With many businesses and indoor facilities closed, daily walks have become a source of joy and relaxation for many families. If your kids are also home during the day, why not make these walks educational as well? Here are a few ways to make learning fun when you’re out in nature.
Play Trivia
Trivia is an easy game to play while walking. Bring a kid’s trivia book or make up your own questions to apply to a recent lesson from school. If your entire family is on the walk, everyone can take turns reading questions and answering.
Play the Alphabet Game
If you’ve ever played the popular road trip game, try to channel it from the road to the sidewalk. While strolling around the block, find something that starts with each letter of the alphabet from A to Z. You could focus on one single letter per day or go through the entire alphabet once on each walk.
Focus on Nature
For a lesson on science or biology, opt for a hike or nature walk. Help your kids point out animals, bugs, and plants and have some materials ready for additional learning. Not only will this be interesting for kids, it will help them gain a better appreciation of the natural world.
Work on Counting
For a math-focused walk, turn to counting games. Have your kids count the number of yellow leaves or red flowers they see along the trail. For older kids, you can have them hop on one foot a certain number of times or make it extra challenging by having them solve a math problem to move forward. For example, you could say, “Hop on your left foot 5+5 times.” They would then hop on their left foot 10 times.
Learn Photography Skills
If your child is interested in photography, give them a crash course on how to operate a camera (disposable is fine) and let them put their new skills to the test outside. After the walk, you can get the photos developed and go through them together as a family.
Hold a Spelling Bee
Practice new words by having your child spell the names of things you see on your walk. You could have them spell “stick,” “bench,” or “tree,” for example. You can find trickier words for more advanced spellers.