NatureKids – February 2025
February’s Theme: Winter Wonderland!
Winter can be a time full of magic, a season that invites creativity, curiosity, and sensory exploration. For February, NatureKids groups were encouraged to embrace the season through activities that engaged their senses in winter. These activities were designed to help participants appreciate winter’s beauty, understand seasonal adaptation, and give a new perspective to winter.
Frozen Ornaments – Participants were invited to create frozen ornaments using ice and natural materials. By arranging berries, evergreen sprigs, and other found objects in a shallow container of water, then letting them freeze outdoors, they could craft beautiful decorations to hang in trees and observe as they changed with the weather.
Color Walk – Groups were encouraged to take a walk and search for pops of color in the snowy landscape. Whether focusing on a single color or finding as many as possible, this activity helped participants slow down and notice the often-overlooked details of winter.
Winter Senses Bingo – A sensory scavenger hunt challenged participants to engage with winter in a new way. They listened for birdsong, searched for animal tracks, smelled pine needles, and felt the crunch of snow underfoot—checking off discoveries on their bingo sheets as they explored.
Hop and Hide – Inspired by the movement of snowshoe hares, this energetic game had students hopping, bounding, and dashing for cover. Trees provided shelter as hares tried to escape the watchful eye of the “hawk,” bringing a fun and active way to learn about predator-prey relationships in winter.
The Munchkins Afterschool group beautifully captured their frozen ornament experience—take a look at their reflections! (Munchkins Afterschool 1).
Little Cubs Afterschool had a great time taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the season with the Winter Senses Bingo.
The Cub Club also loved doing the Winter Senses Bingo and enjoyed warming up with hot chocolate after their fun. They eagerly gathered materials for their frozen ornaments but were disappointed that the warm weather kept their creations from freezing. They’re hoping for another cold spell so they can try again before winter ends!
Students at Sussex Elementary were able to display some ornaments in front of their school’s entrance for all to see!
The Munchkins Clubhouse adapted the activity and engaged their senses through a nature sensory bin. Using pinecones, leaves, and wood, as well as photos of animals, they brought wonders of nature indoors for hands-on exploration.
Thank you to all the groups who took part this month! We love seeing groups connect with nature, no matter the season. We encourage you to take a look at the attached resources and try out these activities for yourself. Have fun exploring the wonders of winter!
