Outdoor School After Dark

Sep 9

Some of the best opportunities for discovery happen after the sun goes down.

As the school year ramps up again and kids head back into classrooms, we love to balance inside learning with some really cool science-based activities in the great outdoors. Road trips provide the perfect chance to discover the natural world. Take advantage of the time together outdoors and immerse yourself deeper in nature.

Outdoor School After Dark - Metris Pop Top Camper

Outdoor School After Dark - kids in Metris pop top

Become a Novice Astronomer

For centuries humans have relied on the stars and planets to navigate, to know when to plant and harvest crops, to track time, and to predict certain events. Take advantage of the wonderful lack of light pollution to spot constellations, planets, and stars in the night sky.

Build Your Own Star Wheel

Get started by creating this handy star wheel to help you identify what’s twinkling above depending on the time of year—this easy project takes just a few minutes to complete. If you aren’t able to make a wheel, download the free Skyview or NASA Stargazing app. Then, look for the moon, constellations and different planets. Download the handy worksheet below and check off everything you find!

Discover Nocturnal Animals on a Night Walk

Many animals are active at night! Take some time to quietly walk around your campground or a nearby trail and see if you can find these common nocturnal animals. You may be able to hear them before you see them. Grab a sheet of paper and draw a picture for each animal you hear or spot! Keep in mind, most animals want to avoid humans (we can seem like scary predators to them!). If you don’t discover any on your trip, hold on to this list and see if you can check these off throughout the year.

Owl

Fun Fact:

Owls have incredibly keen eyesight. They can hunt very small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects even in complete darkness.

Moth

Fun Fact:

Some moths don’t have mouths. They emerge from their cocoons ready to mate, and content to die soon afterward. Since they aren’t around for long, they are able to get by on the energy they stored as caterpillars. The luna moth is a famous example, living only a few days as an adult.

Fox

Fun Fact:

What does the fox say? Foxes make 40 different sounds. The most noticeable (and noisey!) is their scream-like howl. “Gekkering”, a series of guttural chattering, is also a common noise for foxes, especially in a dispute. Foxes can be highly territorial. When one fox intrudes on another foxes' space, they are likely to chatter loudly back and forth in defense of their home.

Bat

Fun Fact:

Bats hunt their prey with the help of echolocation. They generate sound waves, which after hitting an object, bounce back in the form of echoes. From these echoes, bats have the ability to determine distinct details about their prey, like their distance, and even their size and shape.

Rabbit

Fun Fact:

A rabbit’s big ears aren’t just for listening. They also help regulate their body temperature. The ears’ blood vessels swell when it’s hot out and contract when it’s cold. And those amazing ears can rotate to 270 degrees—almost a complete circle.

Raccoon

Fun Fact:

Raccoons are omnivores and opportunistic eaters. They opt for whatever is most convenient and available. They feast on nuts, berries, fruits, acorns, grasshoppers, mice, fish, frogs, insects, small mammals, and ground-dwelling birds and their eggs. Raccoons are also adept scavengers. You may spot them rummaging through garbage cans and compost piles, which is why it’s important to properly store your food and dispose of your trash. They’ll even steal pet food left outside overnight and climb bird feeders to munch on the seeds.

Mouse

Fun Fact:

Mice build very complex burrows with long entrances and many escape routes. They may be misunderstood as dirty rodents, but they’re actually quite clean. They like to keep their borrows nice and tidy with dedicated areas for storing food, sleeping, and going to the “bathroom.”

Frog

Fun Fact:

Frogs drink water through their skin! They have what’s known as a drinking patch located on the underside of their belly and thighs that allow them to absorb water through their skin.

Campfire Building

Let’s start with the basics! For a successful campfire, you need oxygen, heat, and fuel. We’ll be using matches or a lighter, dry wood (very important as wet wood won’t light!), and some sort of kindling or paper to help get things going. Discovery.com breaks down different types of fires to build. We encourage you to build a new one on their list!

Outdoor School After Dark - kids in front of vanagon

Outdoor School After Dark - metris camper with campfire

*Note: please be sure to check the local fire restrictions in your area before building ANY fire! If a fire ban is in effect, save your favorite option for a later date when fires are safe to have again. You can always practice building a fire without lighting it.