December arrives with a hush, and yet life feels loud and busy this time of year—holiday preparations, to-do lists, concerts, and celebrations all crowding the calendar. On one hand we want to follow nature’s invites to rest and slow down, and yet the world asks us to do more. No wonder this month can feel so stressful!
This month’s December 2025 Nature Connection Calendar for Families is an invitation to lean into nature’s rhythm and slow down a little. With simple prompts like Enjoy Hot Chocolate Outside, Paint Kindness Rocks, Celebragte the Winter Solstice, Decorate a Tree for Wildlife, Get to Know an Evergreen Tree, and a reflective Year-End Nature Moment, your family can keep stepping outside for little breaths of fresh air and wonder, to anchor yourselves during the busiest of seasons.
🌕 Cold Supermoon — December 4
Bundle up and watch the last full Cold Supermoon of the year rise bright and high in the sky. (More info: Star Walk)
🌠 Geminid Meteor Shower Peak — December 13–14
If skies are clear, head outside and look up, you may spot plenty of bright “shooting stars” streaking across the night.
🌑 New Moon — December 19-20 (depending on time zone)
Light a candle or lantern and set a quiet family intention for the coming year under the dark, peaceful sky.
🌞 Winter Solstice — December 21
Celebrate the Winter Solstice, winter’s first day and the gradual return of the light with a simple family-friendlty rituals.
🐦 Christmas Bird Count for Kids — December 14, 2025 to Januryay 5, 2026 (More info: Audubon)
Join a local group, do your own backyard tally or organize your own Christmas Bird Count for Kids and celebrate the birds that brighten winter days.
This calendar is full of small, meaningful ways to connect with nature as a family. Each prompt is an invitation, not a to-do list—choose one or two each week that match your energy. Maybe you’ll listen to winter sounds for five quiet minutes, decorate a tree for wildlife, or end the month with a simple Year-End Nature Moment: “This year I loved… Next year I hope…”
Nature connection in December is about warmth—not just scarves and mittens, but shared moments of wonder. Print your December 2025 Nature Connection Calendar for Families and let it guide you through a month of twinkling light, kindness, and cozy outdoor play.
If you’d like to follow along with our daily adventures, join me over on Instagram or TikTok.
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December’s short days and long nights invite us to step outside and celebrate light, warmth, and wonder. We’ll sip hot cocoa outdoors, listen for winter sounds, craft twig stars and winter mandalas, decorate a tree for wildlife, and end the year with a simple nature reflection under the winter sky.
December read-aloud pick: Winter: A Solstice Story by Kelsey E. Gross
In this gentle, luminous picture book, Owl and his forest friends gather on the longest night of the year. Each animal brings a small “gift of hope” to brighten a quiet, snow-covered forest, and together they create a glowing solstice tree that celebrates the magic of winter and the returning light.
🌿 Print & Post
Download and print the December 2025 Nature Connection Calendar for Families and hang it somewhere central—on the fridge, in your homeschool nook, or beside your boots by the door. Seeing it daily keeps nature connection simple and top of mind.
🔗 Tap the Links
Some prompts in the PDF are clickable. Open them for quick how-tos, craft ideas, and outdoor inspiration—perfect for things like nature crafts, winter play, and simple solstice celebrations.
🌱 Pick Your Pace
With a full month of bite-sized prompts, you can follow along day-by-day or jump in when it fits your rhythm. Maybe it’s sipping Hot Cocoa outside, a quick Winter Scavenger Hunt, a Christmas Walk after dinner, or ending the month with a Year-End Nature Moment: “This year I loved… Next year I hope…”.
☀️ Plan Ahead
A few activities need simple prep. Gather paper and crayons for Bark Rubbing Bookmarks, supplies for Bird Seed Ornaments, ingredients for Hot Cocoa or Orange Ornaments, or a jar and tealight for your Solstice Lantern. Check the calendar for special nights like the Cold Full Supermoon, Geminids Meteor Shower Peak, and Winter Solstice.
🌳 Stay Flexible
No snow yet for Snowman Fun or no spots to Go Skating or Sledding? Try a Christmas Color hunt in nearby nature or Get to Know an Evergreen Tree instead. If you can’t find many pinecones, look for interesting rocks or twigs for Twig Stars or a Winter Mandala. Adapt to what your local landscape offers—it all counts.
👂 Engage the Senses
December smells like cold air, evergreens, and woodsmoke; sounds like crunching snow or gravel, crows calling, and chickadees singing; feels like rough bark, smooth rocks, and prickly pine needles. Ask: How many shades of white, gray, and green can you spot? What does the world sound like on a still winter night?
📸 Capture the Moments
Snap photos, jot notes, or add sketches to your nature journal after making Pinecone Gnomes or Elves, crafting Twig Stars, stargazing during the Geminids, or walking under the Cold Full Moon. These small snapshots become your family’s story of the season.
🌦 Celebrate Small Wins
Did you decorate a Tree for Wildlife? Spot animal tracks during Go Wildlife Tracking? Count a bird or two for the Christmas Bird Count for Kids? Catch even one shooting star? Every tiny moment of wonder deepens your connection to nature. Share your small wins by tagging @thebackwoodsmama on Instagram or TikTok.
🔄 Combine Activities
Pair Hot Cocoa with a Christmas Walk, follow Winter Scavenger Hunt with Get to Know an Evergreen Tree, or cozy up indoors with Read a Magical Winter Book after Go Skating or Sledding. Little pairings keep the rhythm of the season flowing.
🌸 Reflect & Reset
As December unfolds, take time to pause together. Which Winter Solstice moment stood out? Did the New Moon or Year-End Nature Moment help you feel calmer or more hopeful? What surprised you during Listen to Winter Sounds or Winter Mandala? Celebrate the light, the slowness, and the quiet magic of early winter.
A gentle call back to nature, this book offers simple, seasonal ideas you can do just beyond your front door—no special gear or epic planning required. Whether you live in a city, suburb, or out in the country, you’ll find micro-adventures and playful prompts to help your family trade screen time for fresh air and deeper connection with nature and one another. Organized by season, it builds a steady rhythm outdoors to support family health and happiness.
If you’d like a gentle, ready-made way to weave nature into every day of Advent, explore my Nature Advent Calendar for Kids. It’s filled with simple,outdoor-friendly prompts that help your family slow down, connect, and savor the season.
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