Winter Activities for Journaling

Winter Activities can be carried on outdoors or beside a roaring fire.

Depending on where you are, winter can be cold or mild. But, there are still many things to study and learn about.

I like to take long walks and snap pictures. But, then I am just as glad to hurry indoors to work on my nature journal or read a natural history essays or field guides.

My favorite field guide to winter is The Stokes Nature Guide: A Guide to Nature in Winter by Donald and Lillian Stokes. It is a great book for older children, young adults and adults.

I good book to use with younger children is Discover Nature in Winter by Elizabeth P. Lawlor.

And for the youngest children there are a whole host of picture books at your local library and in bookstores.

Journal Prompts

• Identify tree twigs
• Scout out the different colors of winter
• Learn the circumpolar stars. These are the stars that are always in the sky since they circle the North or South pole.
• Look for signs of insects - galls, leaf miners and leaf rollers
• Identifying winter birds - with so few around their easy to learn
• Begin to feed winter birds
• Which birds are still around? Make a list of the common winter birds in your area. What are they eating?
• Identify winter grasses and plants
• Learn the difference between evergreen (or conifer) trees
• Look for winter seed heads and berries - Which are eaten last by birds and other animals?
• Look for signs of winter mammals - tunnels, trails and tracks.
• Look for old birds nests in trees, shrubs and under house eaves
• Learn the difference between evergreen plants. Which plants stay green in winter?
• Sketch animals tracks in the mud and snow.
• Record the activity in the night sky. Record the Moon phases,
• Sketch trees silhouettes.
• Record signs of animal activity.
• Record the different types of pine cones
• Go on a winter scavenger hunt

From Winter Activities return to Nature Activities