Getting outside of the classroom and up close with nature is a great way to helps kids and young students ask new questions. Whether you’re organizing a classroom field trip or just looking for ways to give your own children a little adventure, these nature walk ideas can keep everyone engaged for a good time.

Water and Nature Walk Activities for Kids

While you don’t always need to do an activity when you’re enjoying your time in nature, it’s sometimes useful to give students a rough guide to direct their interests. Older students might have a specific curriculum to follow as part of their environmental sciences class, but for younger kids, the following nature walk activities can be a fun place to start:

• • Scavenger Hunt – a grid with pictures or icons can encourage students to find specific types of leaves, birds, or even spider webs
  • Sensory Worksheet – simply describing what you hear, see, smell, and feel while outside can be an interesting exercise for younger students
  • Map Drawing – practicing spatial thinking with custom maps can give kids a new perspective on their environment or where the trail starts and ends

Planning your nature walk around a water feature will provide even more options. Activities around the water could include building small boats out of foam board. Students can also look for minnows or other fish in the water while on a trail’s floating dock walkway. If it’s easy to get close to the water’s edge, kids can even take the water’s temperature, collect interesting rocks, or do simple tests to see what kind of objects float or sink. Sometimes it’s nice to do these types of experiments outdoors instead of in the classroom.

Other Questions for Outdoor Exploration

People of all ages can improve their nature walk experience by staying curious about their surroundings. Did the weather seem to change when you stepped on to the trail? Simply walking on a dirt path is a lot different than walking across a parking lot! Maybe you’re making your way across a floating dock. How does the water look around you? Does the air feel or smell different too?

Before you even head out on your walk, though, you’ll probably want to think about other items for your excursion. Apart from being dressed appropriately and grabbing a water bottle or some snacks, it might be helpful to have a few other supplies to make your nature walk even better:

• • Do you want to take pictures on your nature walk?
  • Will you bring art supplies to create something new?
  • Can you get a magnifying glass or binoculars for a close-up look?

It’s becomes easier to appreciate nature and the changing seasons and weather when we’re actively asking ourselves questions about how we’re feeling and what’s going on around us. These practices are great no matter how old or young you are!

Need Help with an EZ Dock Trail System?

Our crew at Deaton’s Waterfront Services designs, installs, and repairs nature trails, floating docks, and more. We’re big fans of all things related to water and the outdoors. If you have a project coming up for your school, park, or lake house, we’d love to help you out.

When your waterfront feature is planned correctly from the get go, you’ll be able to enjoy it worry-free for years or even decades to come. We routinely work with EZ Dock Trail Systems because they’re both non-invasive and extremely versatile for all types of environments. If you’d like to learn more or start talking about a quote, please feel free to send us a message.