I began going on nature walks with my boys when they were still infants. I’d strap them to my back with my Ergo and head off into the backwoods of our Connecticut home.  We’d play and explore for hours until my baby and toddler were tired and ready for sleep.  While they explored the world with their five senses I noticed the changes the seasons brought on. I began to notice which birds, fungi, and flowers were native and seasonal. After spending a couple hours in nature I felt refreshed in a way that I hadn’t felt since childhood. 

A few years later  we moved to a suburban neighborhood in Oregon. We had lots of parks within driving distance, but not the convenience of the woods and river right in our backyard. Almost daily I’d take my preschoolers and toddler out on a walk around our neighborhood. We’d look inside bushes for birds’ nests, collect branches of blossoming trees, and find fairy rings of mushrooms growing in our neighbor’s yard. We were always able to find something interesting to study, even though we were surrounding by houses and fenced yards. We’d take a weekly walk at a local nature park with friends, spending the whole morning and bring a picnic lunch.

At one point we lived in a 1000 square foot apartment while looking for a house with acreage. Unfortunately, that opportunity never came. But we did learn how to find nature outside of our complex and opportunities to study it. By taking daily walks we found a pond and field right behind our complex. We spent so much time observing that little patch of nature and learned so much more than I thought possible.

We now live in a suburban house across the street from a nature park. We take daily walks there during good weather, and a spend a couple hours on a weekly nature walk once a week. We’ve seen owls, minks, herons, caterpillars, fish, and at least four different species of turtles in the pond. It is just a small city park, but we feel rich with the life we find living there. A few times a month, we meet up with friends and hike in state parks to learn more about the different geography and biomes of our state.

The best place to start with nature study is a weekly nature walk. You don’t have to wait until your child is school-age to begin nature study.  I’d say the age group that benefits most from nature is infants and toddlers! Their brains are built on sensory input, and nature is the best place to stimulate all the senses in just the right amount. 

Nature walks are a whole family affair and a lifelong habit. Daily is ideal, but weekly is fine, too. It can be a walk around your neighborhood  

You may be tempted to make it more educational or enriching, but you’ll be relieved  to know that you don’t need to quiz your child about names of plants or animals, record in nature journals, or give a lesson while on a nature walk.. Simply go on a walk and enjoy.  I like to carve out half a day for a nature walk so my kids have time to relax, play, and actually observe nature. 

Here are some ideas of how to get the most out of your nature walk:

1. Go to the same places at different seasons. I like to rotate between different biomes, like a pond/lake, meadow, and forest each season to see how they change.
2. Have an idea of what to look for before you go. I  read Furneaux’s Nature Study Guide for seasonal events and living things to look for. What should you look for? Seasonal changes. Your family’s special study subject (spiders, wildflowers, etc)
3. Make memory and visual challenges to strengthen kids’ powers of observation. For example, ask them to go to a tree, pond, woods, meadow, hill, or stream in the distance and study it. Ask them to come back and describe it in detail to you. Ask them to “be your eyes.” 
4. You don’t need to prepare a lesson, worksheets to fill out, or quizzes to test knowledge. However, you can ask intentional questions to direct their attention to plants, animals, geography, and seasonal changes. 
5. Encourage your children to look for and collect “specimens”  for your family’s nature collection. I collect jars, drawer organizers, and other things from thrift stores and garage sales to store our “treasures.” 

My favorite resources and supplies:

• W.S. Furneaux’s A Nature Study Guide (for ideas of what to look for in each season)
• Binoculars
• Magnifying glass
• Field guides
• Small tanks or jars to bring home small creatures
• Butterfly or fishing net
• Compass

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