- Winter is a great time to explore nature.

It gets dark earlier so that you can explore the night before bedtime.

And many animals are out active right now trying to find mates.

This is such an exciting time.

But sometimes the darkness can bring interesting feelings within explorers, especially the younger ones with good imaginations.

So I can ask you a question.

Are you scared of the dark?

Now, be honest with yourself.

It is only natural for us to get a little scared of the unknown.

When we can't see what's out here, our imagination likes to kick in with wild things, like monsters, ghosts, and anything else that we're afraid of.

Sometimes, explorers don't know enough about the animals that are out here that they get scared of them, too.

They might think that a deer might come run after them, or a skunk jump out to spray that stinky stuff on them, or even a spider to come drop down on them and bite them.

Although we can't control nature, the chances of these things actually happening are nearly zero.

And if explorers let these things bother them so much that they don't get outside, think about all the amazing things that they would miss seeing and being a part of.

So gather a little bit of courage.

Bundle up so that you can keep warm and venture outside in nature to see what kinds of creatures are in your backyard, neighborhood, or local park.

Make sure that you tell an adult.

They might decide to go with you.

Happy exploring.