The Great Outdoors

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Omaha area boas lots of outdoor ts activities, even when it is cold

Elsa Forsberg walks a trail before sunset at Audubon Spring Creek Prairie near Denton, Nebraska.

MICHAEL FORSBERG

MARJIE DUCEY

World-Herald Staff Writer

It’s always so tempting to spend the coldest days of winter bundled inside on the couch, watching a movie.

But somehow, those sunny, 30 degree days start to seem warmer and the kids get antsy stuck inside.

So here’s some fun activities to get you off the couch and outside.

You don’t have to go far to find nature. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium offers a backyard adventures camp from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 17 for ages 6 to 8 and 9 to 11. Seek out species native to Nebraska and learn how to find them in your own backyard. Cost is $65 with a zoo membership and $70 without.

Have you ever tried snowshoes? Fontenelle Forest rents them for $5 for one hour. It’s best to call for reservations at 402-731-3140. If that sounds too strenuous, the one-mile ADAaccessible Riverview Boardwalk is an easier stroll that still provides a great view.

Fontenelle’s Acorn Acres is a one-acre outdoor playscape for kids willing to venture outdoors or they can check out birds of prey at the Raptor Woodland Refuge. If it’s too cold outdoors, Habitat Hollow has re-opened for the younger kids in your family. It includes nature coloring and baby birder stations, a critter observation area (turtles, frogs, salamanders, snakes) and a make-and-take option.

The popular Mudpies program returns to Fontenelle Forest this month. It’s a structured program for children ages 3 to 5 years that encourages exploration of nature and interaction between a child and their caregiver. Each week, a natural science topic is explored through crafts, outdoor exploration, songs, stories, outdoor hikes and more. Each program will feature a different craft or activity, along with story time and an outdoor guided hike. The Tuesday and Thursday morning classes are $5 per child for members. Nonmembers pay $5 per child plus daily admission for accompanying adult(s). One adult is required for every two children. Preregistration is required.

Winter birding is also popular and you’d be surprised how many birds can be spotted at

KAYLA WOLF, THE WORLD-HERALD Left: Hikers, from left, Olivia Clark, Shelby Huenink and Sophie Huenink walk through the woods with their parents at Mahoney State Park.

FONTENELLE FOREST Below: Animal tracks can be seen in the snow at Fontenelle Forest.

Fontenelle Forest during the winter months.

Speaking of birding, get your family involved in the Great Backyard Bird Count that runs from Feb. 18-21. Count the birds in your backyard and enter your total at birdcount.org.

Looking to go further afield? Check out the tallgrass prairie at the Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center in Denton, Nebraska. You can organize a scavenger hunt there or just see where animals live in the winter on three kinds of wetlands: ponds, marshes and creeks. Check out each one as you explore — what is the same, what is different? And what types of plants and animals live in or near the water?

Closer to home is Heron Haven at 118th and Old Maple Road. Download an app called SEEK. Take a photo of a plant or animal with your phone and SEEK can help you figure out what it is, and tell you a little about it. It is from iNaturalist and is a great way to get young explorers involved in nature and becoming a community scientist.

Nebraska’s State Parks are another great place to visit in the winter. Search for wildlife tracks, peak through binoculars to watch birds or skip rocks on the ice. Don’t limit s’mores to only the summer months, roast marshmallows or hot dogs over a fire pit. Heat from burning wood is very comforting in January. Spend an afternoon ice skating on a scenic frozen pond or lake. Mahoney State Park’s Activity Center has an outdoor ice rink and skates can be rented.

Schramm Education Center’s newly renovated and expanded indoor aquariums feature all kinds of aquatic species along with interactive activities. Or head to Lincoln and try indoor archery at the Outdoor Education Center there. There are also outdoor archery ranges and 3D target trails.

It’s almost like being outdoors, but the Marjorie K. Daugherty Conservatory at Lauritzen Gardens offers lovely tropical warmth as you walk around the exotic plants. Go on a leaf hunt and see how many different leaves you can find.

The Lauritzen Gardens education staff has all kinds of ideas, even for a brief trip to the backyard, to use up some of that overflowing energy. 1. Go on a nature walk: Go for a walk and use all your senses to see what you can find, make a list. Go multiple days and see how your list changes.

2. Fill a bird feeder or make a wildlife

tree ornament, and watch all the wildlife that visits. 3. Snowflake study: They come in lots of different shapes and sizes, draw a few of the ones you find.

4. Look for animal tracks in the snow,

or on the bank of a nearby creek. See if you can find marks left by people, birds, dogs, squirrels, deer, rabbits. 5. Look at trees and notice their different branches and bark. Do you see any nests? Animals need places to hide, rest, feed and sleep during the cold winter months. A tree can provide shelter to lots of different animals.

6. Winter provides some of the most clear

night skies. Go outside after dark, and look at the moon and stars. Make a moon journal, and learn some of the constellations.