20 Oct Fall Nature Walk
Fall is a great time to get outside with your child! Going for a walk and interacting with nature can give you a chance to explore and ask questions together without having to rush. Here are a few ideas for activities to try on your nature walk. You can also find fall-themed scavenger hunts if you want some additional structure!
Nature Walk Activities
- Listen to a bird and imitate the song it sings.
- Count 100 steps together, or up to the age of your child.
- Find a tree and take a good look at the bark, leaves, and branches. Talk about the different parts of a tree, and be sure to include the roots that are reaching down to hold the tree up.
- Rub your hands on the bark of the tree trunk. Is it rough or smooth?
- Find a green, yellow, and red leaf, as well as a pine or evergreen needle. Watch out for the sharp ones!
- What kinds of tiny creatures can you see? You might look for ladybugs, caterpillars, and spiders. Watch them for a while and try to see what they are doing.
- Is it windy? What things are moving?
- Find a tree that has more than one color of leaf on it and talk about how and why leaves change color.
- Pick a clearing or open spot and see how many colors you and your child can name.
- If you see squirrels or chipmunks, be silly and have pretend conversations with them.
- Bring a notepad so you and your child can sketch a bird, leaf, or tree.
- Keep your eyes out for acorns, pine cones, and maple seed pods. You can collect these to make a fall display on a table, or perhaps even plant them!
- Make leaf rubbings. Lay a leaf on a hard surface, vein side up, and place a blank piece of paper on top of it. Run a crayon or pencil gently back and forth over it to make a copy of the shape and texture.
Books About Nature
Squirrels, by Kristin Petrie, part of the Backyard Animals series.
Shares information on squirrels, including their habitats, life cycles, diet, and physical characteristics.
My Autumn Book by Wong Herbert Yee.
A young girl rushes outside when the air is crisp and the sky turns gray to observe all of the changes that autumn brings.
Nuts to You by Lynne Rae Perkins.
The squirrels Jed, TsTs, and Chai are the very best of friends. So when Jed is snatched up by a hawk and carried away to another realm, TsTs and Chai resolve to go after him. They discover new communities, make new friends, encounter dangers (both man-made and of the fox and bobcat variety), and solve mysteries.
Why Do Leaves Changes Color? by Beth Bence Reinke
Find out why leaves turn orange, yellow, red, and purple in the autumn before falling to the ground.
Ask any staff member for help finding more books about nature in the fall. Have an enjoyable nature walk!
