Track IDs, A Ready Made Scavenger Hunt.

The trick to getting outside for parents is not just keeping the kids warm, but keeping them occupied as well! Animal tracks in the fresh snow provide a ready-made scavenger hunt!

For younger kids, the game can be as simple as just seeing how many different tracks you can find. Make up stories about the animals who left the tracks. What were they doing? Where are they going? (Was the rabbit wearing a waistcoat and glasses?)

Older kids can start IDing the tracks. There are many charts and flashcards available that you can print or have on your phone to help with IDs. (I’ll include a basic chart below. ) On each hike or trail, you can see how many different animals you can ID. What trail had the most animal tracks? What animals are the most common in the places you hike?

Print or copy to your phone…

Collect All Season

Kids with access to cameras or smartphones can take pictures and collect tracks. Over the season, how many different kinds of animals can you collect? If you don’t have a camera, a small spiral notebook will do the trick. Write them down, better yet, draw the tracks that you find just like researchers used to do…. (a long, long time ago!)

Stay Comfortable & Engaged

Getting outside is good for our heads and good for our souls. In winter, the trick is always staying comfortable. Wicking clothing, dry boots, gloves, and a hat will make all the difference! And for parents, it’s keeping the kids engaged is the difference between a good day and a grueling “death march”.

Do you have tracking games you play with your kids? Did you try an animal scavenger hunt with your kids? How did it go? Do you have other ideas to keep the kids busy on a winter hike? Let us know in the comments below!

If you’d like to see the track we’re finding around Devil’s Lake State Park, be sure to like our Facebook page.