Make a pinecone feeder; just spread peanut butter and cornmeal on a pinecone and roll it in a pan of birdseed. Tie a sturdy string or twice, cut into a two-foot length, to the top part of pinecone and tie the other end of the string to a nail or hook where the birds can easily reach the pinecone and where you can see them.
When it snows, make a snowman (a small one will do nicely) and, in addition to the usual carrot for a nose and raisins for eyes, give him a sunflower or raisin belly button and decorate him with birdseed, shelled peanuts, berries, fruit, Cheerios.
Ideas from Project Learning Tree of the American Forest Foundation.
Go on a Winter Evergreen Walk
- Go on a winter evergreen walk. Stop, look, listen – the crunch of snow, the crackling of twigs, the wind. Notice the dark green of the evergreens against the sky. If there is snow and sun, point out the contrast of blue sky, dark green, and the snow.
- Look on the ground for pine cones and high in the trees.
- Look up through the branches of evergreens, talk about the patterns, and the ways evergreens provide shelter from wind, rain, and snow.
- Look up at the deciduous trees; find the nests and holes now visible with the leaves gone.
- Look for evidence of how animals survive in winter. How could evergreens help them? Look for animals tracks, scat, other signs of animals. Ask: If you were an animal in winter, where would you stay?
- Look for the whorls of branches on conifers. Each year the tree adds a new whorl of branches. Estimate the age of the tree by counting the whorls (adding two or three years for the early years before the tree started making whorls).
- Back inside, enjoy some hot chocolate or tea, pointing out that these treats come from trees.
- Make a Winter Treat for the Birds – Mix one part peanut butter or suet with five parts corn meal and pack the mixture into the crevices of a large pine cone. Hang outside and watch the birds enjoy their treat.
Forest Exploration
– Ideas from Project Learning Tree of the American Forest Foundation.
Go on a winter evergreen walk. Stop, look, listen—the crunch of snow, the crackling of twigs, the wind. Notice the dark green of the evergreens against the sky. If there is snow and sun, point out the contrast of blue sky, dark green, and the snow.
Look on the ground for pine cones and high in the trees.
Look up through the branches of evergreens, talk about the patterns, and the ways evergreens provide shelter from wind, rain, and snow.
Look up at the deciduous trees; find the nests and holes now visible with the leaves gone.
Look for evidence of how animals survive in winter. How could evergreens help them? Look for animal tracks, scat, and other signs of animals. Ask: If you were an animal in winter, where would you stay?
Back inside, enjoy some hot chocolate or tea, pointing out that these treats from trees.
Then make a winter treat for the birds: Mix one part peanut butter or suet with five parts corn meal and pack the mixture into the crevices of a large pine cone. Hang outside and watch the birds enjoy their treat.
Fun in the Snow
A fun activity you can do with your family and friends as it starts to snow is to go sledding! Bundle up with all your buddies, grab a sled, and find the biggest snowy hill outside to sled down!