Nature Study in January: snowflakes, winter birds, evergreens and more

The holidays are gone, and while the days are starting to grow longer, many of us have a good bit of winter still ahead. It can be a struggle to keep going with nature study when the world seems frozen and asleep outside – but there are still SO many things to explore even in the dead of winter. From ice, to snowflakes, to the sky, to the animals that thrive in the winter woods, check out these ideas to keep nature study alive this month!

Check out these nature study ideas for the winter month of January! (and look out for lots of fun Freebies!)

1. Snow Crystals

Have you ever looked at a snowflake up close? It always amazes me how intricate and unique each one can be. There are so many things to learn about when it comes to snow – how do snowflakes form? What causes the different shapes? What other molecules besides water can snow crystals contain?

Science Experiment: What’s in Snow?

If your kids eat snow like mine, you may be a little grossed out by the results of this experiment!

You will need:

Three clear cups or jars, one filled halfway with water, one with snow, and one with ice cubes.

• Put the jars on your counter side by side and note the time. See how long it takes for the ice and snow to melt.
• What does the ice look like while it’s melting? How about the snow?
• Which one melted fastest? Why?
• How do the melted ice/snow levels compare to each other? Which one is higher and why do you think that is?
• Now, take the jar of melted snow and look closely. You should see lots of little particles. We couldn’t identify them but read that they are most likely bits of dirt, grass, and even ash and animal waste. See, I told you – gross.

Examine Snow Crystals Up Close (and a FREE Snowflake Printable!!)

(Note: This activity has to be done while it’s actually snowing.)

• First, get a piece of black construction paper and put it outside for a bit to get cold. While you’re at it, grab a magnifying glass and put it outside with your paper.
• Go outside and hold the black paper up toward the sky to catch some snow. You should get a mix of snowflakes (the larger clumps) and individual snow crystals which have broken off from their groups.
• Have your kids examine the snow crystals (not the clumps) with the magnifying glass.
• Here are some questions to ask:
  • What shapes do you see?
  • Are there some with broken sides?
  • Do all of them have 5 sides or do some have more?
  • Are they all different?
  • And so on.
• When you’re done, go play in the snow since you’re all bundled up anyway!

We also used this fun little snowflakes unit study included in the Winter Journal (you can find out more about that here).

Or, check out this little Snowflakes FREEBIE!

Our Favorite Picture Books about Snow

Snowflake Bentley

Snowflakes in Photographs

Snow

The Story of Snow

2. Winter Birds

Winter can feel especially long in January, which is just one reason I am especially grateful for our lovely, feathered winter friends. If you’re looking to keep nature study going during the winter months, birds are a great topic of study. There are many birds that either don’t migrate, or migrate very short distances – which means you can find winter birds in almost every area of the world.

Keep a Winter Birdwatching Diary (FREE Bird Log Printable!!)

One of our favorite things to do in the winter is to cozy up on our window seat with a pair of binoculars and watch the winter birds in the backyard. We keep several feeders and love seeing who comes to visit (usually blue jays, northern flickers, downy woodpeckers, chickadees, house finches and juncos!)

Get this FREE Printable Bird Watching Diary (And it’s also included in my Birds of Winter nature study!)

Make Simple Homemade Bird Feeders

Birds that stick out the winter often have to fight to survive. We can help out our feathered friends with some extra calories in the colder months. These little DIY bird feeders are easy to make and string up in your backyard trees.

You will Need:

• Apples
• Peanut Butter (We like the natural peanut butter, with no vegetable oil)
• Birdseed
• Twine
• Crocheting needle or another pointy object (for poking holes)
• Paring knife

1. Cut apples into slices.
2. Use a needle or something pointy to poke a hole in the slices. Thread twine through the hole.
3. Spread peanut butter onto the apple slices.
4. Press the peanut-butter apple slice into the birdseed.
5. Hang from tree branches and watch the birds visit!

Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean nature study has to end! One of my favorite parts of the winter season is watching the winter birds that grace our backyard, come snow or sunshine. We use this little printable winter birds nature study as a nature study resource.

Picture Books About Winter Birds

Backyard Birds of Winter by Carol Lerner

Snow Birds, by Kirsten Hall

The Winter Bird, by Kate Banks

Oh, Chickadee! by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

3. Evergreen Trees and Cones

Winter is the perfect season to explore evergreen trees – trees that don’t lose their leaves in winter – and their cones. Take a walk and see how many evergreen trees you can identify. And don’t forget – “soft fir, spiky spruce, pine needles grow in bunches.”

Make Evergreen Paintbrushes

These DIY Nature Paintbrushes are a fun way to explore evergreen branches and needles, and play with paint at the same time.

Experiment with Pinecones

This pinecone science activity had my kids oohing and aahing despite its simplicity and super easy setup and cleanup. Learn how and why pinecones open and close with this simple experiment.

