🌸 Parts of a Flower: A Homeschool Hike to Discover the Crocus and Support Sensory Regulation

A Spring Hike Rooted in Curiosity and Connection

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We all need a moment of pause. This bumblebee found the perfect place to rest inside a blooming crocus. 🌸🐝

Did you know a person’s favourite season can reveal a lot about their personality? From a psychology perspective, lovers of spring tend to be hopeful, enthusiastic, energetic, and curious. Not to mention, full of beauty, wisdom, and grace (okay, I might’ve added those last few 😉). But I do love this time of year—birds returning, trees budding, and the warm sun on my face. Best of all, spring means it's time for our annual crocus hunt. This year, we turned it into a homeschool hike and took a closer look at the parts of the crocus flower.

My nine-year-old daughter and I chose the Hoodoo Trail as our hiking grounds. She’s like me—not a fan of surprises—so we prepped the night before: binoculars, A Walk in Nature Journal, magnifying glass, water bottle. Her excitement built with each item, and come morning, she was ready to take on our flower-finding mission.

Why Movement Matters: Building Connection on the Trail

Lately, I’ve traded running for walking. Reels tell me “women of my age” (my brain says 20; my chin hair says otherwise) should focus more on strength than cardio. Sigh.

But here’s the unexpected gift—my daughter has started joining me on my walks. At first, she grumbled (loudly) as if I were inflicting the worst punishment upon her. But slowly, something shifted. Now she holds my hand. We walk. We talk. We laugh. There’s no pressure, no forced eye contact. Just movement and presence. And the bond we build with each step is one I’ll cherish forever.

Me and my wild child, taking a break at the top of the Hoodoo Trail after our crocus hike.

Nature as Medicine: How Hiking Supports Sensory Regulation

I’ve always enjoyed physical work—hauling wood, digging in the garden—but I recently learned about “heavy work” in a sensory context. Pushing, pulling, climbing, or carrying are all activities that provide proprioceptive input to the muscles and joints, helping calm and regulate the nervous system.

Hiking is a perfect example. I offered many times to carry her pack, but she insisted on doing it herself, up and down that trail. For kids with big energy, big feelings, or sensitive systems (which, let’s be honest, is most kids at some point), heavy work helps release stress, build focus, and feel grounded. Nature as medicine is real. Whether carrying a backpack or crouching to examine a crocus flower, “heavy work” done outdoors offers a reset we all need.

Studying the parts of a crocus flower on our homeschool hike.

5 Ways Spring Hikes Support Sensory Regulation & Connection

1. Heavy Work in Nature

   Hiking naturally offers the sensory input kids need to self-regulate and reset.

2. Built-In Breaks & Movement Variety

   Crouching to spot crocuses, balancing on logs, chasing the dog—great for sensory seekers.

3. Connection Without Pressure

   Side-by-side movement removes distractions and invites open conversation.

4. Nature’s Calming Backdrop

   Birdsongs, breeze, and bursts of colour support emotional regulation.

5. Purposeful Exploration

   A “mission” (like finding crocuses or identifying the parts of a flower) keeps kids focused and builds confidence.

   
   

Try It: A Simple Spring Hike Invitation

We timed our hike just right—hundreds of crocus flowers greeted us. Their purple petals marked the first signs of spring and became a symbol of our shared effort. The real reward wasn’t the crocus, or learning the parts of a flower—it was the journey: the conversation, the movement, and the grounding we both needed in our beautiful, messy life.

Stay Wild, Little Child

Curiosity Spark: On your next walk, ask your kids to find the first sign of spring—a bud, a birdcall, a splash of green. And while observing nature’s beauty, use the opportunity to teach about plant parts by asking: “Can you find the petals, stamens, or pistil?” (These are all parts of a flower!). Download my free Parts of a Flower Worksheet below to support curiosity in bloom.

Get The Parts of a Flower Worksheet

Confidence Builder: Choose a kid-friendly trail. Look for logs to balance on, trees to climb, and obstacles to jump over—these are all great ways to build strength and resilience. When hiking with kids, celebrate every milestone!

Conservation Corner: Did you know the floral emblem of Manitoba

(where I searched for crocuses as a kid) is the prairie crocus? It’s a wildflower worth protecting. Remind your child not to pick them, so others can enjoy them too.