The last half of winter can feel LONG. The holidays are over, the days (at least here) are cold. Most of us are just trying to get through the week 🙂
While the earth seems like it’s sleeping, there is a lot of magic going on around us. It just takes a moment to find it sometimes!
The good news is that inviting wonder does not require you to go on a 2 hour hike through the snow. Sometimes 5, 10, 30 minutes of time outside or creating things inside is all you need to feel the magic.
Here are some activities to try with your kids:
- Find the Orion constellation (or the moon) on a clear night.
- Step outside after dinner (on a clear night) and look up at the night sky. Look for three bright stars in a row – this is Orion’s Belt. Point out the red star at the end of Orion’s left arm and explain how that is Betelgeuse. This is my favorite constellation in the winter sky because you can see it even in very light polluted skies. If Orion is hard to spot for the little ones then point out the moon and talk about the different phases.
- Ideas for extending the activity, if it’s not too cold out make a hot chocolate picnic in little mugs. If you have a fire pit, then light a fire and have a night time mini celebration.
2. Take a puddle walk
At this time of year, there is usually a lot of MUD and puddles from the melting snow. Take a puddle walk around your neighborhood.
Dress your kids in rain boots, clothes that can get wet and let them jump in as many puddles as they can! This is messy and usually my kids are pretty cold by the end of it (so plan for a short walk if there are a lot of puddles nearby), but they LOVE being given this freedom to do this.
3. Make love potions
- Get back into that outdoor kitchen or create a little spot where kids can cook up some love potions.
- I love taking some old flowers (maybe from Valentine’s Day) and setting the kids up with the petals and some red dye and fun bottles so that they can cook up a love potion. If there is snow and melting ice – this can be use for the water. They may not last as long outside as they would in the spring or summer but it’s a nice way to get them out in the backyard for a bit.
4. Go on a worm hunt!
- In our biome, around the beginning of March the ground starts to thaw. And, that means one thing – WORMS! Grab a bucket and shovel and go on a hunt for worms. We have some spots in our yards where we know they like to be so we usually start there.
- This is a great activity for teaching kids how to be gentle to the creatures – we always put them back since they have important work to do for the soil.
5. Show the birds some love
- Make some bird feeders – there are so many to choose from. I put some ideas below but there is no need to get fancy – just use what you have in stock. The first photo is just some cardboard, a layer of peanut butter and seed. The second photo is a carved out orange with two rods sticking through to hold on the branches. The last photo is just an egg carton filled with seed 🙂
- Leave out some water in a pan for them – if everything is frozen it’s very hard for the birds to get a drink. So, giving them some water if it’s very cold in your biome is a great way to show some love.
6. Make some ice sun catchers or ice gems!
- This is such a fun way to get outside for a quick activity. Give the kids some pans, nature treasures and water and let them create. I have included some ideas below. Or you can make them inside, set them outside (or in the freezer!) to freeze. Once frozen you can invite your kids outside to take them out of their containers.
7. Build a Leprechaun Hotel
I know everyone is all about the traps (and these are fun too!) – but, we think building a hotel for the leprechauns is more fun! We think about all the things a leprechaun may want to be comfy for the night . We just take a box and make a door, windows, and then decorate the inside and outside of the box with things the leprechaun would like – like a bed, pictures, fireplace, rainbows, coins, shamrocks, etc. Maybe the leprechauns will stay the night and leave a little magic behind 🍀.
Resources for making your end of winter magical can be found on my Etsy shop. Check it out!
- Leprechaun Hotel PDF Pattern/Printable
- Winter night sky scavenger hunt
- Mud kitchen menus and recipe cards
In Wonder,
Rachel
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