Winter is a great time to explore your local botanical gardens. Winter onions can be planted any time the ground can be worked – usually between October and December in most climates – or two to three weeks before the first hard freeze. For example, they love walking across the swings without touching the ground, climbing up the slides, and leaping from thing to thing. The animals will be grateful for your generosity. The bottles are the pins and the ice water balloon is the ball. and a large open space (a grassy field is perfect). Similar to making a bird feeder, winter garland for birds and woodland animals is super fun and easy for kids to make. Here’s more about how to create a “nature window” where you can observe and learn. You can find a lot of examples on Pinterest ( this is a good one ) or make your own. In the winter, their breath and body heat will rise, which melts the snow at the top of the lodge. Geocaching is basically treasure hunting, with the GPS on your phone as a guide. My son recently joined a peewee flag football team that plays games outside during the winter months. It’s definitely a win for all. It’s more important than ever to make sure you’re all getting plenty of fresh air, sunshine, exercise, and vitamins during these long cold months. Start by going on a nature walk and collecting items that a bird might like to use to build a nest. Have the kids use the chalk and leave words of kindness, love, and encouragement for others. It’s cold and snowy outside, so that means one thing…winter is officially here! Beavers spend the winter inside their lodges, but you can still find evidence of beavers in the area. We print off the lyrics of around 10 songs for the kids. But we often overlook how beneficial it is for children to know about fire safety and how to properly handle a fire. Go for a hike and look out for dams, blocking streams to form ponds and reservoirs. Make your own! Do you want to build a snowman? And while you’re at it with the bonfire, let your kids be a part of setting it up. Send your kids out to color the snow in any creative way they’d like! It is a common misconception that being outside in cold weather can bring on illness, which is why many parents keep children inside. Winter is such a fun time to try ice skating – particularly at an outdoor rink. We hope this list will help you learn about nature and plan fun outdoor adventures for your family this winter. Once they’ve gotten the hang of it, they can show off their new skills with you. Why not ask your photographer about scheduling a “snow day” photoshoot on the first snow of the season? If you live in an area where ice fishing happens, share this experience with your kids! Log in with either your Library Card Number or EZ Login. Talk about how snowflakes are formed, how/why they’re similar, but all unique. The more momentum and speed she has, the better. Lichen is easy to find nearly anywhere, so get out and explore! If you’ve ever seen photos of individual snowflakes up close, you know just how truly miraculous and incredible they are. When you purchase a live tree you’re also supporting a farm that depends on the income from those trees to continue to run. If it’s snowy and/or muddy outside and you’re not in the mood to track through the muck and get filthy, consider a playground. There’s nothing more magical in the wintertime than snowflakes! We go back summer after summer and fish in the spot where we deposited our tree and always catch big ones! They love playing outside and barely feel the cold. I’d immigrated to the United States from Nigeria to live with my … Because it gets dark so early in the winter, it’s a great time to consider a night hike with kids! There is no right or wrong way to make one which is why it is such a wonderful way to engage children to make their own mandalas using items they find in nature. You can find a lot of examples on Pinterest (this is a good one) or make your own. However, research has shown that’s just not true! Most children learn better by using their senses, and outdoor environments provide wonderful hands-on experiences in nature. Lay out a plastic lid, paper plate, pie plate or silicone mold to use as the mold for your suncatcher. Winter is a great time to visit your local zoo. Fresh snow is great for showing tracks of various woodland animals. Making kindness rocks are one of my kids’ favorite activities. Once frozen, pop the balloon and you’re left with a beautiful ice globe in your color of choice. This results in a deep, reddish-brown color as a higher concentration of compounds were leached into the water. This will create a thin layer of ice on it, which means extra speed and slickness when sledding. Outdoor education and play support emotional, behavioral, and intellectual development. Head out to a field or choose a spot near the woods where animals will be sure to find it. They live in areas rich in organic materials (like leaf litter) and are common around tree trunks. Head to your local park or pick a sidewalk on a favorite street. You can serenade your neighbors with silly love songs! Here’s a great post from Travel + Leisure about the best US cities for winter travel. Lots of winter festivals have both indoor and outdoor activities and are family-friendly. Last year my kids built an amazing igloo (with my husband’s help) that they played in for hours and hours over the course of a few weeks (until it melted). For information about rights and permissions, visit our Permissions page or contact permissions@nwf.org. After the rut, decreasing testosterone levels trigger this phenomenon. it really hurts even though you dont play with it. S’mores taste extra great when it’s cold outside and winter bonfires have the added bonus of warming your hands and backsides! However, during the winter months, water sources often freeze, leaving the birds high and dry (literally). There’s all kinds of things to do and look for. Work with your kids to plan, design, and engineer a skier (from aluminum foil or other material of their choice) that can stand on skis (popsicle sticks) and make it down a slope! 