Nature walks are a fun way for young children to explore and get acquainted with nature at their own pace. If you haven’t done so already, I really recommend taking the kids out for a winter nature walk. The beauty of doing these walks all year round is that you get to experience all the changes that take place as nature transitions from one season to another. Try these fun nature walk activities when they need a little extra motivation on the trail!
Although I usually just let the girls play freely during our walks, I sometimes have a few simple nature walk activities in the back of my head in case they need a little extra motivation to make it back to the car. Here are a few things that we like to do:
Animal tracking is a fun nature walk activity for children and adults alike and winter is a great season for it – especially if there is snow on the ground! Learn the basics in Animal Tracking with Children: A Beginner’s Guide.
Turn over a rock or log to see who’s hiding underneath. You may be surprised!
Picnics help keep little tummies happy and a hot beverage is a great way to warm up on a chilly day – our favorite is hot chocolate. The Woodland Trust Nature Detectives has some fun winter picnic recipes if you feel like trying something new.
Scavenger hunts are always a big hit with my girls and there’s no reason why they can’t be done in winter as well. Check out Cragmama’s 6 Ideas for Nature Hunts for Young Explorers for inspiration.
Hug some trees – can you find one that has the perfect circumference for you to wrap your arms around? Or use this simple method from Science Sparks to estimate the height of a tree.
Watch for birds and count how many bird nests you see in the trees. Bring a pair of binoculars to get a better view. And don’t forget to listen for them as well!
Watch, listen, touch, smell and taste the woods to get the most out of your walk. Mommy Loves Trees lists 20 Ways to Explore the Forest Using Your 5 Senses.
Thanks for including my post.
Anytime:o)
Thanks so much for featuring my post! I absolutely love the winter walk activities & will be sharing the animal tracks resource far and wide 🙂
It was a great post! Hope you have fun with your winter walks – animal tracking is one of our favorites:o)
Lots if great ideas Linda & love that link to the recipes x
Thanks, Kierna:o) Yes, Woodland Trust Nature Detectives always has great stuff!
This is a great post, lots of these activities are put into action here on the farm on a regular basis to help kids stay motivated whilst outside having fun! Thanks for linking up with Country Kids.
Cool ideas!
Thanks, Candy!
Love these ideas for changing up winter walks. We go on listening walks too, inspired by a picture book of the same name – winter is particularly good for hearing and spotting the birds! #countrykids
Thank you! And yes, both the birds and their nests appear easier to spot in the winter. Sometimes we’ll just lie down on our backs and close our eyes and listen – it’s a good exercise in mindful listening and the kids love it!
A great list of activities with loads of reasons to get out for a walk. Little Man especially loves picnics at the moment. He doesn’t care how cold or wet is either bless him.
Picnics are always fun – bringing hot chocolate has almost become a must to get my youngest daughter outside lately, as the weather has been especially dreary.