Fall 5 Senses Nature Walk

Autumn is my favorite time of year to go for a nature walk with the kids. There are so many projects that tie into it and so many things to see and talk about that it's a real treat to be outdoors. It is also one of the best times of year to talk about the five senses and explore them outdoors.

Your nature walk can take place in a park, on a nature trail, or even in your own back yard or playground -- all you need to do is go outdoors and observe what you see! Try to use all five senses in your observation: sight, smell, feel, taste, and hear.

Of course when it comes to tasting, you'll have to be very careful and only allow them to "taste" things that you know are safe. In our area we have wild strawberries, nuts, and sassafras, but your area may have totally different things. When in doubt, don't taste anything!

Here's a great way to get around the "taste" thing: Put a couple of walnuts in your pocket along with a nutcracker. Observe a squirrel hunting for nuts (as then do in just about every area around the country) and then pop the nuts out of your pocket and crack them open to give your child or children a taste of what squirrels eat.

Using Your 5 Senses With Little Kids (Toddler - 5):

Young children will probably be excited with the idea of a nature walk. It provides a good opportunity to talk with them about the changing season, but it is also a pretty good way to start to introduce the idea of the senses. The idea is that you talk about each of the senses as you conduct your nature walk. Little kids probably won't understand the concept of "senses," but they can do things like:

What do you hear?

Do you hear the leaf crunching?

What color are the leaves on that tree?

What does the bark feel like?

What does it feel like to crunch the leaf in your hand?

I'm sure you get the idea...

You can have the children collect samples of all the things they "sense" to talk about later and reinforce the concepts. You can also plan some special projects to tie into your nature walk like a leaf rubbing, nature collage, or have them draw a picture of what they "sensed" during the nature walk (you may be surprised at what they come up with on this one).

Little kids will have a ball doing a 5 Senses Nature Walk if you approach the activity with enthusiasm. It will also be something that they remember clearly later on.

Bigger Kids (Ages 6 - 10)

If you're conducting a 5 Senses Nature Walk with a child who is old enough to write simple sentences, have them write a sentence about each of their 5 senses.

1. Site: What did you see?

2. Smell: What did you smell?

3. Hear: What did you hear?

4. Taste: What did you taste?

5. Feel: What did you feel?

You can ask them for as much detail as they are capable of writing. You can also ask them to illustrate each of their sentences if you want.

Don't forget that bigger kids like to do things with their hands as well. You could plan a craft project for them when the nature walk is finished. The ones listed under the section above are still appropriate for this age group as well -- they will just create a more elaborate project. Leaving the project open-ended gives them the opportunity to stretch as much as they are able and helps them internalize what they have learned on their walk.

Older Kids (Ages 10+)

Older kids will enjoy a nature walk as much as younger kids if you approach it with a little enthusiasm and make your observations appropriate to their age.

Having some fun little facts about Autumn in your area or showing them how to identify trees, birds, etc. is a great way to keep older kids engaged. My husband takes small pocket books about birds and trees with him on nature walks so that he can point out the different trees and birds to our children. I've even managed to learn a few things on these little walks!

You could also approach your nature walk by having the kids ask you questions about what they observe -- If you don't know the answers to their questions, then it can be a fun activity to search for the answers.

Once you've completed your nature walk, you may still want to plan some writing or craft activities for your child to do to reflect their 5 Senses Nature Walk. Here's an idea that can be a lot of fun - Create a leaf rubbing and set aside. Have the child write a poem about Fall. When they are done with their poem and happy with it, copy it over the top of their leaf rubbing. This can be a very nice memento of their walk... it may even be worthy of framing! Don't forget to have them sign and date their art!

Or Search Amazon for More Resources...