Go on a Spring Scavenger Hunt

By kiley | April 23, 2018

I don't really want to sit at my desk today. I want to go outside!

This weekend was really the first weekend I felt the warm sun on my skin, and the winds that flew were cool instead of frigid. It felt wonderful, and it finally feels like spring is showing its face.

So instead of sitting inside and enjoying the sunny skies, this is the week to head outside and finally get some fresh air into your lungs. That's why we've provided this easy spring scavenger huntopens PDF file for you! Print it out and see how many items you can check off in your yard, along a nearby trail, at a county park, outside the Dickinson County Nature Center or anywhere else you may want to go!

opens PDF file

Early spring butterflies

Almost 70 species of butterflies have been seen in Dickinson County, Iowa, and the time of year can be told from which ones are most active. In fact, you can tell when spring is making its appearance by which butterflies are hatching after overwintering in the chrysalis state or from spots further south. The mourning Read More »

Three early spring migrators

When the days get longer and the temperatures get a little warmer, it signals that spring is on its way. You’ll even start to here winter bird residents begin to perk up, and you’ll start to see bird species that you haven’t seen for a while. Three of Iowa’s earliest spring avian arrivals are the Read More »

Pasque flowers mean spring

There are many signs of spring — waterfowl migration, robins returning, snow melting and ice going out on the Iowa Great Lakes. A true sign of spring in the tallgrass prairie is pasque flowers blooming. The pasque flower (Pulsatilla patens or Anemone patens) is found in healthy tallgrass prairies, usually on dry, rocky hillsides and Read More »

Printable spring scavenger hunt

It’s officially spring, and that means that I officially want to get outside. I can’t always get outside, because sometimes the computer ropes me in to work, but I am thankful that I have a job that I get outside more than most. If you’re looking for something to do with the kiddos when you Read More »

Spring and winter coloring page

When you sit down to color a picture, it’s usually pretty obvious what you’re coloring. What’s fun about folding pictures is that you have to finish it before you can see exactly what you’ve done. As we transition from winter into spring, we thought it would be timely to create a folding picture that encompasses Read More »

Graphic that says spring is when you feel like whistling, even with a shoe full of slush

What is spring?

The sunshine is more powerful and begins to melt the snowy walk, although the slush freezes again at night. The days lengthen, but Daylights Savings Time makes the more morning come later. Birds start their journeys north, but have to stop and wait for a few more days before they can find enough food to Read More »

Can you find them all? Try our indoor/outdoor fall scavenger hunt

The weather is chilly, but that doesn’t mean that kids hibernate. Your kids are still as active as ever, and they want something to occupy their time. You want something to occupy their time too. Why not print off our fall scavenger hunt? There are indoor and outdoor items to find, and you can add Read More »

Free nature bingo cards to download

It’s finally summer, and we’re loving being outside. Print off these three bingo cards, head outside and see who can get a bingo first!

Color match trek in the Nature Playscape

Yesterday, I stopped at the local hardware store and picked up a few paint chips to take into the Nature Playscape at the Dickinson County Nature Center. I thought I would play a little game and see what colors in nature I could match to my paint chips. The outdoor play area has so many Read More »

Take the kids outside for a shape walk

The sun is finally shining, and the ice is melting. It’s a beautiful day to get outside. But what to do, what to do? Why not take the kids on a shape walk? Challenge your tots, or your older children, to use their observational skills and see how many shapes they can find in nature. Read More »