60+ Snow Day Activities for Kids (Indoor and Outdoor), Mud Activities for Kids: 7 Creative Ways to Have Fun with Mud, Valentine’s Day Outdoor Activity: Nature Heart Hunt, Special thanks to our Instagram community, Benefits of spending time outside during the winter, If it’s snowy and/or muddy outside and you’re not in the mood to track through the muck and get filthy, consider a playground. What are your favorite winter outdoor activities for kids? Cover your summertime lawn furniture with buffalo check plaid tablecloths and lots of warm snuggly blankets. This formation is a highly efficient way of flying that creates up to 70% less drag on the geese by picking up the updraft the geese in front of them. The barren landscape provides a new element in the hunt and an extra challenge. One way we can incorporate natural elements into our winter celebrations is by making nature confetti from leaves! Geese are really fascinating creatures and winter is the perfect time to study their unique habits and leadership skills. They take turns being the leader and lead each other through a maze of playground equipment, doing silly and challenging things. If she doesn’t get through, she becomes a new member of that team. Make sure you dress warm and go with an experienced angler that knows what they’re doing and how to stay safe. Icicles are nature-made popsicles, just hanging there ready for a lick! Lots of rental places offer safety lessons and guided tours, for those not familiar with the area or machines. Visiting an ice castle is at the top of my winter bucket list. Caroling doesn’t have to just be for Christmas! Include exercises that they can easily do, like sprints, jumping jacks and frog jumps! Try to guess what animal made them, where they were going and what they were doing. Use the snow to make a big cake on the ground and decorate it with birdseed, carrots, apples, lettuce and other fruits and vegetables. Certainly among treefrogs, to say the least. There are so many great reasons to choose to cut down your own (or purchase a live) real tree, instead of purchasing a plastic one. One of the biggest health benefits from spending time outside during the winter is the Vitamin D our skin absorbs from the sun. Include things like pinecones, acorns, animal tracks, frozen puddles, feathers, evergreens, etc. Sometimes, if you listen carefully, you can even hear (and smell) the beavers inside! It’s super easy to make a DIY percussion wall for kids with items that can be found around the house. Making windchimes with kids is a fun and easy activity for kids to do any time of year. Don’t have a hot tub? Kids shouldn’t spend very much time in hot tubs at the risk of overheating their small bodies. Bald eagles are fascinating to watch! Cinnamon rolls on the bonfire are a fun delicacy. Be careful getting them down, as they can be very sharp. You can do the same even if you don’t have snow in your area. We’ve all heard the dangers of glitter and want to use less plastic. The National Wildlife Federation's family of magazines include: National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Ranger Rick Jr., and Ranger Rick Cub. Use your tools (tweezers, knife (with supervision) and microscope) to examine a pinecone and dissect it. Our local parks offer carriage rides through a winter wonderland of twinkle lights in all size carriages. Look for a place where the sand is dotted with rocks and branches so that the water get’s trapped when the tide is low and you will find many critters in these small tidepools. The lead goose expends the most energy, so geese tend to switch out the position and share the responsibilities. If your house is anything like ours, you’ve probably got a dozen pairs of mittens/gloves scattered throughout your house and probably only half of them have matches. Feel the textures and smell them. Some conservation departments use trees to create woodland habitats for wildlife. Around the holidays is a great time to consider doing some acts of kindness to others. Watch the skies for classic V geese formations in the sky. If she makes it through, she gets to choose a person from the opposing team to go back to her team. Many towns and cities have winter festivals to celebrate everything from winter activities to winter harvests, winter holidays, and active winter animals. Snow ice cream is one of those special delicacies that every child should experience! in various locations and at different heights (for different kids). Even if you don’t have access to these park stations, you can easily create your own outdoor exercise routine and get