery, paper firms, and much more. The largest producer of rice, turkeys and broilers.

6. Nicknamed as the natural state to promote tourism

The unique and official nickname of the natural state was assigned to Arkansas in the 1970s to promote tourism and travel. There are more than 52 state parks in the U.S. state of Arkansas.

The William Clinton presidential library in Little rock attracts many visitors. Cultural festivals such as the King biscuit blues Festival attract major tourists.

7. Major tourist attractions and parks for kids to visit

The national park system in Arkansas maintains and protects several heritage sites for tourists.

Some of the best excursion sites for kids and families are Buffalo national river, hot springs national Park, Little Rock Central high school national historic site, Pea Ridge national military Park, Arkansas state capitol building, Blanchard Springs Caverns, and more. Do visit next time you go to Arkansas!

8. Arkansas state bird, mockingbird is good at mimicking bird songs

Mockingbird is a common urban bird that was adopted as a state bird in 1929 General Assembly. It imitates the songs of other birds. A 10 inches long bird with a light gray cover has patches of whites and grays on the tail and the wings.

The bird sings on moonlight nights in the spring season. They are quick to adapt and mimic the different forms of sound.

Want to know some interesting fun facts about the state bird of Arkansas, read our article: 11 Amazing Mockingbird Facts for Kids

9. The Arkansas River Valley

The Arkansas River Valley is the area near the Arkansas River. A 40-mile long stretch that divides mountains into two parts- Ozark and Ouachita. It is one of six natural divisions of Arkansas.

Little Rock, Fort Smith, and other larger cities can be found here. Defined mostly by the western part of the state. The River Valley contains hundreds of historical sites throughout the area.

10. Best activities to do in Arkansas

Arkansas amazes the visitors by offering them a number of fun activities. If you ever happen to visit this mountainous place, then you can do the following activities to have a good time.

You can do boating and jet-skiing, cycling, mountain biking, hiking, hunting, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and many more similar adventurous sports are offered. You and your child would have some of the best days of life.

11. When Arkansas became the 25th USA state

It was in the year 1836, June 15, Wednesday when it was declared a state. It is the 25th declared state of the USA and hence 25 stars are found on its flag. Earlier it was known as the Arkansas territory. The state name is pronounced as ‘Arkansaw’ and it’s lawful to pronounce it wrong.

Some Fast Facts about Arkansas

Abbreviation: AR
Nickname: The Natural State
Joined the USA: June 15th, 1836 (25th State)
Population (2020): 3,013,756
Located: South Central United States
Capital: Little Rock
Biggest City: Little Rock
State Bird: Mockingbird
State Flower: Apple Blossom

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We hope that this article helps you in increasing the Arkansas facts for kids. A state with a 3 million population, has immense natural beauty and opportunities for development.