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Winter Nature Walk Bingo: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 1

  • ForYear 1
  • StageKey Stage 1
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Winter Nature Walk Bingo is a free printable science worksheet for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6). Children take the bingo card on a winter walk and tick off what they spot, from a robin to a puddle. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Page 1 is a bingo card ready to cut and play. Each square shows something children might find outdoors in winter, such as a robin, holly, frost or an acorn. Children take the card on a walk, look carefully and tick each thing they spot. They can race for a row of three or aim for a full house of nine.

  • ROBIN
  • HOLLY
  • FROST
  • PUDDLE
  • BARE TREE
  • IVY
  • ACORN
  • BERRIES
  • PINE CONE

Getting ready for the walk

Print and cut

Print page 1 on plain A4 paper. Cut out the bingo card if you want a smaller one that fits in a pocket. Keep page 2 at home.

Pack a pencil

Bring a pencil on a clipboard or a piece of stiff card to lean on. Pencils work better than pens on damp days.

Talk about the squares

Before you leave, read each square aloud together. Ask which ones your child thinks they might see near your home or school.

Dress for the weather

Winter walks need warm coats, hats and gloves. Wet ground is part of the fun, so wellies help children look closely at puddles.

Why take bingo on a winter walk?

In Year 1, science asks children to notice how the seasons change. Winter is a good time to look, because the signs are easy to spot. Trees can look bare, the air feels cold and the ground may be wet or icy. A bingo card turns looking into a game, so children stay curious for the whole walk.

Walking slowly and searching for something specific teaches children to observe. They learn to look up at branches, down at the ground and close up at a leaf or a puddle. Naming what they find builds vocabulary, and talking about it afterwards helps them link what they saw to the season.

Stay with a grown up on the walk. Do not pick or eat berries, because some berries can make people very ill. Look at them with your eyes only. Take care near roads, water and slippery ground, and wash hands when you get home.

Winter nature facts

  • Robins can be seen in British gardens and parks in winter.
  • Holly leaves are often shiny and prickly.
  • Frost is made of tiny ice crystals.
  • An acorn is the seed of an oak tree.
  • A pine cone grows on a pine tree and holds its seeds.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Observing
  • Naming living things
  • Noticing seasonal change
  • Listening and talking
  • Taking turns

This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.

Framework Subject or area Strand Year
National Curriculum (England) Science Seasonal changes Year 1

What children will be able to do

  • I can notice living things outdoors in winter.
  • I can name what I see.
  • I can say signs that it is winter.

Ideas for the grown up

  • Look up and downRemind your child that things grow on trees and on the ground. Ask them to look high, low and close up before they decide something is missing.
  • Use the sensesAsk what they can see and hear. Some squares may be easier to find by listening, and others by looking at the ground.
  • Say the nameWhen your child spots something, ask them to say its name aloud. Saying the word helps them remember it.
  • Not everything will appearYou may not find every square on one walk. That is fine. Try a different place or another day, or look at photos afterwards.

Key words

  • WinterThe coldest season of the year, after autumn and before spring.
  • FrostThin, white, sparkly ice that can cover grass, leaves and cars on a very cold morning.
  • BareWithout leaves. A bare tree has branches but no leaves.
  • BerryA small fruit that grows on a plant. Never pick or eat berries on a walk.
  • EvergreenA plant that keeps its leaves all year round.
  • SpotTo notice something by looking carefully.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2 for yourself.
  2. Read each square aloud together before you set off, so your child knows what to look for.
  3. Take the card on a walk. Children tick each thing they spot. Stay with a grown up and do not pick or eat berries.
  4. Check against the notes on page 2 and talk about what you found and what you did not.
  5. Come back to it another day, perhaps in a different place. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Take photos on the walk and match them to the squares afterwards. Look for one square at a time and say its name together first. Let your child point to what they find, so they do not need to read every word.

To stretch confident children

Ask children to find two more winter things and write them in the gaps. They could draw each one too. Then they can tell someone at home why they think those things belong to winter.

Make it a game

Race to get a row of three, or aim for a full house of nine. Walk together with a grown up and take turns to be the first to spot something. Everyone ticks the square, and cheers for each find.

Talk about it

  • What can you see that tells you it is winter?
  • Which square was the hardest to find, and why?
  • What do the trees look like now?
  • How does the ground feel today?
  • What do you think a robin does on a cold day?
  • Where would you look if we went on another walk?

Take it off the page

Winter collage

At home, draw a bare tree on paper. Add paper scraps or pictures to show the things you spotted, such as frost, berries or a puddle.

Sound walk

Sit quietly outside or by an open window. Listen for birds, wind or footsteps. Say what each sound might be.

Photo match

If you took photos on the walk, print them or look at them together. Talk about which bingo square each one fits.

Who it is for

Parents

Walk beside your child and let them lead the looking. Point out a square only if they are stuck. Keep it relaxed, and enjoy being outdoors together.

Teachers

Use it on a school grounds walk, as part of a seasonal changes topic, or as a starter before outdoor learning. Photos make it easy to follow up in class.

Home educators

Pair it with a library book about winter wildlife. Repeat the walk in the same place in another season so children can compare what they see.

Where this fits in learning

Before this, children often notice the season around them in autumn, for example by collecting leaves. The Autumn Leaf Collection sheet builds the habit of looking closely and naming what they find.

After this, children can move on to hunting for small creatures and the places they live. Micro Habitats Hunt is the next step up in science, and builds on careful observing and naming.

Check it worked

Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.

  1. What signs of winter did you spot?
  2. What living things did you see?
  3. How is it different from summer?

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Winter Nature Walk Bingo for?

It is written for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6), in Key Stage 1. Slightly younger children can enjoy it with help, and older children can use the stretch idea to go further.

What will children practise?

Children practise noticing and naming living things and signs of winter outdoors. They also practise looking carefully, listening and talking about what they see, which supports the Year 1 science strand on seasonal changes.

Is it safe to pick berries for the card?

No. Children should never pick or eat berries on a walk, because some are harmful. They only need to spot them and tick the square. Stay with a grown up the whole time.

What if we cannot find everything on the card?

That is fine. Not every square will appear on every walk. Try another place or day, or take photos on a walk and match them to the squares afterwards.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers and sisters or to use on another walk.

Can teachers use it in class?

Yes. Teachers can use it on a grounds walk, as a starter, a plenary, homework or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can add their own colour with pencils if they like.

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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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