Go On A Nature Walk With Your Kids!

Let’s get outside! Any time of year is a great time to take your children to a field or park, and go on a nature walk. My children and I bond over these quiet walks, where I teach them and show them all kinds of things about the circle of life. Even if bugs and dirt ain’t your thang, you can still enjoy this activity with your kids! Read on for our family tips on how to go on a nature walk!

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What Is A Nature Walk?

Before you go on a nature walk, I guess I should probably define what I consider to be a nature walk.

A nature walk is a walk through a field, forest, park, or anywhere outside, where the focus is on plants and animals and our planet in general. It doesn’t have to be a hardcore hike, you don’t need to buy anything special, but it’s also slow-paced so that your senses can capture everything going on in the world around you! We stop to pick up trash, look under rocks, point out things like nests and tracks, and try to learn a thing or two, too.

How Do You Go On A Nature Walk?

The simple answer is: Just get outside and go! It can be a really informal thing. I would allocate a decent amount of time, especially the first time around; like I said, you probably won’t go very quickly and you might want to cover a good amount of ground. And it’s best to go when your children are calm, but not too tired. Meltdowns in the forest aren’t nearly as fun as they may sound.

What Do You Teach When You Go On A Nature Walk?

This is my favorite part! While it’s nice to just get outside for some fresh air and Vitamin D, I also love to teach my kids anything and everything I can at any opportunity. And these informal “real life” lessons are perfect. Here are some of the things I like to emphasize when we go out:

• Quiet voices, calm body. It’s up to you on how meditative you want this to be; for us, it’s just a reminder that we are being calm and quiet right now. My kids love when they can be quiet enough that little birds fly right by them, and it’s easier to catch bugs too!
• Get your digging stick! This is also really important to me. I do love to let kids dig in leaf piles and turn over rocks (that’s where you find some of the coolest stuff!), but I don’t want them using their hands. So when we first start out and go over the ground rules, I let each kid wander around a bit and find their digging stick. It’s like a walking stick, except, you know, for digging. Each child keeps their stick with them so that they can poke around in things. But of course, always supervise your children as best as you can! 

• Don’t touch! If you’re not absolutely sure what something is, don’t touch it. That goes for plants, animals, bugs, wires, trash, anything!
• What is their strategy? Animals and even plants have different strategies to stay alive. While a brightly colored caterpillar might be saying “Don’t touch me! I can sting!”, a leaf bug uses camouflage to blend in to its surroundings. Some strategies commonly found in nature are: Camouflage, barbs, poison/venom, pincers, disguise/mimicking, flamboyant colors, etc. Poison is something that’s dangerous if it’s consumed; venom is something that’s injected if you’re bitten or stung!
• Leave it be! We do everything we can to preserve the habitat we explore; that means we don’t pick flowers or take birds’ nests or break off tree branches. I really want my kids to know that we should exist in this world, and not shape it to us.
• In fact, leave the place better than you found it! Try to bring along a trash bag so that you can pick up litter on the way.
• Look and listen, up and down! A lot of times, kids will keep their eyes on the ground. But there are so many ways to find wildlife when you go on a nature walk! You can listen for birds and other sounds like busy woodpeckers or buzzing bees; look up for cool sights like spiderwebs and bird nests; and just being still for a moment will let you see any movement in the trees. It’s also a neat opportunity for you to teach your kids about all five senses (though, maybe don’t let them lick anything on a nature walk).
• It’s a unique experience every time! Even if you frequent the same location often, it’ll never be the same when you go on a nature walk. Different seasons, new life, different times of day, different weather, and a hundred other factors will affect what you see and hear. (In fact, if you’re new to nature walks, it might be a great idea to go to the same place a few times so you can familiarize yourselves and eliminate variables.)
• Learn about the circle of life. You can’t really go on a nature walk without seeing the phases of life, from birth and new life in seedlings, to death and decay. We’ve found a deer skeleton before, and it prompted a discussion about predator versus prey, herbivores versus carnivores (and omnivores), and the life cycle. Depending on the age of the kids who are with me – I sometimes do nature walks as playdates or field trips so it’s not just my children who I’m teaching – I will be more brief when mentioning death, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea to let your children know that life has a sense of finality, and that we all depend on each other in this world.

What Do You Need For a Nature Walk?

Technically, the only thing you need is yourselves, appropriate clothing and bug spray, and of course a trusty digging stick. But I have some other ideas to help you and your kids be safe and happy while you go on a nature walk!

• Wear long pants, socks, and closed toed shoes. This is not the time to take your kids out in their Sunday best. Make sure everyone has sneakers or boots, and long pants with socks. Hats and sunglasses, too, if it’s bright and sunny!
• Use sunscreen and bug spray. If you’re not in a shaded area, it’s a good idea to use sun cream and a sunscreen spray. For bugs, I normally just use lemongrass oil but there are tons of bug sprays. Just be careful on the sensitive skin of your little ones, don’t let them put their hands in their mouth, and give them a bath when they get home!
• Neosporin or calamine lotion are also great ideas to keep in your backpack in case someone gets a scrape or a bug bite. You can also have a small first aid kit.
• On the flip side, avoid wearing anything that has a strong smell like perfume or lots of hair products. You’ll attract bees and other bugs to yourself, and ain’t nobody got time for that.
• Packing a backpack is a lot easier to handle on a nature walk than a diaper bag or purse.
• Make sure you have snacks and drinks – water and something not messy, like pretzels or crackers, is best.
• A bug house is a little box with a lid and a handle which your kids can use to carry their new finds. Our kids like to make a habitat for their catch by adding leaves, sticks, and dirt. Just be sure that you let the little insects go when you’re done! This is the one that we love.
• A magnifying glass and binoculars are a great idea, too. Bonus if you can tie them on a string and wear them – less chance that they’ll get left behind that way!
• If your kids are older or they’re just really hardcore naturalists, getting them a kit like this can be a great idea. I love that my kids can hold a compass and explore their world.
• And of course, wash your hands when you’re done!

I hope that you feel ready to tackle the wilderness (or at least the local park) by going on a nature walk! Let me know about your experiences and suggestions in the comments, and enjoy the outdoors!