Fun activity for hiking kids: Nature Mystery

And then the tracks suddenly stopped...

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. For older children, among them is Nature Mystery.

Make a statement that begs the question “What happened here?” Among them could be:
• Deep in the woods, the tracks suddenly stopped.
• As darkness settled, they fled to their homes.
• When the shadow covered their homes, they sounded the alarm.

Next, have each child speculate as to what happened. For example, answers to the above questions might be:
• A bird took flight when it spotted a coyote walking down the trail.
• Deer that feed at dusk hide when wolves come out at night.
• Prairie dog sentinels chatter as an eagle flies overhead.

There are no definite right or wrong answers in this game. It can be turned into a competition, though, by having the adults judge or the childrne vote which answer is best.

Older, more creative children might enjoy taking on the role of coming up with a statement that that the other teens must answer.

Materials: None needed

Ages: 12 and up

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