Nature Walk Activities

Are you looking for ways to keep your kids engaged on family nature walks? Or maybe you want to find a way to make your nature walks more educational. In this blog post I share some fun educational activities to enhance your nature walk experience!

Mini Beast Hunting

Hunt for insects and other creepy crawlies while you walk. How many different kinds can you spot?

If you have older kids, try identifying the mini beasts that you spot. Is it an insect? A gastropod? An arachnid? If it's an insect can you figure out what insect order it belongs to?

Hunt for Hearts

Hunt for heart shaped rocks, leaves, etc...

Bird Watching

Grab some binoculars and look for birds while you walk. If you have older kids, bring along a bird guide or use the Merlin Bird ID app to try to identify birds that you spot.

Nature Photography

Bring a camera and encourage your kids to take pictures of things that interest them.

Hunt for Different Leaf Shapes

Look for different leaf shapes while you walk.

Wildflower Hunt

Look for wildflowers while you walk. Count how many different species you can find.

Colors of the Rainbow Hunt

Try to find something of each color of the rainbow.

Senses Walk

Use your senses. What do you see, hear, smell, feel?

Mushroom or Lichen Hunt

Hunt for mushrooms and other fungi. Or hunt for lichen. If your kids are older, grab a guide book and try to identify your finds.

Hunt for Animal Homes

Look for different types of animal homes like bird nests, squirrel nests, ant mounds, decaying logs, etc... Talk about the animals that live in each one.

Signs of Spring Hunt

As spring approaches, hunt for signs of springs. Look for things like buds and blossoms on trees, early spring flowers, insects, birds building nests, and new plant sprouts.

Fall Leaf Hunt

In the fall, look for fall leaves. Compare their colors and shapes.

Foraging

Forage for edible plants like blackberries, dandelions, and wood sorel while you walk. Just be sure not to ingest anything unless you are positive about what it is and that it's edible.

Look for Animal Tracks

Hunt for animal tracks while you walk. Try to identify what kind of animal left them.

Dandelion Flower Hunt

Look for dandelion plants. Can you find one in each stage of the dandelion lifecycle? Seed, sprout, bud, flower, seed head.

Can you find any flowers in a transitional stage?

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