Learning from Family Nature Walks
My family enjoys taking walks, in fact, it’s something we do every day together. I’m always looking for ways to make walks more fun and educational because walks can get boring for the younger kids. I wanted to share some of the ways I make our walks more educational, especially our fall nature walks.
Preparation is Key
Before the kids and I even head on a nature walk I prepare them for the lesson ahead. I tell them what we’ll be doing and what they will be learning. I think it’s important that they understand this is a learning opportunity and we should take it seriously. Do we have fun? Of course! I believe it’s important to have a good mixture of fun and seriousness when it comes to learning.
We Count Everything
My kids are ages 5, 3, and 1, so it’s all about the counting. When we’re on a nature walk we count everything. I’ll start by counting the trees we see along the way and have the kids start counting with me. We also try to see how many wild animals we can count along the way. There’s nothing we don’t count on our nature walk. I count this as a very educational part of our walk.
Questions Galore
My children already have a ton of questions, but when we’re on a nature walk or any walk for that matter, I let my kids ask as many questions as they’d like. They might ask about the type of animals we see or what kind of trees are on the path. If the questions get a little crazy or off topic, I just redirect them back to the nature walk.
Collect Craft Supplies
One of the best parts of walking outdoors during the fall is collecting craft supplies. We stock up on pinecones, sticks, leaves, and anything else that we can make a craft out of. I love that we do this because it allows us to extend our learning even further. There are some REALLY cool crafts you can do with parts of nature.
Let them Soak it In
Don’t forget that your kids are learning by taking everything in visually. While it’s important to talk and ask questions, you should also allow them to do a little “in-taking” of nature themselves. Allow the kids sometime to think and absorb. At the end of the nature walk we do a quick recap to see what each child learned that was new this time around.
Taking walks with your children is something that creates a bond that’s unforgettable. Adding the fall nature aspect to it is just the icing on the cake.
