Hands-On Winter Learning Comes Alive at a North Dakota Historic Site

If your family is starting to feel a little stir-crazy from winter hibernation, here’s a fun excuse to bundle up, escape the couch, and actually learn something cool while you’re at it. Fort Buford State Historic Site and the Missouri-Yellowstone Interpretive Center are hosting a winter adventure that proves learning doesn’t stop just because the temperature drops.

On Saturday, January 24th from 2 to 3 p.m., the January Confluence Learning Lab invites kids and adults alike to explore the wild world of winter animals at the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence. And no, this isn’t one of those “stand still and listen quietly” kind of events. This is hands-on, boots-in-the-snow fun.

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Paw Prints in the Snow and Hands-On Fun

Participants will get the chance to follow real animal tracks through the snow, discovering who’s been wandering around the North Dakota prairie when we are safely indoors sipping hot chocolate. You’ll also make your own clay track casts to take home — a perfect keepsake and proof that learning can be messy in the best way.

Read More: Why North Dakota Winter Sun Can Be Harder on Your Eyes Than You Think

Free, Family Fun with a Side of Science

Feeling brave? There’s even an owl pellet dissection, where you can dig in and find out exactly what local predators have been snacking on. It’s science, but the kind that makes kids’ eyes light up and adults quietly say, “Okay, this is actually pretty cool.”

Using real scientific tools and guided activities, families will learn how animals survive, hunt, and adapt during winter on the Northern Plains. It’s fascinating, educational, and just the right amount of outdoorsy without requiring expert survival skills.

Best of all, this event is free, family-friendly, and open to everyone — no registration required, just curiosity and warm gloves. It’s also part of the ND250 celebration, honoring our nation’s upcoming 250th birthday by connecting people with history, nature, and learning.

So mark your calendar: January 24th, 2 to 3 p.m. at Fort Buford. Come for the animal tracks, stay for the owl pellets, and leave with new knowledge, a clay souvenir, and a reminder that winter learning can be a whole lot of fun.