Game for hiking kids: Change in the Weather

What would this stream be like if the area received twice as much water?

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 A Change in the Weather.

This activity helps children understand the natural world and encourages both their cognitive skills and imagination. As walking or taking a rest break, ask them some thought questions about the weather and the climate:
• What would happen if there were no rain?
• What would the world be like if there were no wind?
• What plants and animals could live in the area if the temperature always was the same as it is during the hike?
• What plants and animals no longer could live here if there were (no) snow?

You probably can come with several more of your own.

Ask probing questions to get children to elaborate or think through their answer. For example, if they answer "The river would be higher," ask them how that would affect the way the river valley looks, if the trail you’re walking would be under water, and so on.

Materials: None

Ages: 6 and up

Learn about more than a hundred other hiking diversions for kids in Hikes with Tykes: Games and Activities.