Generally, exploring and discovery is enough for kids, but sometimes even they can grow bored with that and become restless. Remember that they naturally have shorter attention spans than adults.Fortunately, there are lots of tried and true activities you can do on the trail that’ll keep kids from getting bored. Among them is Pine Cone Patterns.
Though it can be done any time of the year, this is a great winter activity, especially for those in areas with snow as the red and brown hues of the cones contrast nicely with the white of the snow. Have children collect a variety of pine cones. Next, separate the cones by size or color. Older children might do both categories as well as shape. With a stick, draw a pattern in the ground where cones can be placed to make a “picture.”
A spiral is an easy picture to draw that tends to provide pleasing results for most children; for a spiral, place the larger cones at the center and with the cones becoming increasingly smaller as circling outward
Materials: Pine cones
Ages: 4 and up
Learn about more than a hundred other hiking diversions for kids in Hikes with Tykes: Games and Activities.