your kids involved. Others want to and swim in warm tropical waters and soak up the sunshine. And if there’s anything we’ve forgotten, let us know in the comments below and we’ll get it added! If you can, organize a game of flag football for your kids and their friends. Use heavy cardboard to create oversized yeti footprints. It becomes simply a useful tool, as opposed to something mysterious and forbidden which they can’t resist the urge to explore in secret. Your kids might be surprised by how they can seem to walk on top of the snow. Speaking of insects, if one of the reasons you love winter is due to the lack of mosquitoes, we’ve got a winter project for you! These small wingless creatures are classified as hexapods (closely related to crustaceans). Uniting all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world, Inspire a lifelong connection with wildlife and wild places through our children's publications, products, and activities, National Wildlife Federation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Check out our post for even more ideas of park playground games for kids. All you need to do is add a few drops of food coloring to the water in a water balloon and let them freeze (either outside or in the freezer). But how often do we (parents) interfere with their love sticks because we’re afraid they’ll get hurt? Fill all the water bottles with colored water and place them outside or in the freezer to freeze solid. Earth Day will be celebrat, ANNOUNCEMENT Another important tip is to know the weather forecast and keep an eye on the sky as you spend time outside. Whatever your goal, look at taking a winter trip with the kids and exploring a new location. Anywhere, any time. Then let the kids go and see how many they can find. Seamus Heaney is widely recognized as one of the major poets of the 20th century. This activity is definitely on our family’s bucket list! You can hang the water bottles from your house, on a fence or even off a ladder. Making a nature mandala is a wonderful activity to do any time of year. My kids love throwing rocks (splashing, skipping or using them to break the ice), using sticks to flip over rocks, searching for minnows and crawdads and stomping through frozen puddles. Photo credit: @littletreatsphotographycalgary. Look for lichen on trees, stumps, fallen logs, etc. The person who is “it” waits at home base counting to a high number while everyone else hides. Knowing that others are counting on you makes it more likely that you’ll get outside. Don’t recognize the tracks? From heart-shaped rocks and leaves to heart-shaped knots on trees and everything in between! Once you’re finished with a real Christmas tree, it can often be repurposed. We’re always looking for fun new things to do to keep us active, outdoors and having fun! Take them outside and try them in the cold. Owls use their voices to establish territories and attract mates in the dark. It’s up to them to come up with the parameters, the maze entrance, the obstacles, and the exit. If you need tips on what to do before you go tree hunting or how to choose the right tree, we’ve got a great post with tips on cutting down your own tree. Finding these little guys is guaranteed when you search a log or water pump (as in Forgotten Grotto). And consider a way for the water to flow. Add some colored water to give it a whole new look! In this Women’s History Month, Parker is a shining role model for all she has accomplished and her ongoing positivity, energy, and belief in changing the world for the better. There are lots of booths and stands selling hot chocolate, cookies and donuts and holiday goodies from local shops and vendors. It’s not something I’ve had the opportunity to every try, but I can only imagine how fun this would be to fish with those tiny poles and pull out a massive fish! experiment and try it yourself with your own spin! All you need to do is draw a bullseye target on a large piece of cardboard, poster board, a box or even the side of the house or a fence. If your kids are looking for a creative spin on this classic activity, try making a snow animal (bear, cat, dog, penguin) instead. While most families choose to have family photos taken in the fall, winter is another great time! Include things like pinecones, acorns, animal tracks, frozen puddles, feathers, evergreens, etc. A beaver dam is a barrier that stops the flow of water and forms a pond or lake. The crowds are usually much thinner in the winter and there’s often a discounted admission fee! They are small (about 2-3 millimeters in length) and blue-black in color. It’s fun to let kids choose their own items and discover what makes noise and what doesn’t. Sweeten the tea with honey or agave nectar. Take the opportunity to turn their favorite outdoor play location into a magically-lit space for evening play. Once chickadees start visiting your feeder, stand about ten feet away and watch them for 10 minutes a day for a few days. We didn’t collect enough to make much syrup, but the process was fascinating and definitely taught us a lot about foraging and where our food comes from. Snowmobiles can be rented for the day or even by the hour. Or use pinecones for Os and 2 sticks to make Xs. They grab what’s been left or dropped by other animals, or outright steal other’s prey. