Winter in the Woods

For many families, outdoor fun comes to a screeching halt in the winter months … with a few exceptions for sledding when flurries hit the metro. Science shows that fresh air, exercise and time spent in nature are always good for us—any time of year. This winter challenge your family to enjoy the great outdoors even when it’s a bit chilly. We enjoy nature walks any time of year, and these are a few of our favorite ways to experience nature in the winter.

Before Your Winter Nature Walk

Your time outdoors will be more fun if you’re prepared. Consider the amount of time you expect to spend outdoors and prepare accordingly. If you’re taking a 15- to 30-minute walk in the neighborhood, a water bottle and basic winter layers will do. If you’re planning a longer nature walk or hike, you might want to bring snacks and really layer up. Some of our preparation tips:

• Make Trail Mix: My girls love a trail mix bag. I set out favorite ingredients and they make their own bag of goodies. Granola, mini pretzels, cereal, nuts, dried fruits, coconut, sesame seeds and even some sweet treats (limited) make a tasty snack to take along.
• Design Your Own Scavenger Hunt: Let each member of the family contribute to a hunt list suggesting three to five things you should try to find on your walk. These can include animal prints, squirrels, birds, particular trees, pinecones, feathers, rocks, a creek, pond, nest and shapes in clouds. Let your kids brainstorm for other ideas.
• Bundle Up: I purchase inexpensive packs of hand warmers at the local box store and keep them in my van for our winter adventures. For longer walks, I have my kids wear layers, including cuddle duds (think modern long underwear under jeans) and their coats, hats and gloves. We always bring water bottles—remember sunglasses, too.
• Pack a First Aid Kit: I keep a complete kit in my van and a small kit to take in a backpack with basic bandages and such. For tips on building a family first aid kit, visit RedCross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/anatomy-of-a-first-aid-kit.html.

Where to Go

I am partial to trails near lakes, ponds and streams. I especially like wooded trails, and my youngest daughter loves trails covered in fallen leaves … the “sound is so satisfying,” she says. Some of our favorites include:

• Shawnee Mission Park (7900 Renner Rd., Shawnee, JCPRD.com/facilities/facility/details/Shawnee-Mission-Park-14). The park features a 120-acre lake, mountain bike trails, hiking trails and paved nature trails. It is ideal for short walks or long hikes.
• Blue Springs Lake (1500 NE Bowlin Rd., Blue Springs). This park is home to a 720-acre lake. Their most scenic trails are the Lake Vista Trails (MakeYourDayHere.com/DocumentCenter/View/946/Lake-Vista-Trail?), a 5-mile scenic loop around the lake with bridges, hills and woods.
• Watkins Mill State Park (26600 Park Rd. N., Lawson, MO, MoStateParks.com/park/watkins-mill-state-park). The trail around the 100-acre lake is paved and ideal for walking or biking. The park is also home to an antebellum historic home and woolen mill you may tour.
• Ernie Miller Nature Center (909 North, KS-7, Olathe,  JCPRD.com/328/Ernie-Miller-Park-Nature-Center). Visits to the nature center are always fun for children who enjoy seeing the animals and exploring the hands-on exhibits. There are numerous trails to enjoy around the nature center, through the woods and near the creek. You can easily choose shorter or longer routes according to your time.
• Cave Spring Nature Center (8701 E. Gregory Blvd., Raytown, CaveSpring.org). The trails around the 39-acre park are known for the cave, the old hedge trees and the ruins of old pioneer shelters where you’ll find multiple chimneys, the only surviving landmarks of former homes.

On the Hike

Turn your outing into a memorable experience by adding a little fun.

• Participate in the scavenger hunt you planned ahead of time.
• Take photographs along the way.
• Bring nature journals and record your findings. The Nature Journal for Little Explorers by the Monkey & Bean Book Company, Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail: What Will You Find? by Storey Publishing, and Interactive Hiking Journal for Kids: Hiking Games, Scavenger Hunts, Sketch Spots and More for Nature Exploration by Stacey Bressler are three of my favorites. You may also bring blank notebooks and pencils.
• Letterbox. Letterboxing, not to be confused with geocaching (though undeniably similar), is a super-fun, free hobby for all ages. You can find letterboxing hobbyists online offering simple tutorials and tips. Visit a website like AtlasQuest.com to find clues to the nearest letterbox in your neighborhood or out on your adventures. Once you find the location, search for the actual letterbox (often a small tin containing a stamp and a log book). You will use the stamp to mark your own personal logbook, and then you stamp the book in the box (you may use a homemade stamp, a purchased stamp or a thumbprint). When you start exploring the hobby, you’ll find fun in the creation or selection of your own signature stamp and logbook and the adventure of discovering new places. Metro area adventurist Alexis Webb Bechtold has localized letterboxing for Kansas Citians with a hometown hunt.  Her series, the Curiosity Passport KC, is all about inspiration and discovery, leading explorers to 24 artistic, off-the-beaten-path sites in the area where you’ll discover many hidden gems. Visit CuriosityPassport.com for all the information you need to begin your adventure.

After Your Trip

Good hikers know you should leave only footprints and take only photographs. These are some fun nature-friendly ways to capture the memories of your time in the great outdoors:

• Make a scrapbook with memories of your hikes.
• Create a story of your adventures. When my girls were little, we loved glamping at a campground with cabooses every autumn; now we visit a favorite state park every fall. The caboose campground was home to a scarecrow in a fake jail setting. The girls concocted stories that he was the “Marshmallow Man” known for stealing marshmallows from campers. At Echo Bluff, our new annual tradition, there is a herd of wild mustangs. The girls tell stories of the horses, giving them names and legends. We do the same on many of our local hikes. When you discover the ruins of an old cabin, or footprints, or other clues in the woods of what may have happened before, use these discoveries to create stories together.

I hope your family enjoys making memories together in the great outdoors this winter! Visit KCParent.com for more ideas and chat with us on Facebook at facebook.com/KansasCityParent. We’d love to see your family hiking photos and your ideas for fun in the outdoors this winter!

Kristina Light loves taking her girls on long walks to see beautiful sites… and they like it too (even if some might claim they wish some of the walks were shorter).

• Blue Springs Lake Marina

  Blue Springs Lake Marina is found one mile east of 291 Highway on Bowlin Road. Conveniences include boat rentals from April 15 thru October 15 (weather permitting), lakeside gasoline pumps and overnight slip rental.

• Cave Spring Park

  This park, aka William M. Klein Park, is operated in partnership with Jackson County Parks + Rec. The exhibit hall is open during park hours, 8:00 am - dark.

• Ernie Miller Nature Center

  The nature center features animals native to Kansas, hiking trails and educational programs.

• Shawnee Mission Park

  Shawnee Mission Park is the second largest park in the county and the most visited park in the entire state of Kansas.

• Watkins Woolen Mill State Park

  Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site consists of a 1,500-acre park including recreational facilities and the historic site grounds.