When the air is still crisp but the sun is warm and the light outside is becoming brighter, it is time for a long walk to observe signs of nature coming to life in its annual awakening.

Kids of all abilities can enjoy the feelings Spring brings in the uplifting of our energy and outlook. Take this opportunity to go on a nature walk with your class or your kids and see what you can find.

To make this fun activity a learning experience have the kids take along a pen or pencil and notebook to record some findings. Lessons in basic math can be incorporated along the way.

If your walk takes you by gardens or a park, pause and have the group sit for a moment and observe what's growing. Have them count how many daffodils, crocuses or tulips they see blooming. Are the bulbs in groups? How many bulbs are in each group? What are the colors? How high are the flowers? How far a part are the bulbs planted?

Moving on with your walk enjoy the sounds of birds and again sit quietly and listen to the bird calls. What kind of birds do you see? How many birds are flying together? Are they flying singly, in pairs, in larger groups?

Depending on where you live you could even see geese formations. Geese and some other birds fly in particular shapes to point out to the kids, such as the V shape geese use. How many birds are in the long arms of the Vs.

These are some of the observations that can be incorporated into your nature walk in Spring or any time of the year. Each season holds special treats to observe walking along.

Back to the notebook the kids are carrying. In addition to recording the findings already suggested, the pages can be used to press a small collection of souvenirs from the day such as leaves scattered on the ground. But it is not a good idea to pick someone else's flowers.

On the walk home practice a bit more math. How many blocks did you walk? What time did you leave; what time is it now? How many minutes were you gone?

In summary, opportunities for learning basic math concepts are all around us in nature. Our job is to be still enough to observe and note all the patterns there to see in Spring and all times of the year.

Article by Susan Kramer

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