Last week I shared two wonderful winter activities to do with your littles. This post will probably be short and sweet since I have two more activities for littles to share with you this week.
I will reiterate here what I mean by ‘littles.’ Your youngest trail blazers that are toddlers through kindergarten age sometimes need some special attention to keep them engaged outdoors. They also need some purposeful planning on your part since they often take afternoon naps.
Honestly though, planning activities for this age group is just plain fun! It is good for you too to get excited about trying something new. Your kids will catch the enthusiasm and then everyone will have more fun enjoying your outdoor time.
Winter Scavenger Hunt
A Scavenger Hunt is one of the best ways to make the same stretch of trail seem like a brand new world. It is an excellent educational activity also. It helps your child build observational skills. Here are some things you can look for on the trail or at the park in winter.
- stick
- leaf
- berry
- icicle
- animal tracks
- evergreen branch
- bird
- pine cone
- boot prints
- ski tracks
- snowmobile tracks
Pocket Bears
I have gotten several wonderful ideas from Leah McDermott at yournaturallearner.com. She started the 150 hours outside project that has spurred us onto even greater goals for time spent outside. I suggest following her blog and Instagram for inspiration and ideas.
Pocket bears are a fantastic little craft. First, you make a little bear who then becomes a buddy for your outdoor adventures. There is a pattern for felt bears on the Your Natural Learner website. You can also make one out of another fabric, knit, or crochet a bear. The key is to make it small enough to fit in your child’s pocket.
When your bear is finished and ready to go, take him on your outings. See how many places you can take his picture. When you get back home, have your child draw a picture of what you did. Remember the Plan, Do, Review method of supporting learning activities. Keep the drawings in a notebook or binder. Soon you’ll have an adventure log!
Not Crafty?
Perhaps you are not the crafty sort. That is not a problem. You don’t have to love crafts to support your little learner in all sorts of activities. You can use any small toy in place of the pocket bear. Check out our post Same Trail, New Activity to see how we used a kids’ meal toy on a winter hike and photo shoot.
What About My Big Kids?
I have spent quite a bit of time on activities for your littles lately. Fortunately, your elementary age kids will enjoy most or all of these activities too. Snow painting, adopting a tree, scavenger hunts, and pocket bears are fun for the whole family. We hope that these ideas help you extend learning with your kids and help your family enjoy more time outside this winter.
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