Nature Walks for Early Childhood

 

Spending time outdoors has many positive benefits for children. Nature walks are a wonderful way to introduce children to the outdoors. They provide a wonderful avenue for children to exploration, and observation nature and the outdoors. Below are several themed nature walks for young children.

Shape Walk

What you need:

• Paper cut into various shapes (square, triangle, circle, star, etc…)
• Yarn
• Hole punch

Make each child, or have them help make, a shape necklace by cutting various shapes out of paper. Hole-punch the top of each and string onto a necklace made out of yarn. Take a walk outside to look for the shapes on their necklaces. Take a turn with each shape. When one is spotted say “I spy something shaped like____” and have the children try to find it on their own. When you return to the classroom go through each shape and ask children what they saw that was that shape.

Color Walk

What you need:

• Box of crayons

Take a walk outside with a box of crayons (or several crayons of each color for each child). Find objects that match the crayons.

Listening Walk

What you need:

• Paper plates
• Crayons or pencils

Take children on a walk to a grassy location where everyone can sit comfortably. Give each child a paper plate and a crayon. Instruct children to draw a dot in the middle of the paper plate to represent themselves. Everyone will then sit quietly and listen. Each time they hear a sound they mark it on their plate where it sounds like it is in relation to themselves. For example, if they hear a truck behind them they would draw a dot behind them on their plate. There are many variations you can do with this activity, i.e. children can draw a picture of what they hear where they hear it, they can draw themselves in the center, or use a different color crayon for each different sound etc…Base the activity on the ability and age of the students.

Insect Walk

What you need:

• Magnifying glasses
• Insect jar

Take children to a grassy or natural area in your outdoor classroom, school yard or close to school. Encourage children to get down on their hands and knees or crouch down to look for insects. Insects are usually found on or near plants. Observe them with magnifying glasses and/or in an insect jar. Discuss what you see and observe. Return insects to where you found them when you are done observing them.

For these and other great ideas for getting kids outdoors check out Growing up WILD and Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood.

Book List
Arnosky, J. 1979. Crinkleroot's Book of Animal Tracks and Wildlife Signs. Penguin Group (USA).
Arnosky, J. 1993. Crinkleroot's Guide to Walking in Wild Places. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Boring, M. 1999. Fun with Nature. T&N Children's Publishing.
Boring, M. and L. Evert. 2001. More Fun with Nature. Northword Press.
Capogna, V.V. 1999. Did You Ever Wonder about Things You Find in Your Backyard? Marshall Cavendish Inc.
Cole, H. 1998. I Took A Walk. HarperCollins Publishers.
Fredericks, A.D. 2001. Under One Rock: Bugs, Slugs and Other Ughs. Dawn Publications.
Hines, A. G. 1994. What Joe Saw. HarperCollins Publishers.
Kalman, B. 1993. The Colors of Nature. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Morrison, G. 2004. Nature in the Neighborhood. Walter Lorraine Books/Houghton Mifflin Books.
Rotner, S. and K. Kreisler. 1992. Nature Spy. Atheneum.
Ziefert, H., and S. Bonners. 1986. Sarah's Questions. HarperCollins Publishers.
  

Back to School with Nature
It is that time of year again – back to school time! As children are picking out new backpacks and sneakers teachers are preparing themselves and their classrooms for another year filled with growing and learning.

This year, as you are preparing your classroom for the new school year, try to incorporate nature into the overall design and layout of your room. There are many ways that you can create a nature-themed classroom.

Classroom Design
Choose a nature-theme for your classroom and incorporate in throughout. Your theme can change as the seasons change. Or your theme can simply be “nature” and incorporate nature in various forms throughout your classroom. Use it for bulletin boards, newsletters home, nametags for students, and cubby spaces. Base centers on nature, encourage students to share stories, objects and/or pictures based on nature. Display their contributions in your classroom.

Fill your classroom with living things such as plants, fish tanks, ant farms, worm farms etc… Set up bird feeders outside your classroom windows for children to observe daily. Plant seeds (bean, sunflowers or other easily grown plants) together as a class and watch them grow.

Centers
As you prepare centers for the new school year set up a center or table for nature objects. This can be a center that can change as the season’s change. At the beginning of the school year you can have objects such as flowers, and leaves. As the year progresses into autumn you could have pumpkins, apples, fall leaves, etc… Encourage children to bring in natural objects that they find as well, such bird nests that have fallen from trees, cool looking rocks or sticks that they find. Allow children to look at, touch, smell, etc…the objects.

