Exploring Nature with Preschoolers in the Winter?  Why Not?
by Priscilla Woyke

"Look mom, it's beautiful; it sparkles," exclaims a three year old as he surveys the white blanket of snow surrounding the Nature Center grounds. He enthusiastically drags his mother towards his classroom, trudging through snow up to his waist.

The Beginner's Nature Program's hands-on curriculum, filled with exploration, wonder and discovery, continues right through the winter. Our 40-acre extended classroom offers an array of changing curriculum experiences for young children in all seasons, and especially in the winter.

As I write, I can see the silent snowfall and an exuberant group of BNP four year olds, outfitted in snowsuits, mittens, and boots, busy catching snowflakes and counting the number of sides. Did you know that snowflakes are always hexagonal crystals? As the children continue their journey into the woods and fields, they change roles and become track detectives, looking closely for prints left by animals that remain active in the winter. The children know that animals such as deer, fox and rabbits generally sleep during the day, but hunt for food at night. Everyday they eagerly search for signs that animals have visited our Nature Center. When the children are near the ponds, they try to observe what animals live under the frozen ice.

Of course when children go outdoors these days, they also enjoy making snow angels, snowmen, sliding down "silly hill" on preschool snow saucers and measuring the depth of the snow. We encourage creative activities outside by having the children paint rainbows in the snow using squirt bottles filled with watercolors. Or sometimes we take paintings made inside outdoors to freeze, which changes their characteristics. Another favorite science experiment is blowing bubbles outdoors and watching them freeze.

Our curriculum focuses upon trees as well. Our children notice that the brightly colored fall leaves have disappeared, but they can still explore the evergreens. "Some needles are long and some are short," observed one child. "Some have cones and some have berries," said another. We use these moments as opportunities to compare and contrast the characteristics of all trees. As an art experience, the children can paint and make prints with evergreen branches. We also use the needles when making homemade recycled paper.

Sometimes we bring the outdoors inside. Winter is a perfect time to discover how snow melts so we conduct melting/freezing experiments in our classroom sensory table. We also enjoy making our own frost crystals or icicles, just like the ones hanging outside.

Our children are also very interested in the birds that remain with us during the winter. We have already watched many of our feathered friends fly south for the winter, but we like to help feed those that remain. For this purpose, we create a variety of bird feeders and treats, by stringing cranberries, popcorn or cheerios, filling hollowed grapefruit or orange shells with suet and birdseed or hanging stale bagels on the trees. Around Valentine's Day, we make heart shaped toast, covered with egg white and birdseed to hang on the trees for our hungry friends. Another favorite treat for the birds are pinecones covered with Crisco (never peanut butter) and birdseed.

In the midst of this flurry of activity, we continue to garden indoors. Many of our planting activities begin with projects in the greenhouse with our friend, "Gail Greenhouse." When our forced bulbs begin to sprout and brighten up our classrooms with their new life, we are reminded that spring is not far away.

Another beloved winter activity is "sugaring time." In late winter we eagerly wait for the sap buckets hanging on our sugar maple trees to fill. Then we can experience the process of making maple syrup at the Nature Center's sugar shack.

Even the two-year olds in our "mom and me" program, Nurturing Nature, enjoy many of these outside winter activities with their teacher and caregiver.

Nature in the winter? Naturally!

For information about openings in the NCNC preschool and Nurturing Nature, contact Beth Skudder at 966-9577, ext 16.