��ݮ����Ƶ����

Taking children outside to observe nature in winter has its challenges, but colder weather allows curious minds to contemplate the influence of factors like temperature and atmosphere.

Feeling the cold and enduring a lengthy amount of time in the snow can make a concept such as winter adaptation relatable for even the youngest of learners.

“Children have an innate connection to the natural world no matter the temperature outside,” says Haley Higdon, director of , an organization at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education that builds children’s understanding of the world through environmental inquiry and Indigenous perspectives.

Haley recommends getting students familiar with a space before the first snowfall. “If you have an opportunity to take your kids outside before winter is here, they’ll be able to see some of the plants, insects, seeds – maybe even tracks or trails – before everything is covered with snow.”

“Having that routine already in place keeps the focus on what you’re going outside to observe rather than the excitement being about going outside for the first time,” Haley says, suggesting educators consider incorporating their winter exploration into a year-long exploration that provides the continuity needed to get kids comfortable with outdoor learning.

What follows are seven ideas for educators engaging students in outdoor learning during winter. These activities are adaptable for any type of outdoor environment, but Haley suggests teachers start by selecting a single location and observing how it changes throughout the seasons.

“Choose a spot in the schoolyard – or a local ravine or wooded area, if you’re lucky to have one nearby! As a class, decide how you will mark off the boundaries of the location that will be the subject of your class’ wintertime excursions,” she says. “It’s remarkable how much change students will notice if you carefully and thoughtfully observe the same spot over several months.”

Recommended Resources

Each winter, nature paints its pallet with a fresh white coat, creating an entirely new opportunity for students to make observations. If your class has managed to select a location to visit throughout the year, snow may make visible what went unnoticed in the Fall. If possible, block off an area that will remain undisturbed by the class or other people. Each visit, monitor the location for signs of animals or other life.

If you are restricted to the schoolyard, ask students what visits the space during the day. What visits at night? Why do they visit? How do you know they visit? If the class manages to spot larger imprints in the snow, measure their length using standard or non-standard units. Measuring the space between prints may encourage speculation about how the animal moves. Do they slowly creep along, slither like a snake, slide like an otter down a riverbank? Or do they bound like a deer or a rabbit? If necessary, have students create their own tracks – as simple or complex as they’d like.

Consider creating a bird house or nesting box to observe the types of birds (and other animals!) living in the area. This may lead to discussions around migration, including the false belief that robins migrate south for the winter. What other misconceptions about animals and winter can your class identify?

Snowflakes on their own are fascinating. Asking why snow has its white appearance may lead to discussion about the properties of winter’s frozen precipitation. A collection of ice crystals tightly compacted into a solid mass, snow’s white appearance comes from the natural reflection of sunlight. Interestingly, when snow piles up, it can appear blue because the larger, thicker accumulation can’t retain red light.

Dr. Kenneth Libbrecht, a professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology (and “snowflake consultant” for the movie Frozen) studies snowflakes at the molecular level. Libbrecht is working to understand the complex process that guarantees each snowflake’s uniqueness. His website is full of some of the first close up images of snowflakes. There are also extreme close-up videos of snowflakes growing right in front of your eyes.