The Glory of God in Winter

Written by CHEBWA member Anna S.

Wow! What a winter wonderland it is out there today! All the snow is inspiring me to get back into winter nature study with my children. Would you like some new ideas for things to study when it's freezing cold outside? Read on!

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          I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station,
     through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.
                                    – George Washington Carver

Are you the type of person who just wants to snuggle down indoors during the freezing cold winter days? Would you be content to simply sit and read by the fireplace until March or April? Yeah, me too. :)

However, those of us with children have the amazing privilege to teach our children about God’s majesty, power, creative ability, splendor and attention to detail every single day when we point them toward His creation.

It seems that it would be such a shame to “take a break” from this teaching during the cold winter months, when there are so many opportunities to witness these attributes of God! Even when we feel like just staying put, God is still revealing Himself to us through His creation:

                From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind,
                    And cold from the scattering winds of the north.

                                  By the breath of God ice is given,
                                  And the broad waters are frozen.

                                                        Job 37:9-10

Here are some ideas of things to keep your eye out for as you praise His name during the winter!

Sunrises – During the other seasons, many of us rise too late to see the sun rising. At this time of the year, you can plan to be up and ready to watch each one! Watching the sun rise at different times during the year helps children understand how the seasons work as we move closer to and farther away from the sun.

Things to do: Watch the sunrise, sketch or paint it, photograph it, note the location it rises on your property, enjoy it!

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Snow – I know that it can be easy to grumble about having to shovel it or having to mop it up off the mudroom floor. But since we're stuck with it, we might as well make the most of it! Understanding what snow is, how it is formed, where it comes from and what it looks like up close can be an awesome exploration into God’s creative genius.

Things to do: Catch snowflakes on black construction paper, look at snowflakes under a microscope (if you don’t own one, check out these photographs online!), do a Bible search on the word “snow”, watch this Creation science video on the uniqueness of snow crystals, learn more about snowflakes from these books (click on them to learn more): 

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Trees – How can you study TREES in the winter? Did you know that you can identify your trees by the buds and bark alone? Try to identify what trees live on your property and then see if you’re right once they bloom and leaf out. It is fascinating to learn how trees overwinter and prepare for the spring!

Things to do: Check out this awesome website of large-size photographs to help you identify trees in the winter by their buds and bark: Winter Trees Species List

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Astronomy – Winter is a great time to study the heavens because it actually gets dark enough before the children go to bed and often the sky is clear because it’s so cold.

Things to do: Look up scriptures that mention astronomy, make some hot chocolate or warm milk, grab a lawn chair and head outside to gaze at the stars (even for a few minutes), note where the constellations are at this time of the year and compare your notes in the spring and summer, read this great book about the constellations for children:

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Animal tracks – Identifying the tracks that are right on your own property can be great fun! You can tell a great deal about the habits and types of food an animal eats by following its tracks across your yard. You can discuss how God has made provisions for the animals during the winter – Where do they go? Where do they live? How do they survive?

Things to do: Find tracks, photograph them, sketch them, and then check out these 2 great books to help you identify them:

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Birds – Even though you don’t hear them, many birds stick around during the winter. Do you know where they are? At bird feeders, of course! :) Winter is a great time to feed the birds, because they aren’t busy building nests and raising their young. It’s also a good time to learn to identify their calls because there is less noise out there to compete with them. Get your hands on a good field guide and marvel at these amazing creations! You can read more about how our family studies birds HERE.

Things to do: Set up a bird feeder by a good viewing window, watch the birds’ behavior, sketch them, take videos of them, make bird feeders out of pine cones, peanut butter and seeds, learn more about a bird’s design with this video, check out this AMAZING resource of almost 150,000 bird call recordings to help you identify them, use this book to watch your birds:

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Observation window – Choose a large window in your home that has a nice view of trees or other things in nature. Put a sketch book near it and encourage family members to date the page and sketch what they see or take notes about the following things – leaves, plants, the sky, animals, birds, etc. (Or take photographs!)  Notice how the same view changes with each season and see how many things are different!

“Your goal in nature study is more than just to inform your children about the details of creation.

Your greater task is to form in them eyes that can see the Creator in his creation, an abiding sense of wonder and appreciation of what God has made…”   

                      - Clay Clarkson, Educating the WholeHearted Child

This post originally appeared on Anna's personal blog, Where My Treasure Is