Young Parent Program
Going on a nature walk
Going on a nature walk is a simple activity that will keep your child busy, full of curiosity and engage their senses! It also includes a bit of gluing and cutting. I did this activity at our last Drop-In Program and it was a great success.
In this post I’ll take you through step-by-step on how to re-create this fun activity at home for your little ones.
Step One
Click on the image of the Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Checklist below, print it and have your child check off each item as they find it.
During the drop-in program we had lots of fun doing the hunting – the kids often needed to be re-directed but that’s okay!
There are a lot of exciting things to see and do when playing outside and staying on task can be tricky for our little ones – patience is key.
Not only will this activity keep your kiddo’s engaged but it will get them asking lots of questions. Some might include:
- Where would a spider make a web?
- How many clouds are there?
- What’s the difference between a smooth rock and a bumpy rock?
There are many learning opportunities throughout this scavenger hunt!
Step Two
Our next step is to take any tangible items from the scavenger hunt – like leafs, sticks, flowers, etc. and put them on a piece of paper. See the image below for an example.
What you’ll need:
- Glue
- Scissors (with adult supervision)
What they’ll learn:
Step Three
Talk about what you learned!
Wrap up the activity with a conversation – you can ask questions like:
- What did you like or didn’t like?
- Do you know anything now that you didn’t before?
- What was your favorite part?
By listening to what and how your child learned you can also learn a lot about them, and see them grow!
This is an activity that can be done year round – both outside & inside (if you get really creative). 😉
Try going for a nature walk and completing the activity at the beginning of each new season!
Each season brings new and different nature items to collect – fall is especially exciting because of all the new things that are falling to the ground.
Here are some other scavenger hunts for each season:
When you begin an activity like a scavenger hunt make sure you have enough time and won’t be feeling rushed.
Allow yourself to become fully ready to engage with your child – make sure they are ready to engage too.
Explain what you will be doing together and be a play partner by walking and exploring with them as they find things.
Bonding over an educational activity doesn’t always mean math equations or test tubes – sometimes it’s just a walk in the park!
Join our Drop-In Play Group for another fun activity on Thursday September 23rd from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at our main location – 160 McIntosh Street!
Our young parent program provides a safe and fun environment where parents can engage with their children, other parents and the community.
There is new programming (like the Drop-In Play Group) each month, check out our Young Parent Program page for details.
Stay Healthy, Safe & Connected.
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