Winter nature walks for kids can be a lot of fun. I still remember the winters during our homeschooling years when we walked at a local wildlife refuge almost every week. At first glance the winter landscape seems bleak and dreary. Then you notice the little birds flitting to and fro among the trees and seed pods revealed on stalks of brown.
Getting Ready to Walk
Always dress appropriately for walking outside in the winter. Plan on setting aside at least an hour for the walk depending on the age of your kids. If you have little ones, check on conditions ahead of time. Some places have nice flat trails for jogging strollers while others may be a bit more rugged. When my guys were really little (under 6 months) I carried them in a Baby Bjorn. After 6 months we moved to the jogging stroller with a nifty little sack to keep them warm.
Places to Go
To get started, try taking walks in the different habits in your area. For example, our hometown area, the Delaware Valley, is home to a fresh water marsh, salt water marsh, meadows, mountains, and woods. The fresh water marsh is the source for walks throughout the year since it serves as a stopping point for birds migrating in the spring and fall. The other spots can be visited seasonally to see what changes have occurred.
- National Wildlife Refuge System
- Local Arboretums
- Local colleges and universities – Some may host an arboretum on their campus.
- Public Gardens
What to Look For
Toddlers can look for leaf buds, common birds and animals, animal tracks, or signs of insect activity like praying mantis egg cases. Preschoolers can be introduced to the concept of seasons. They can also begin to differentiate between the different types of environments.
Elementary students and up can use nature journals to help them hone in on details in the environments such as tree shapes, different types of birds, and coniferous vs deciduous trees. Later in winter, they can look for migratory birds if they live near one of the migratory bird routes.
Elementary students are ready to understand concepts like the water cycle and the roles the different members of the environments play. Elementary students can also learn about recycling and how to preserve the environment for others.
Ways to Extend the Walk
- Make small file folder books to use as nature journals for each walk.
- Start a regular nature journal with a sketch book from an art store.
- Learn bird calls for your area. Petersen’s Birding by Ear CD
is one resource our family has used.
- Have a visual scavenger hunt. Print out pictures of animal tracks, animals, birds, or trees to look for and have the kids match them up with the pictures.
- Learn about animal tracks and make air dry clay casts of tracks you find.
- Take a walk at night and listen to the sounds of the nocturnal birds and animals.
- Buy your children disposable cameras if they’re young or lend them your camera if they’re old enough and have your kids take pictures of what they see. Focus on a theme for each walk.
Resources
- Anna Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study
- Keeping a Nature Journal by Claire Walker Leslie
- The Nature Connection: An Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families, and Classrooms
- Nature Study – Charlotte Mason Style
- Birding by Ear: Eastern/Central (Peterson Field Guides)
- Whose Tracks Are These?: A Clue Book of Familiar Forest Animals
- Track Finder: A Guide to Mammal Tracks of Eastern North America (Nature Study Guides)
- One Small Square: Woods
- One Small Square: Pond
- One Small Square: Swamp
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Places to go in the Delaware Valley
- Bartram’s Garden
- Fort Washington State Park
- John Heinz Wildlife Refuge
- John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove
- Hildacy Farm Preserve
- Morris Arboretum
- Ridley Creek State Park
- Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College
- Tyler Arboretum
Love these ideas! I had to pin so I could go on some winter adventures with my boys!
Heather recently posted..Makin’ Music for Families DVD Review
Wonderful! I can’t wait to read about your adventures.
Ok so when it gets a liiiiiittle bit warmer this is such a great idea! I am lucky to live around some beautiful colleges and we love to stroll around!
lindsey recently posted..5 Ways to show your skin some LOVE this Valentine’s Day {Rodan + Fields Giveaway}
That’s a great list! We’re always looking for new places to explore in the area 😀
Well, I’d prefer it to warm up a WEE bit more, but I surely will be checking out some awesome walks in February!
Gina B recently posted..How to Have a Gluten Free SuperBowl Sunday!
Great ideas! I’m saving this for when it gets nice out
Yes! I miss last year’s mild winter.
Great ideas, pinning for when the temps increase just a teeny bit!
What a great idea. I’m always trying to find new things for the kids to do in the winter, that doesn’t include a TV, laptop or video game. This is perfect.
Amiyrah recently posted..7 Things to buy in February
We have so many incredible places to visit in our community, don’t we? Thanks for taking the time to compile this list of locations!
Life with Kaishon recently posted..Well, the Super Bowl came and went and we lived to tell about it.
I love all of your tips! There are so many beautiful arboretums around us, it’s our favorite place to visit. I never went to them as a kid, so I love reliving the new excitement with mine!
kim @ DESIGN + LIFE + KIDS recently posted..black, white + gold iphone cases
You’re right. We have so many wonderful places to visit. You know I love Longwood Gardens! I could go there every month.
I wish I was as dedicated as you sometimes! I did get out with the kids yesterday as the temps reached high in the 40s but below that, I just can’t do it! We have great nature parks nearby too!
Carrie @ Chockababy recently posted..Allergy Friendly Valentine Treats
This winter has been so hard. When I was pulling the pictures together for the post, I found lots of pictures from past winters which were clearly warmer than this one. It also helped to have a jogging stroller to carry the youngest child.
There is a small nature center near us and my son absolutely loved his first visit there!
Jeanine @MommyEntourage recently posted..The LEGO Movie Review and Sneak Peek!
I love taking nature walks! Thank you for the tips on extending the walk. I love the visual scavenger idea.
Caitlin recently posted..The Adventures of Elinor and Daddy
If you google nature study or Montessori, you can find scavenger hunt aids like cards and printables to help the littles know what to look for.
We sure love nature walks! May even take one today…I know I know, snow, but still…lots to learn from that too:)
Lauryn recently posted..Printable Valentine’s Day Picture and Tutorial
DD7 and I walked in the snow yesterday. We waited until the snow slowed down. My hubby wants to walk in the woods when it’s snowing.
Great ideas. I’d love to do a geocaching adventure one day with the kids. Have never done that!
Jessica @EatSleepBe recently posted..10 Great Organizations that Support our Troops
I’d love to do that, too! I have a friend who geocaches with her kids. Maybe this summer since my youngest will be 6 and up for longer walks.
My boys love using the disposable cameras. We use them during walks during the Spring/Summer. Never thought to do it during the winter, though.
Jennifer @Making Our Life Matter recently posted..#Ad:Valentine’s Day Meal Ideas For The Entire Family #LuvTyson
Yes, I don’t worry as much about my kids dropping a disposable.
Great post! We take regular nature walks as part of our homeschool Earth-education program, always taking a backpack with field guides to help us identify plants or animals. I’ve found that often younger children will want to turn back early–but you can “encourage” their participation by bringing along a snack and water, and taking a snack-break half-way through–as a sort of “mini-picnic”. This also lends makes a good segway to nature study activities. Thanks!
Samantha @ Runamuk Acres recently posted..Establishing a new farm: Where to start & how to prioritize
Yes, my kids always travel with food!
All great ideas for getting kids out and back to nature. We don’t get as much during the winter but try to whenever the weather is warmer. I found your site on the Family Fun Friday.
Nicky recently posted..Friday Pin Fest #17
Thank you! Up until this winter, we’ve been able to get out a lot. This winter, not so much, though I think the really cold temps are gone. We just have lots of snow.
Great tips, we love walking outside too! Thanks for linking up to Good Tips Tuesday!
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