Getting the kids outside is extremely important. A bit of fresh air and exercise everyday will undoubtedly do the world of good. As winter closes in though this does become harder, it gets colder and the days get shorter. There is still a wealth of things to see and do though, so wrap them up warm and prepare a little game for them. Center Parcs, providers of nature oriented winter holidays think scavenger hunts are a fun way to get children actively engaging with and understanding the wildlife all around them. So take your children to a local park or even just your garden and get them hunting.
- Write down a list of things likely to be found in your garden/park. (We’ve started you off with a few examples below)
- Give one to each child, along with a bag to carry their autumnal treasures
- Explain that they need to find these items in an allotted amount of time
- Call them back 5 minutes before you stop the clock so you can see what they have found and give them a score
- More points are awarded for rarity/difficulty to find. The winner is the one who found the most rare items.
An Example List of a Scavenger’s winter treasure
- 1 point (least rare) – A Magpie feather
- 2 points – A pine cone
- 3 points – A holly leaf
- 4 points – A tree that still has green leaves (an Evergreen Tree)
- 5 points – An acorn
- 6 points – Holly Berries (Don’ touch these. Just point them out to an adult)
- 7 points – Paw prints in the snow
- 8 points – A robin
- 9 points – A squirrel
- 10 points (most rare) – Mistletoe (you will have to look up high for these)
- 50 point (extremely rare) – A fox (Don’t approach the animal just point it out to an adult)
This is a great way to get children out the house and enjoying the brusque winter weather. Running around will help them warm up and also give them a bit of exercise in a season that is synonymous with gorging on chocolate and watching all the great family films on TV. Be sure to share your spoils with us; post any photos you might find on the Center Parcs Facebook page.