Exciting Nature Walks for Children

Children love to ask questions and have an inborn curiosity about bugs, worms and butterflies as well as animals and unusual plants and geographical features. Parents don't need to have vast knowledge to make a nature walk an interesting educational experience.

Where and how to Take Children on Nature Walks

There are myriad opportunities to expose children to nature. If living in the city, a park or a gardening store are possibilities and in the suburbs, a garden is a good starting point. Other areas include farms, the beach, forests, deserts, riversides, and any outdoor areas.

Make the walk age appropriate and allow for the child's concentration span, energy levels and interests. If the park or river is several blocks from home, it is probably best to drive there. Make sure the child is dressed suitably and apply insect repellent if visiting an area with mosquitoes or other biting bugs.

A bag or box is useful if the child wants to collect items such as dead bugs, unusual stones, shells or wild flowers. Be sure that removing these types of items does not contravene any conservation laws in the area.

What to Look for on Nature Walks

Encourage the child to look carefully as you walk around. A rotten log can be a good starting point and questions about what is living in it will get the child thinking. Discuss why the log is rotten, why insects like to live under it and what will happen to it eventually. It may be worthwhile doing some research beforehand so as to have the required answers ready.

Spider webs are another common sight in nature and so are snails, slugs, ants and bees. These are all interesting subjects to discuss. On the beach or by the river, shells, frogs, fish, jellyfish, seaweed and driftwood are common sights. Large boulders and unusual colored rocks are good talking points and collecting wildflowers or fall leaves can be great fun.

If the child is old enough, a camera may add interest and a certain feature or area could be photographed several times over a few months and the pictures compared for changes.

A color hunt is something that will entertain most children on a nature walk. Ask them to find five yellow things or five grey things. This sharpens their ability to observe closely and also helps with color recognition.

A nature walk is a great way for a child to connect with the natural world and have fun while learning. A parent doesn't need a vast knowledge to point out bugs and plants, and discussions on lifecycles and colors can be educational and fun. Most families live within reach of a park, beach, river or forest and these are all great places for a nature walk.

Reference:
365 Fun-filled Learning Activities you can do with your Child, Mary Weaver, Adams Media Corporation, 1999