Nature objects are great for sensory tables as well. Leaves crunch, moss is soft, rabbit fur is fluffy. Check with your local County Conservation Board for various natural items that they may be able to loan you.

Outside Play
Plan outside time for students into your day every day as weather allows. Think of your outside play area as an extension of your classroom. Have a place for children to play with dirt, sand, sticks and other natural objects. If you do not have an “outdoor classroom” you can still incorporate nature into your outdoor play area. Sandboxes can be filled with sand, dirt, or nature objects (or even mud!). Logs can be brought in for children to climb on, sit on, build a fort beside, or even to peel the bark off to look for insects.

You can plant flowers, seeds, even small trees in pots and create your own “natural” setting. Put our bird feeders for children to watch birds eat. Provide children with binoculars, magnifying glasses and other “explorer gear” during outside time. Remember that children are fascinated by even the smallest insect they find!

County Conservation Boards
As you are preparing your school year remember what a wonderful resource you have in your local County Conservation Board. CCB Naturalists are usually more than happy to come into your classroom and present programs on various subjects. They often also have access to wildlife that have been injured, rehabilitated and are used for education purposes, such as snakes, salamanders, and owls. They can also bring in animals furs, owl pellets, animal bones, and many other nature and wildlife items.

 

Summer Vacation’s Last Stand

Another summer vacation is coming to a close; soon Iowa’s school children will be trading in swimsuits and flip-flops for backpacks and new sneakers. Make the most of the last few weeks of summer vacation by getting outside with your family!

Things to do to get outside:

• Hiking
• Fishing
• Take a picnic to a local park
• Stargazing in your backyard
• Camping
• Explore your local creek
• Bird watching on a bike trail

Take a Closer Look at Hiking with Children:

Make it fun!

• Bring a magnifying glass to examine interesting “finds” closely.
• Bring a notebook and pencil to record what you find and your experiences.Make nature bracelets - wrap clear packing tape (sticky side out) around everyone’s wrists. Stick cool things you find to them as you walk (leaves, flower petals, etc).
• Create a scavenger hunt so your hike has a mission.
• Take turns being the “leader”.
• Bring along nature guides to look up things you find (birds, leaves, etc) and/or download a nature app on your phone.
• Take a “water hike” down a shallow stream, or take a “night hike” after dark – kids will love the unusual aspect of it!
• Bring a camera and record your trip!

Preparation

• Wear sturdy shoes and comfortable cotton socks.
• Wear layers.
• Bring a backpack with:

            o   First aid kit
            o   Water
            o  Snacks
            o  Bug spray & sun block
            o  Compass and flashlight

Considerations

• Consider elevation – a level elevation will be easier for younger children to hike.
• Distance – a child should be able to hike ½ mile per year of age. For example, a 3 year old should be able to hike 1.5 miles. Keep in mind that young children will walk at a slower pace so plan accordingly.
• Loop trails are more interesting than walking a trail and turning around and walking back.
• Have a destination in mind (a pond or other point of interest along the way).
• Keep it simple – check your local park or city for bike trails and walking trails.

Hit the Trail: Ideas for Family Hiking

http://www.parents.com/fun/activities/outdoor/hit-the-trail/#page=1

Hiking Book list

Arnosky, J. 1998. Animal Tracker. Random House Value Publishing, Inc.
Arnosky, J. 1997. Bird Watcher. Random House Children's Books.
Arnosky, J. 1997. Bug Hunter. Random House Children's Books.
Arnosky, J. 1993. Crinkleroot's Guide to Walking in Wild Places. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Boring, M. 1999. Fun with Nature. T&N Children's Publishing.
Boring, M. and L. Evert. 2001. More Fun with Nature. Northword Press.
Cole, H. 1998. I Took A Walk. HarperCollins Publishers.
Fredericks, A.D. 2001. Under One Rock: Bugs, Slugs and Other Ughs. Dawn Publications.
Griffin, S. A. and E. M. Griffin. Hiking for Kids: A Family Hiking Guide. T&N Children's Publishing.
Hines, A. G. 1994. What Joe Saw. HarperCollins Publishers.
Quattlebaum, M. and L. J. Bryant. 2013. Jo MacDonald Hiked in the Woods. Dawn Publications.
Radlauer, R. S. and E. A. McCully. 2007. Molly Goes Hiking. Aladdin.
Ross, M.E. 1993. World of Small: Nature Explorations with a Hand Lens. Yosemite Association.
Rotner, S. and K. Kreisler. 1992. Nature Spy. Atheneum.
Woolf, C. M. 2008. My First Hike. Dawn Publications.