Explore more winter trees in the Winter Journal!

Picture Books About Evergreen Trees

Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves

Winter Trees

Where Would I Be in an Evergreen Tree?

Tall, Tall Tree

Zee Grows a Tree

4. Ice

January is the coldest month for many regions in the Northern Hemisphere, which means it’s a great month to learn all about ice. From icicles to icebergs, to pancake ice and hoarfrost, there are tons of opportunities to learn about ice in the winter.

Make an Iceberg

Did you know you can make an iceberg right in your own kitchen? Fill a balloon with water, tie the end tight and place it inside your freezer for at least 24 hours. Once the water has completely frozen, carefully cut away the balloon, leaving the frozen sphere – your iceberg.

Now fill a large container with water (it should be big enough so that the iceberg can float). Place the iceberg into the container – you just made a freshwater iceberg. Note how much of the ice is above the water. You can measure the amount with a ruler, if you wish. How much of the ice remains below the water?

Most icebergs are freshwater, including the one responsible for the sinking of the Titanic. However, you can repeat this activity using salt water, and note how the salinity (saltiness) of the water affects how the iceberg floats.

Play With Frozen Bubbles

Who doesn’t love playing with bubbles? On the coldest of days, try making frozen bubbles! Check out this tutorial for step-by-step instructions.

Explore ice, icebergs and more with the Arctic Journal!

Picture Books about Ice

The Story of Ice

Ice Cycle: Poems about the Life of Ice

Waiting for Ice

5. The Moon

On a cold, clear winter night, the moon shines extra bright. I like studying the night sky in winter, when there’s not much going on down here on Earth.

Study Moon Lore

Over the centuries, different cultures have given names to the full moons across the lunar calendar (January’s full moon is known as the Wolf Moon, by the way). The cycle of moon phases were an important method of keeping time for their way of life. Check out some books and articles on full moon lore (book recommendations below!), or explore rare and special moons, like the blood moon, supermoon, and blue moon.

Make Moon Sand

Have your students ever wondered why the surface of the moon is full of craters? Once something hits the moon or alters its landscape, that event becomes frozen in time because the moon has almost no erosion or atmosphere.
Erosion happens when a surface gets worn down by natural elements like water, wind, or even ice. Because the moon has no atmosphere, it has no wind, moving water, or weather to remove marks on its surface once they are made. The dusty footsteps of astronauts who walked on the moon many years ago are still there today, and may remain for millions of years!

To make fluffy moon sand, you will need:􀄮􀃌􀂽􀂇

• 8 cups of flour
• 1 cup baby oil (or another oil)
• Pie pan or circular tray
• Mixer
• Marbles, small pebbles or beads

Mix flour and oil together in a mixer for 10 minutes. Spread the moon dough out evenly into a circular pie or cake pan. Gently toss marbles, beads or small rocks into the moon sand to make craters. You can even use figurines to make

“footprints.” Smooth the moon dough out and begin again!Want more on the craters of the moon, moon phases, full moon folklore, and more? (plus a fun moon phases flipbook!) Check out my Moon Nature Study!Our Favorite Picture Books About the MoonFull Moon LoreA Big Mooncake for Little StarA Moon of My OwnIf You Had Your Birthday Party on the MoonThe Astronaut Who Painted the Moon: The True Story of Alan Bean6. Tree Bark (and a FREE bark ID printable!)Although many trees are dormant this time of year – and the leaves have come and gone – a tree’s bark is a great way to learn about trees and identify them. Take this free bark viewer with you on a nature walk and see how many trees you can identify (even without their leaves!)Free Tree Bark IdentifierBark RubbingsBark rubbings are another fun way to experiment with different types of tree bark. Simply attach a piece of printer paper (we tied it to the tree with a piece of yarn), and use an unwrapped crayon held sideways (or a charcoal stick) to create rubbings. Store the bark rubbings in your nature journal along with the name of the tree species.7. WolvesThe January full moon is called the wolf moon, because wolves in January are very active. They use the cold, snowy conditions to hunt prey like elk and bison. This time of year they are on the move, traveling in packs and communicating with howls.There are plenty of picture books about wolves (see booklist below!), and if you live in a region wolves inhabit, you might want to look for tracks in the snow. (Use the reference below to identify wolf tracks!)Make Wolf Silhouette ArtI absolutely love this art project from Arty Crafty Kids, check it out here!Our Favorite Picture Books About WolvesNutik, the Wolf PupThe Seasons of Little WolfJourney: Based on the True Story of OR7, the Most Famous Wolf in the West**I am an affiliate of Amazon, which means I receive a small commission from purchases through product links, which helps keep this website going. I only write about things I’m truly passionate about, and products I actually recommend and use for our family.**

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