Taking Winter Science Walks

Take Walks on Trails or at Home

When a warmer sunny winter day comes around, grab it, for there is fun and learning outside.
  Children also need vitamin D provided by sunshine, milk, and some juices. Vitamin D works with calcium to develop strong healthy bones. Families can plan on a twenty-minute time of exploring outside on sunny days. Remember to have children wear sunglasses in the bright snow, too.
   Talk while dressing for the outdoors.

Talk and Explore

Point out right and left boots.  Mark the right boot with an X or R. As you help with snow pants, jackets, boots, and mittens use “right” repeatedly. “Let’s put on your right boot.” Raise your right arm.”  “Give me your right leg.” You might sing a little “Hokey Pokey” about the right side only.
Keep it Simple  If children are not accustomed to being outside, an adventure might be very simple.  Young children can take a walk to the mailbox and follow a path you have made while they hold your hand.  They can drag a stick in the snow like the character in “The Snowy Day” by Jack Ezra.
  Young children can help shovel a bit of the porch or a little part of the sidewalk.  They can collect snow and watch it melt inside later. If they bring a pan of snow inside and place the loose snow in top of water will it sink or float before it melts? It is less dense with more air between molecules no matter how hard the snow is packed. Therefore, it will float.
 They can collect snowflakes on cold black paper to count the points on the crystals.
Be Science Detectives

Be Science Detectives

Once outside children explore and solve mysteries for a short time.  Take a short walk around the yard and look for animals and tracks. What made these tracks? What direction were the animals going? What were they looking for?  Where do rabbits, mice, and squirrels go when it is cold? Common small animals like ants, earthworms, bees, and butterflies are not around.  Where are they?
   If the snow packs, young children can make a small snowman family since big balls are too heavy. They may also like to stack ice chunks and make a small fort or dig into a small snow bank. 

Look for the Unusual

Look for plant skeletons that might be sticking up through the snow. Children can make a small bouquet to take inside.  Think small and a take few minutes for any activity as attention span is usually short and preschool children chill easily.  Their boots may get full of snow. Snow will get under their cuffs and even the best mittens don’t work well on very small hands.  Sometimes just a sled ride is possible. 
Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos
More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio, 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest