“Weather” or Not: Nature Play in All Seasons!

The budding green of spring, the warm sun of summer, the colorful foliage of fall, and the brisk chill of winter—the majesty of our outdoor world is on display throughout the year! Each season provides a unique opportunity for young children and their families, caregivers, and educators to connect with nature in new and exciting ways.

Spending time outdoors throughout the year isn’t just a great way to keep the little ones occupied, it also provides an abundance of benefits to our youngest learners. Young children with access to quality spaces that support nature-based play are more physically active and spend more time outside. Social-emotional benefits include greater levels of self-regulation, self-confidence, concentration, creativity, and stress management.

Improvements in academic performance, nutrition, and eyesight have also been attributed to greater time outdoors. In addition, when young children have regular, positive experiences in nature, guided by the adults who care for them, they grow up to have deeper connections to the environment later in life.

If you’re struggling to find ways to get outdoors in all weather, look no further! The Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO) initiative has put together a list of their favorite ways to have fun in nature in any season. 

Spring: Sun Print Art

One fun way to inspire a child’s inner artist, scientist, and environmentalist is through sun print paper art. This special paper is coated with an ultraviolet-sensitive chemical that changes colors when exposed to the sun’s natural light. When you block the sun rays from the paper by placing items like flowers, leaves, or feathers on it, and then dip the paper in water to stop the chemical reaction, it results is a “print” or “shadow” of those natural items!

Encourage your kids to find their own loose parts on a nature walk, ask them questions about the process to encourage their observation skills, and have them create their own unique art project with materials they find all by themselves. 

Summer: Water Play Station

Bring the water park to your backyard by setting up a water play station! You can fill up cups or small bowls with water or just put on the sprinklers, and let your children run free. Water play stations are a freeform way to have fun and support gross motor skills, physical exercise, creativity, and STEM thinking. And during the heat of summer, water play can be a great way to cool off.

(Note: Never use large buckets or deep vessels for water play and never leave children unattended. Water play requires constant and active supervision. If you are a child care provider, please ensure compliance with all licensing rules, regulations, and safety requirements for water play.)

Encourage reflection, inquiry, and gross motor skills through discussion about water and how children engage with it daily. Try asking questions like:

• Is the container empty or full?
• What do you think will happen if you pour that jug of water into that cup?
• Will this object float or sink in the water?
• What sound does the water make when you pour it?
• Can you build a water slide for your toys?

Fall: Sensory Pie Building

Fall invites a whole new set of sensory opportunities for outdoor play. Fallen leaves, pinecones, and small sticks provide the perfect “ingredients” for activities like sensory “pie making.” To make a pie, create a recipe card for children to follow that includes natural loose parts that correspond with each ingredient. Have children gather these natural ingredients and mix them up in pie tins, then they can pretend to “bake” their delicious pies!

Winter: Animal Identification and Tracking

Getting outside during winter weather can be a struggle but having an engaging snow-based activity ready can provide something special to look forward to when the flakes begin to fall. “Follow the Leader” is a fun gross-motor activity that helps promote balance and coordination.

Begin by stepping in the snow to form footprints. Encourage children to follow your path by stepping into your footprints.  Add a bit of challenge by encouraging children run, hop, or tip-toe through their journey in the snow. Incorporate animal identification by prompting your followers to look for local wildlife tracks or set up your own tracks ahead of time using printed animal tracks. 

This activity provides children with an opportunity to practice their observation and classification skills, while gaining nature knowledge in the process!

These are just a small sample of seasonal activities that can help encourage children to get outside all year long. Check out ECHO’s Resource page and NWF’s Green Hour activities to discover more ways to encourage nature play every day, and in any weather. 

Did you try any of these out? Share the fun and tag us on Facebook or Instagram!