Youth Outside | Exploring Winter With Your Mini Mountaineer

Getting youth outside changes with the season, and winter is no exception. Our Mini Mountaineers program helps little kids and their families enjoy and learn about nature during even the rainiest months by facilitating nature-based activities and hikes. The program – offered by our Seattle and Tacoma Branches – is designed for youth ages two through five and fosters a love for the outdoors in the next generation.

Now in its sixth year, Mini Mountaineers is a wonderful way for young children and their adults to experience new adventures, build meaningful relationships, and create impactful memories. Monthly outings, organized by staff and led by staff or volunteers, include interactive outdoor activities, climbing evenings, and a variety of hikes for little legs.

The impact of Mini Mountaineers is palpable. From its origins, the program was intended to build community. Now, that community has blossomed into an inspiring group of stewards, advocates, and skilled recreationists. “The best part about Mini Mountaineers has been the friendships that have formed,” shared RyAnn Peverley, Tacoma Youth Programs Coordinator. “I along with my son have met some of our best friends, and the community I was looking for takes place not only in the woods but at home. Those first Mini’s that helped build the program are all now Pathfinders (our adventure program for youth ages six to nine), and they are continuing to learn, explore, and enjoy this beautiful place we call home.”

Below are some of the crafts and activities our Mini’s will be participating in this season. These activities encourage inspiration for children seeking natural connections or adults looking to re-engage their inner child. Take a peek and try one of these projects for yourself at home!

A decorated pine cone as a colorful natural ornament.

Natural ornaments

As the weather chills and we spend more time inside, why not decorate our homes with the outdoors? Natural ornaments provide a great opportunity to venture outside with your little one to collect materials for ornamenting your windowsill, indoor plants, or mantle. When collecting materials from the outdoors, remind your kids to minimize their impact on our environment by only collecting things that are dead, down, and dry. We always want to avoid disturbing plants that are still alive.

Materials

• Sticks, leaves, and pinecones
• Decorations: paint, pom poms, glitter… your choice!
• String or embroidery floss
• Glue

Steps

1. Head outside to collect materials as the base for your ornament.
2. Tie or glue your string to the top of the ornament for hanging.
3. Decorate your ornament with any materials you like. Depending on your materials, you can paint sticks different colors, add pom poms to pinecones, cover leaves in glitter… the list goes on!
4. Allow your ornament to fully dry. Once dry, hang your ornaments throughout your home to liven up the space during the gray winter months.

A crafty hibernation den.

Hibernation dens

Humans aren’t the only animals that find shelter from the cold. Many animals like bears, marmots, and chipmunks hibernate during the winter to stay warm, give birth, and keep their bodies healthy. Explore the elements of a good hibernation den by building one to protect your favorite animals from the cold. This activity can be done with just craft materials, or natural materials as well.

Materials

• Popsicle sticks
• Construction paper
• Cotton balls
• Scissors
• Colored pencils or pens
• Optional: leaves and sticks

Steps

1. Draw or cut out your hibernating animal, such as a bear or chipmunk.
2. Place your animal on its bed, which can either be construction paper or sticks and leaves that you collect from outside.
3. Build your animal’s den using popsicle sticks or construction paper. What shape do you think will work best to protect your animal from the cold? How big should your animal’s den be?
4. Finally, decorate your completed den with cotton balls to represent the winter snow. Make sure your animal is fully protected from the cold!
5. As a bonus activity, build your own hibernation den at home using pillows and blankets. Make sure your den is fully covered except for an opening to exit at the end of the long winter months.

A model fire.

Building a fire

One of the ways we can keep warm while winter camping is by making a fire. Though useful and fun, building campfires can be a tricky task. Teach your kids the building blocks of campfires using a pretend fire or a real one. Before the activity, make sure to communicate the importance of fire safety, including staying a safe distance from the flames and making sure the fire is completely out before leaving it for the night.

Materials

• Sticks
• Rocks
• Small materials for kindling
• Red, orange, and yellow felt or scraps of paper

Steps

1. Send your little one outside to collect dead, down, and dry materials for their fire, such as sticks for the fire, rocks for the fire ring, and smaller materials for kindling.
2. Build your fire together. What shape or configuration do you think would work best? Hint: Try the log cabin, teepee, or star structures.
3. Add a ring around the fire with rocks, indicating a “safety circle” to stay outside of that keeps you away from the flame. Have a conversation about why it’s important to stay a safe distance from your campfire.
4. Add kindling to the center of the fire structure.

5. For pretend fires, have kids cut felt or colored paper to represent flames. Add the flames to the fire.
6. For real fires, light your kindling and watch your fire grow! For added fun, roast marshmallows over the flames for a winter treat.

When you’re done crafting, cozy up with a book or game. For inspiration, check out these Mountaineers Books publications. Find them at mountaineersbooks.org, our Seattle Program Center Bookstore, and anywhere books are sold.

 This article originally appeared in our winter 2025 issue of Mountaineer magazine. To view the original article in magazine form and read more stories from our publication, visit our magazine archive.