5 Fun & Simple Winter Activities!

Whether you’re looking for something fun to do inside or out, these activities will boost the winter blahs.

Paint the snow!
Fill a re-usable spray bottle with water and 3-4 drops of food coloring. Make a few different colors and head outside to paint in the snow!




Make easy paper snowflakes

Take a dessert plate or large round soup bowl and turn it upside down onto a sheet of white paper to trace it. Cut out the circle and fold it in half. Fold it in half at least one or two more times. Cut out different notches and unfold to see your creation.

For inspiration check out the book The Art of the Snowflake by Kenneth Libbrecht…a photographic journey into the tiny world of the snowflake. It showcases hundreds of beautiful snowflakes images.

You can also try making your own virtual snowflake at Make-a-Flake. Click on “make your own snowflake”, wield the virtual scissors and you’re on your way!

Turn your tried-and-true games into winter versions.

Think winter pictionary (where players draw winter themed things like sleds or ice skates), pin the carrot nose (or top hat) on frosty, or winter charades (select books or movies with a winter theme).

You can also make your own winter word search. There are many different sites online to help you do this, but I found this one to be quite easy to use. Just enter as many search words as you’d like (like winter, boots, snow and ice), hit “create page” and your word search is instantly created. Just print it off and you’re all set.

Try a new winter sport.

Think ice fishing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, snow shoeing, ice skating, winter hiking or camping. You can also call or check the web site for your local Nature Center to see if they have any winter activities scheduled. Most are pretty reasonably priced and have programs that include nature themed arts and crafts for the kids. Visit your states Department of Natural Resources web site to get ideas on where to go in your area.

If you have just a little spare time, pack up the sleds and go to a local park with a good sized hill. Or look for a ski hill in your area that caters to sledding for a more high-flying adventure.

You can also try winter Letterboxing. Snow will add a fun, new challenge to this sport that’s known to be a combination of treasure hunt, navigation and exploration. Take a look at my previous post on Letterboxing if you're not familiar with it.

Enjoy these Marshmallow Candy Treats

After being out in the cold, head inside to warm up and enjoy something sweet. You can spruce up your hot chocolate with these, or enjoy them on their own. Here’s how to make this yummy sweet treat.

Melt some chocolate chips, candy melts, chocolate bars or confectionery coating in the microwave, stirring often. Dip marshmallows ¾ of the way into the melted candy coating. (If you have some craft sticks, insert one into each marshmallow first, then dip). You can then dip them in sprinkles or nuts if you’d like. Place them onto a plate (chocolate side up) to let them harden, or place them in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes to speed up the process. These are also a great addition to hot chocolate. Just stir one into a warm cup of cocoa for an extra special treat.

If you’re looking for other fun activities to do in the winter, visit the post “The Wonder of Winter. 8 ways you can connect with nature in winter."

Stay warm everyone! And have fun trying something new this winter!

Follow my blog and you’ll always have fun and easy activities in your back pocket!


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Fall Fun!

Here are some fun ideas for including nature into your fall activities. There are also a few activities for the days you’ll be indoors.


Climb a lookout tower to get a great view of the fall colors.

To find the best colors check out one of the many fall color trackers online...like this one for Wisconsin.

Take a hike! Watch the leaves fall and try to catch them.

•  See how many different kinds of leaves you can find on your walk.
•  Make a collage of items found on the ground in nature (sticks, fallen leaves & acorns, pebbles etc).  
•  Take a walk at night or sit outside and listen to the crickets.
• Find a Halloween hike in your area. Check your local state park listings for these events that offer short hikes at night on lighted pathways. They’re loads of fun and often have other activities like arts & crafts, stories, bonfires with S’mores and apple cider and more.

Go to a local farm and pick your own apples.  Taste all the different varieties.

• Make homemade applesauce. It’s really easy and SO tasty. Try this recipe from Taste of Home.

 Do some leaf art!

