Ways to Keep Kids Involved With Nature During the Winter Months

During the winter months when kids are more prone to fight over the remote control and computer mouse than the bicycle or skateboard, outdoor activities can screech to a halt. The colder the weather becomes the less frequent the trips out into nature occur. Winter is not the time for hibernating. Nature, despite the brown and lifeless façade, is thriving and growing even during the coldest winter days. In order to get your child outside and learning about nature during the winter months, parents have to give purpose to the nature education.

One of the best ways to teach children about nature during the winter is with crafting projects. Collecting pine cones, dried leaves and pine needles are great ways to educate children on the difference between deciduous and evergreens. When the nature walk is complete, combine all of the collected nature artifacts and throw them into a glass hurricane with some fragrant oils and your child has just created potpourri.

Children love to search for clues in hopes of finding a treasure at the end of their search. An outdoor scavenger hunt in the winter months is another great way to teach a child about nature. To plan the scavenger hunt, simply write a list of items the child will need to find outside. The educating catch is the clues will need to be solved first. Some examples include: Gather a leaf from an evergreen.

Calming for both parent and child, the nature walk does not require a forest or hiking trail. The walks can take place in the back yard of the home or a local park. Teaching a child about nature during the winter is all about taking part is a fun activity together. Some of the easiest facts to teach a child include facts about birds in the winter versus the summer. What changes take place in their feathers? How do they stay warm?

Nature is alive and ready for a little education lesson this winter. When the coldest morning winds blow, parents can worry less about the winds and bundle up their children for a bit of education disguised as outdoor fun.