1 Snowshoe the St. Croix

Wild River State Park, Dec. 21, noon-2 p.m.

Take a guided 1-mile snowshoe hike for lovely winter scenes along the St. Croix River. Ages 8-plus. Snowshoes provided. Reservation required; 651-583-2125. More information: www.mndnr.gov.

2 Birding for beginners

Fort Snelling State Park, Dec. 21, 1-2:30 p.m.

Join a naturalist for a winter birding hike, learning as you go about the basics of bird identification. Binoculars and bird guides available upon request. Reservation required; 612-725-2724. More information: www.mndnr.gov.

3 Winter survival camp

Cleary Lake Regional Park, Dec. 26 & 27, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Designed for stir-crazy kids on winter break, this educational day camp covers a host of winter survival skills. Lessons include shelter-building, fire-making, animal tracking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. $96. Ages 8-11. Equipment provided. Reservation required; 763-559-6700 or www.threeriversparks.org.

4 Intro to Nordic skiing

Wild River State Park, Dec. 27, noon-2 p.m.

This leisurely program promises a crash course on cross-country skiing. After a short lesson, participants are free to explore the park's large network of groomed ski trails. Ages 10-plus. Equipment rental available; 651-257-0685. Registration required; 651-583-2125. More information: www.mndnr.gov.

5 Winter wildlife trek

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Dec. 27, 10-11:30 a.m. Meet at the Bloomington Education and Visitor Center for a snowshoe hike led by refuge staffers. Spend the morning tracking winter wildlife while hoofing around Long Meadow Lake. Snowshoes provided. Reservations required; 952-854-5900. More information: www.fws.gov/refuge/Minnesota_Valley.