• Take a walk to collect leaves that have fallen and do a leaf rubbing. Find a great image and easy instructions here.
• Make a leaf print t-shirt. Besides using leaves you can also use apple halves and different grasses. Find instructions here.

Rake leaves and then jump into a big pile of them…a classic that my son loves every year. You can even make these super-scoopers to gather up a big pile of leaves to toss.

Go to a local farm and pick your own pumpkins.

•  Many farms also offer tractor rides, animal petting areas, corn mazes, fresh cider and caramel apples. Do a search for U-pick pumpkin farms in your area.
• Remove and save the seeds from a pumpkin and make your own seasoned pumpkin seeds. They’re a great nutritious snack!

Try popping different kinds of popcorn seeds! October is National Popcorn month and I’ve started to see different varieties being sold at our local farmers market. Oh the colors! There’s yellow, red, white, blue, black and more! Who knew there were so many! Each is supposed to have their own distinct flavor (we haven’t tried them all yet). Find recipes, learn all about how popcorn pops, and discover the history of popcorn here.

Stuff a scarecrow. Use the picture below for inspiration.  Grab an old pair of jeans and a flannel shirt and stuff it with straw or leaves (newspaper works too). We set ours up on the porch with a bail of straw for a seat. For the head we use an old pillowcase, stuff it and draw a simple face on it.  You could also use a witches mask if you'd like.  An old hat makes a great addition too, as well as work gloves for the hands.  Have an old pair of mens boots laying around that are too worn to be donated?  Use those for the feet!

I hope you enjoy spending time outdoors in the crisp, cool and colorful days that fall has to offer.



Please feel free to leave me comments!

Have a great idea that I didn't include?

Suggestions for future post topics?

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If you enjoyed this post, you might like the post “Find a Natural Space in Your Area!”

To reference this post directly, use this link.

Grow something edible!

Children may try something new if they have a hand in growing it.


If you haven’t tried growing vegetables or herbs, give it a “go” by picking one edible thing that would grow well in the space you have. Growing your own food is a wonderful experience for children. It provides a chance to be out in nature together, shows them how things grow and what kind of care a plant needs to grow and produce, and gives them the personal satisfaction of eating something they’ve grown themselves. It can also get children interested in fruits and vegetables they normally don’t (or won’t) eat.

BENEFITS…

I’ve noticed that my son is more likely to try something new if he picked it (or grew it) himself.  For example, when he was little he wouldn’t eat apples. I was surprised since it’s typically a popular fruit with kids. No matter how hard I tried at offering them, he’d taste them, but wouldn’t eat them. Then when he was 3 we started taking a yearly trip to a local apple orchard where you can pick over 15 varieties of apples. Something about that trip clicked with him and he took a bite of every variety of apple that we picked! He’s been eating apples ever since.

This happened again with green shelling peas. We started growing them in our garden last year and getting our son involved with picking and shelling them prompted him to try them again, on his own. He’s been eating them ever since.

WHAT TO PLANT…AND WHERE TO PLANT IT.

We do the planning together too.  Early in spring we go through the gardening catalogs and decide what we’re going to grow. Living in Wisconsin, with a somewhat short growing season, we start much of our seeds indoors. We have a pretty small garden, but as usual I’ve got about 60 seedlings growing in little peat pots in my living room. And we’ll find a space for them, we always do. Last year we had the majority of our vegetables in our small backyard garden, but we also grew herbs in beautiful pots on our deck, and red peppers hung from our deck in those new upside-down plant holders you see in the market.

Another space we utilized was the edging of our flower garden.   We found a wonderful mini Alpine strawberry that grows great as a border plant. It comes up early, seems to be fairly resilient, is nice to look at, and gives us berries. We have also tilled up a few sunny spots here and there in the yard where tomatoes have really flourished. Be creative in where you grow your garden…you may find you have more room than you think!

