• Home
  • Meet Sarah
  • Free Starter Kit
  • Shop Resources
  • Search

How Wee Learn

Out of the box learning ideas, playful art, exploring nature, and simple living - that is How We Learn!

  • Quiet Time
  • Letters and Numbers
  • Art
  • Science
  • Get Outside
  • Shop

Winter Nature Walk Ideas

February 18, 2014 by Sarah 3 Comments

We have been spending more time indoors than usual lately.  It is February, which is a month I am not too fond of, and it has been so cold!  But today we braved the weather and went for a winter nature walk.  Like always, once we were all out in the woods we had a wonderful time.

We came home refreshed and tuckered out from a busy afternoon … which also made for a peaceful bedtime!  While we were on our walk we did lots of things – so I thought I would share some winter nature walk ideas with you!

hiking with kids in the winter

Winter Nature Walk Ideas

Before you set out on your winter nature walk, I would suggest having a peek at this post by Ann over at My Nearest and Dearest on Making the Most of Winter with Kids!

Sledding

The first thing we did differently on this nature walk was to bring a sled!  Usually, Sam is a hiker and Benjamin is a combination of a hiker and a snuggler, but this time they both hopped on a sled.  The paths were the perfect size for the sled and it was a great chance for the boys to see many different things.  Since they usually trudge through the snow a lot of their attention is focused on their feet and not falling in the snow – but being in the sled they were able to look at different things and explore with their eyes.  There was also a wonderful gentle slope which was so much fun to go down (and up and down and up …)

how we learn sledding down a hill during a nature walk

Land Art

Madeline and I had been wanting to try our hand at some land art.  We had been inspired by the gorgeous land art of Richard Shilling and this was a great opportunity to give it a try. Though we did not get too elaborate, we had a great time making spirals and patterns and playing with different angles using the camera.

making land art suring  a nature walk how we learn

Looking for Animal Tracks

These woods are full of animal tracks.  It was fun to look at all the different tracks we could find and try to figure out whose tracks were whose.  We believe we found deer, bunny, squirrel, and birds.  Though next time we will be sure to bring some animal track ID cards.  I like these ones that I found over at Hobby Farms.

looking for animal tracks during a nature walk how we learn

Looking for Signs of Animals and Birds

While we were on our winter nature walk we were looking for animals.  We did see a few birds but that was all.  We are rather noisy explorers and the fun sledding on the hill was sure to tell any animal in the area where we were! But we saw many signs of animals.  The boys were thrilled to find some deer poop (which child wouldn’t be?) And we also found a few trees with the bark nibbled off.

how we learn bark nibbled from an animal

Photography

Looking for nature walk ideas for bigger kids?  Bring a camera!  Madeline had so much fun taking pictures.  She was playing with light and angles as she explored the woods.  If I had brought our less expensive camera I am sure Sam would have loved snapping some pictures too!

photography during a nature walk with kids how we learn

Go Off the Beaten Track

We went to different woods then we usually do for this nature walk, so we didn’t really venture far from the beaten trail.  Since we have so much snow we couldn’t be very sure as to where there were ditches and dips … and we have A LOT of snow.  But venturing off of the beaten trail is a great thing to do on a nature walk if you are familiar with the woods.  Little ones feel much more like explorers when they are pushing branches and stepping over roots.  There is also something wonderful about being the first foot print in a new patch of snow.

It is wonderful to be outside in the winter.  I always love it (once I am actually out there!) And it is great to let my little ones explore and play in nature.

These nature walk ideas are well worth the energy to bundle everyone up!  And if you need a little more motivation – think how peacefully the kids will sleep after all that time outside!

Looking for other nature walk ideas? Check out our series on Five Senses Activities for Kids Outside!

Please consider liking us on Facebook so we can share more creative learning activities with you and your wee ones.  Thank you!

Filed Under: Explore, Get Outside, Outside Play Tagged With: snow, winter

« Disappearing Colorful Snow Balls!
A Winter Waldorf Nature Table »

Comments

  1. Susen says

    February 21, 2014 at 10:18 pm

    Beautiful! Makes me want to go on a nature walk now. Tomorrow is suppose to be in the 50’s here in PA so although still lots of snow here it should be a perfect day to take a walk! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      February 23, 2014 at 1:19 pm

      Gorgeous weather! I love those sunny snowy days! Thank you for commenting Susen

      Reply
  2. Betsy @ BPhotoArt.com says

    March 19, 2014 at 12:42 am

    great ideas, thanks for sharing!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 512 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video, document, spreadsheet, interactive, other. Drop file here

I'm Sarah, teacher turned homeschooling mom of 4, reading specialist, and curriculum creator. I share our adventures, crafts, and learning activities right here with you.

While you're here, grab my Learning Letters Starter Kit absolutely free! Teaching the letters in this special order allows reading to flow naturally.

Learning Letters Starter Kit: Get Your FREE Kit!
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
Step 1: Play into Kindergarten Readiness
Step 2: Kindergarten at Home
Step 3: Family Unit Studies
Step 4: Core Skills Coursebooks

Visit my Sponsor Oak Meadow

For every step of your journey
  • For Ages 2-3
  • For Ages 4-5
  • For Ages 6-7
  • For Ages 6-12
  • For All Ages

Shop Resources


Copyright © 2022 · How Wee Learn · Privacy Policy · designed by blogger boutique · Genesis Framework

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
211 shares
  • 20