Animal Tracking with Children
One of my favorite wintertime nature activities involves getting bundled up, getting outside, and searching for some animal tracks. I love the exhilaration of not knowing what you’ll find, what animals quietly stroll through the forest seemingly unnoticed.
The winter in the forest is beautiful and serene. With many plants and animals hibernating or dormant for the winter, the forest seems quieter and more secluded. Snow blankets the forest floor and ice clings to the overhead tree branches.
Everything seems so quiet and untouched until…you look down. Below your feet, on the trail, are hundreds of animal footprints. Tracks going across the trail, along the trail, up a tree, in circles. They tell a story. A story that I like to deduce with my students.
Whenever I lead a nature hike during winter, tracking animals is always one of my number one activities. There are many books and guides that can help you identify these tracks but when I’m on the trail I opt for my hand-made set of animal flashcards which I’ve laminated to help me quickly flip through and identify the track.
When I find a track, first, I locate which direction the animal was walking in. You can determine this by the orientation of the footprint. Then, I see where the footprints were going, and if my students want to, we follow the tracks through the woods. I also, make sure I take a photograph so that I can properly identify the tracks when I get back to my cabin if I do not know what they are already.
Not only is tracking animals fun as an adult, but kids love it. It’s this new mystery that they get to help solve. Tracking animals can be exciting and thrilling. In my experience, children can spend the entire nature walk doing it.
Have I convinced you yet?
Here are some ways you can take animal tracking a little bit deeper:
- Nature journaling
- Learn about animal adaptations
- Know which tracks belong to what animal
- Games or challenges
- Learn about hibernating animals
- Learn about group dynamics of pack animals
- Learn about animal behavior
- MUCH MUCH MORE!
Some of my best selling resources are for tracking animals. Check them out if you are interested.
- Animal Tracks Bundle – This includes my Animal Tracks Poster, Flash Card Set, Matching Game, and Challenge Worksheets
- Animal Tracks Matching Game – A game that is perfect for testing your memory and learning animal tracks.
- Animal Tracks Poster Guide – A poster complete with 16 different animal tracks. Great as a journal insert, guide, or decor!
- Animal Tracks 3-Part Nomenclature Cards – Cards that will help you further learn your animal tracks, also great to bring laminated copies out on the field.
- Animal Tracks Visual Challenge Worksheets – Search and circle the corresponding animal track, then count how many of each track you found!