We experiment and try planting new things in new places each year. Many vegetables can be successfully grown in containers and pots. We also saved room in our garden by making a tepee-shaped trellis for the cucumbers to climb. Behind it, you can also see the sticks leaning up against the fence, which our snap peas use for climbing.

Of course we don’t grow every type of vegetable…we don’t have the space (or the climate) for it. But I love that we’re teaching our son where food comes from in our own small way. We also do this by shopping at local farmers markets, farms and food stands. You can also try taking your children to the grocery store with you and letting them pick out some fruits and vegetables. Try picking out a new fruit or vegetable to taste each month!

I hope you’ll consider growing something edible this season! Drop me a note if growing food with your children got them eating something new!

Please feel free to leave me comments!

Have a great idea that I didn't include?

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If you enjoyed this post, you might like the post A Springtime Scavenger Hunt.

To reference this post directly, use this link.

Do you letterbox?

Letterboxing is a fun activity that will get the whole family outside for an adventure. A combination of exploring, navigation and treasure hunt, letterboxing can suit all ages. It involves searching scenic places as you follow clues to a previously hidden box.

What you’ll need:

· Small notebook for each child.
· Nature-themed rubber stamp for each child. Have them pick a design that has personal meaning.
· Inkpad.


Various web sites offer clues to letterboxes. To search by state and find clues for a letterbox in your area, try visiting the Letterboxing North America map. They also have listings for Canada, Central America and other international locations.

Besides clues, the approximate time needed for the search and type of terrain should also be listed. Read through all the clues and make sure that they are age and skill appropriate for your family.

Once you find a set of clues for your area, set out on your adventure. After you decipher the various clues and find the letterbox, check that the rubber stamp and notepad are inside. Then stamp your logbook with the rubber stamp that was in the hidden box. Also stamp your personal stamp into the logbook you found in the box. Seal everything up and re-hide the box where you found it.

You may want to write a note next to the stamp in your notebook describing the area you visited that day.


Get your feet wet:

Try letterboxing in your own backyard by setting up a mini course.

To do this, you'll need just a few extra supplies In addition to ones listed above. You’ll need an extra notepad and rubber stamp for the hidden letterbox, as well as a small box to hide them in. Use the smallest possible container the stamp will fit in so it’s easier to hide. Finally, enclose everything in a zipper bag to waterproof it.

When you pick a rubber stamp that will go into the box, have it pertain to the area it will be hidden in (there are many choices of rubber stamps in craft and hobby stores such as trees, flowers, bugs etc).

This would also make a great group or scout activity. If you have a large area available, have 3-4 different searches planned out. Try to keep groups at 3-5 kids in each.

To set up your own course, start by locating the general place you want to hide the box and work backwards. For example, place the box under rocks or fallen logs, but take care to put it off of any walking trails so that they aren’t accidentally discovered.

Pick somewhere especially beautiful or remote, or somewhere with interesting and unique scenic features. Keeping safety in mind (as well as the age of the participants) you could even pick somewhere a little challenging to get to.

Put the notebook, stamp and ink pad in the box. Place everything in a plastic zipper bag and hide it.

Next, write the clues. Look online for examples of types and styles of clues. You can create a single set of clues that you give out at the start of the game, or you can hide clues along the way.

Clues can be straightforward or cryptic. You can also include map coordinates or compass bearings from landmarks. Think about using wordplay in your clues as well as multiple choice questions or poetry. If your group is doing a theme-based activity, base your clues around that same theme. Or, write a story and incorporate landmarks into it with various turns and paces thrown in. Clues can even be based on sights, smells, sounds & textures of nature (rippling water, smooth white bark).

Letterboxing is fun for the whole family.   Whether it's new to you or you've gone on several of these adventures, drop us a note about your letterboxing experience!

You can get more information on this fast-growing hobby at Letterboxing North America.


Have a great idea that I didn't include?

Suggestions for future post topics?

Just let me know in the “comments” section, thanks!

You may also enjoy the post A Springtime Scavenger Hunt.

To reference this post directly, use this link.