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast who loves to explore but prefers to avoid crowds, visiting National Parks in the winter helps you do that and more. Lots of cities, towns, neighborhoods, and areas have local tree lightings that you can attend with the kids. Attach a cool rock to a card that says “You Rock, Valentine.” Tie a couple of twigs together to a card that says “Let’s Stick Together.” Or create cards that are little envelopes/pouches for wildflower seeds. Have you heard of the Ice Castles? Some are huge and can fit large groups and some are small and intimate. Why not turn your haphazard mitten situation into a science experiment!? While we want your kids to spend as much time outside during the winter as they can, it must be noted that going outdoors in the winter does require preparation and precaution. Many of these festivals include observation stations, conservation programs, and educational nature activities for kids. It’s a lovely way to end the outside and in nature. Wildflower seed bombs are super easy to make, great for the environment, and make lovely gifts (perfect for Valentine’s Day). Make them and let your kids “bomb” the neighborhood once the snow melts. It was an underground, non-violent yet militant. After the make the snow angel, let them decorate them! Stargazing is a great outdoor winter activity for kids. Our favorite recipe combines 1 cup milk/cream, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 8 cups clean snow. In its simplest form, a mandala is a circular structure with a design that radiates out symmetrically from the center. With a larger surface area, they will sink less, giving walking on snow a whole new feel. Don’t forget to get the kids involved in prep and planning. Snowmobiles will give you access to incredible places you couldn’t otherwise get to. It’s also a fun family tradition you can start and continue doing each year. One even looks like Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage. However, a layer of mulch is helpful for overwintering onions in cold, northern climates. As long as your location isn’t buried under tons of snow, geocaching is a great way to get outside and explore during the cold winter months. Share stories of the highlights of the year and feel free to share goals or make predictions for what the new year will bring. Hiking in the winter is one of my favorite ways to spend time outside in the cold. To learn more about receiving magazines from the National Wildlife Federation, please visit our subscription page. In time, the birds won’t mind, particularly if you make “pish” noises. now this last frog's skin is turning pale and i dont know what im sopposed to do with it. The deer’s antlers fall off and they grow back a new set of larger antlers in the beginning of spring. i know i am not sopposed to do this, but i just wanted to say that my 2 frogs were so healthy and now 1 is dead. Gather your science tools, a few evergreen branches, and some pinecones and get started examining and observing. NPR has a great infographic on how to build a campfire that will help you teach your child about fires and fire safety. One day you’ll see them scattered all around the grass and then a few days later, they’re gone. But sometimes finding things to do in the cold winter months can be tough! Create a trail around the yard or neighborhood for others to track. Also remember to bring plenty of water, as water fountains or other water sources may not work in freezing conditions. If you’re looking for some fun festive traditions to start with your family to celebrate the Winter Solstice, we have a great post with a few fun and simple ways your family can celebrate the Winter Solstice this year (and every year!). Pair your study with a hibernation habitat hunt (or hike) and let the kids look for places they think animals might hibernate. One way to get all of these things is to forage pine needles to make your own evergreen tea! Play on a picnic table with rocks and sticks. The rules are (relatively) simple (basic football rules with no tackling) and you don’t need much other than a ball, a few “flags” (pieces of an old cloth also work) and a place to play! Thoroughly wash the needles with clean, cool water. In the winter, there are six constellations that you can usually find in the night sky: Orion, Taurus, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Gemini, and Aurigo. do they float?). We’re hoping to change that! Make it a game and see who can spot the most tracks, the biggest, the smallest and the most exotic. When allowed to mature, each bulb usually produces seven or eight bulbs. You’ll be surprised what incredible clever creations they come up with! Did you know that adult male deer naturally shed their antlers each year? Tons of people enjoy cross-country skiing in the winter. Then top with sprinkles! But make sure to stay extra safe when night hiking in the winter. Allow the tea to steep for at least 20 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and cover. Geese also make a lot of noise! A lichen hunt can be done year-round, but is especially great to do in the winter. Give each child a lantern, flashlight or headlamp and head out on a local well-known trail around dusk. A few weeks later (when the paint’s chipping), I wash it all off and we do it again the following year.
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