There are numerous benefits for young children to play, especially outdoors. By encouraging play outside, it helps kids to learn and understand the world around them. Your backyard national forest is the best place to play, even when you can’t be here in person. Discovery Southeast and the U.S. Forest Service are proud to present this series of fun and educational nature videos you can watch from your preschool or from home!
This collection of videos is adapted from Forest Service’s “Mendenhall Minis” public winter program that provide tools to better help engage children ages 7 and under to play both inside and out. The nature journal video series teaches kids how to observe and record all the wonders of nature using their senses from learning about sight and colors to using their sense of touch to explore different textures in the forest. Young children will play and learn with park rangers by doing hands-on activities such as creating a nature journal, making arts and crafts, and exploring a national forest.
Please note that these videos also include closed captioning and audio description options.
Winter with Woodsy
Join Ranger Julia and Ranger Dave for a special winter virtual event with special guest Woodsy Owl! This video includes a story book reading, acting out the life of a snowflake, creating a snowflake craft, and playing a special hidden animal snowflake game.
Colors of the Rainbow
This virtual adventure with Ranger Dave will take you into the forest in search of all the colors of the rainbow. Discover what makes a rainbow and help Ranger Dave find and record colors in a nature journal that you can make right from home.
Click here for the Audio Described Version of Colors in the Forest
Textures in the Forest
Join Ranger Dave once again for forest explorations on the Trail of Time using the sense of touch to find different textures from soft to rough. Learn how to a make a texture guide in your very own nature journal and help Ranger Dave find and record what he feels along the trail.