Posts Tagged ‘winter’

Winter Nature Hike Scavenger Hunt (free PDF)

Monday, January 21st, 2013

winter-nature-hike

When the snow is falling softly outside and the children are squealing with delight, why not go on a winter nature hike scavenger hunt? Bundle up the kids along with their snow boots, and go to a nearby trail. A beautiful sunny day is ideal, but even overcast days can be delightful, especially if it’s snowing. Let the children enjoy the snow falling onto their faces. Let them listen to the wind blowing through the trees. Then let them find the following items, and snap a picture of them. At home you can make a scrapbook of your nature hike.

If you have older children and they have nature journals, they can sit (they’ll need waterproof snow pants) and sketch the different items on the list. Later they can add color with colored pencils or watercolors.

winter-nature-hike-scavenger-hunt-3Here are some items that your children can look for:

  1. red berries on trees or bushes
  2. bird flying or perched on a branch
  3. pinecone (find several kinds of cones)
  4. winter-nature-hike-scavenger-hunt-4animal tracks (different kinds)
  5. bare branches on deciduous trees
  6. evergreen tree (several kinds)
  7. large rock (or specific rock like granite)
  8. cumulous or stratus clouds
  9. winter-nature-hike-scavenger-hunt-5frozen pond or puddle
  10. squirrel, deer, or other mammal
  11. a good view (climb a hill or mountain for best views)
  12. fallen tree
  13. thorny bush
  14. leaves-in-snowmoving water (stream, waterfall, or melted snow trickling off a rock)
  15. feather (try identifying what bird it belonged to)
  16. moss (collect different kinds)
  17. evidence of insects (look under fallen logs or rocks)
  18. fallen-logweeds
  19. an icicle
  20. fallen leaves or pine needles

 

You can print out a copy of this scavenger hunt here:

 

How to Build a Snow Cave

Friday, December 21st, 2012

how-to-build-a-snow-cave

In this video, I show you how to build a snow cave. Here are some tips for building a successful snow cave that won’t collapse:

  • Pile up a huge mountain of snow wherever you want your snow cave to be. It helps if there is already a huge pile somewhere.
  • Make sure it’s packed down to some degree. Fluffy snow will cave in, and the ceiling will not remain strong unless the entire mound is compacted. Have your children walk on it, but don’t have a adult do it, or it might turn into a chunk of ice.
  • Start digging in one place, right where you want the door to be. Make a tunnel.
  • If it’s large, make different rooms by digging out doorways and caves within the cave.
  • You can bring in light by carving out a window.
  • Your boys can play cops and robbers in the cave. Or they can play that they are at war and are trying to escape from the enemy. They can use walkie-talkies to communicate with each other inside and outside the snow fort.
  • Your daughters can play house in the cave or have a tea party in there with their friends.
  • You definitely need to play in your snow cave at night. Don’t forget to bring a flashlight!

Linked to Snow Day Activities:

SnowDay

Snowflake Card

Tuesday, December 18th, 2012

snowflake-card

My daughter and I made an easy snowflake card. You will need the following materials:

  • black card stock paper
  • white string
  • scissors
  • blunt needle
  • pencil
  • ruler
  • thumb tack

How to Make a Snowflake Card with Yarn

Step 1: Cut the black card stock paper in half and fold it. Now open up the card, and on the left side, draw a snowflake in pencil with a ruler.

Step 2: Grab the thumb tack and poke a hole at the beginning and end of each line. It’s like you’re making a dot-to-dot picture.

Step 3: Thread the needle with white string. Tie a knot in the end and begin sewing the card, making sure that the front of the card is producing the design you want.

Step 4: When you are finished, you can use a silver pen to write a message to someone before putting the snowflake card in an envelope.

snowflake-craft-with-yarn

You can make any design on a card, as long as the lines are straight. You could draw a cool gnarly tree with bare branches in the dark moonlight. My 7-year-old daughter designed a simple pine tree. It only took her about 5 minutes to sew and was quite easy!

Linked to Snow Day Activities:

SnowDay

Stealing Ornaments and Christmas Memories

Monday, December 19th, 2011

stealing-ornamentsApparently our homeschool group has a yearly tradition of stealing ornaments. It’s called the annual Christmas Tea for homeschool moms in our area. We bring an ornament, wrap it, and then call out a number, unwrap the gift, or steal an ornament from someone else.

I know, it sounds bizarre, but we do it, and it’s a lot of fun. For example, I unwrapped a Yankee candle. Someone said to hand it over, and I said, laughing, “It smells terrible.” She insisted that I pass it over, and she said, “It’s a Yankee candle. These are good.” She said the word “Yankee” at least 3 or 4 times, and I told her kindly to shut her trap. But no. The next woman to pick a present stole my candle. I said, “It’s because you said Yankee, Yankee, Yankee so many times, as if we were in a war or something.” Everyone burst out laughing as I chose another gift.

christmas-memoriesWe also bring lots of Christmas hors d’oeuvres, you know, yummy food that makes you fat so that you have to diet in January. That kind of food.

Then it was time to share Christmas memories. Someone shared that she had met her husband on Christmas Day, and that they talked all night, and that they always celebrate Christmas Day as the day they met. I thought it was a bit sappy that they got engaged on Valentines Day and got married on Easter, but whatever. I just imagine a lot of high pressure on the man to have to make each of those days extra special for the rest of his life. But maybe he likes it; who knows?

christmas-memories-2Someone else shared that her family of nine children got together for the first time one Christmas, which was a complete surprise to her. She had two batches of kids, four in the first batch, and five in the second, separated by ten years. Anyway, only one year was everyone together, and the homeschool mom who was sharing this had tears in her eyes as she told the story. (She is the one who hosts this Christmas Tea every year, and she is a dear friend. I love her, and I had to wipe away some tears because her story was so good, how God provided the desire of her heart.)

stealing-ornaments-2Someone else said that when she was five years old, her parents told her that Santa Claus couldn’t come if she was awake. But she stayed awake anyway. Then she heard the reindeer on the roof, and she got freaked out and went to bed like a good little girl. Come to find out years later, her dad was throwing rocks on the roof.

Someone else said that one Christmas she was shopping at a grocery store, when an elderly woman told her that she reminded her of her daughter. Then she said her daughter had passed away last Christmas. (Here people’s eyes were watering and someone blew her nose.) The elderly woman asked her, “Do you mind doing something for me? Could you say, ‘Bye, Mom!’ when I leave? I will call back, ‘See you later.’ It would mean a lot to me.” The woman thought the request was weird, but maybe it would help the grieving woman, so she agreed. After going through the checkout, she called out, “Bye, Mom!” and the elderly woman said, “See you later.” As soon as the cashier told her that her groceries were over $100, the cashier said, “Yes, your mom said you would pay for her groceries.” The woman ran out of the grocery store and found the elderly woman getting into her car, and she said, “You don’t expect me to pay for your groceries, do you?” and she pulled the lady’s leg, just like I’m pulling yours, she said.

We all stopped in shock and then started laughing.