Children learn new things when they practice them in everyday routines.  With a little bit of practice,
going on a walk can become a natural place for STEM learning.
Use these ideas to set up the environment and materials to best suit your child’s
needs.

Use modified and supported seating in a wagon or stroller

• Have child’s assistive technology ready and available, including augmentative & alternative communication (AAC) device
• Use adaptive devices (e.g., reacher) to help your child pick up nature items (e.g., sticks, leaves)
• Provide binoculars and/or magnifiers
• Bring along a story box with feathers, fur, nature items, etc.
• Provide a visual map (see following pages for an example or create your own, see following pages for photos to use)
• Use Braille on the visual cue cards to support children with visual impairment

• Narrate/sign your child’s actions
• Use a variety of methods of communication (e.g., sign language, gestures) to meaningfully engage your child
• Communicate with your child at eye level
• Speak/sign slowly, emphasize keywords, and wait for a response
• Praise your child’s efforts with words, facial expression, and/or body language
• Make eye contact and smile as you talk to your child
• Support children with communication challenges and/or visual impairments by using actual objects or pictures to represent steps of the routine
• Consider using visual cues or a tablet with pictures of the objects to signal next steps and/or each step of the sequence (see resource for an example of a Visual Map)
• Prepare your child for the stroll so they know what to expect. Show them images of what they might notice and do.