These are the best winter nature books for cozy homeschooling days. Includes winter nature study suggestions you can do through your window – or for a quick and refreshing outdoor time.
We think the very best winter nature book is our favorite Handbook of Nature Study! There are so many topics to enjoy and to help get you outside for even 15 minutes. The Handbook of Nature Study book by Anna Botsford Comstock is a staple in the Outdoor Hour Challenges we share. This is a wonderful reference guide for you, the homeschool teacher to use. We show you how!
Another good reference winter nature book is Discover Nature in Winter. Several of our winter Outdoor Hour Challenges use this book as a guide. You will love it! Some of the topics match the Handbook of Nature Study and include:
- Winter wildlife: birds, insects, squirrels, deer
- Underfoot: snowpack, animal tracks, seeds and fruits, winter weeds
- Overhead: cedars, birch trees, the zodiac, constellations
“Determine the wind chill factor, observe winter constellations, make a snow gauge, identify winter weeds, find overwintering insects, go bird watching… you will uncover the fascinating world that emerges as the temperature drops outside.” – Elizabeth Lawlor
The Best Winter Nature Books for Cozy Homeschooling
20 Winter Snow Books to Embrace the Snow – It’s time to settle in for the cold months of winter. It’s a great time to snuggle with with some winter snow picture books (and activities) to celebrate this beautiful time of year.
A Winter Homeschool Snowflake Study with Snowflake Bentley – Snowflake Bentley is definitely a favorite winter nature book!
A Robert Frost Style Winter Nature Study for Your Homeschool – You can enjoy a Robert Frost Style winter nature study for your homeschool! Frost’s poem, Stopping By The Woods on a Snowy Evening can be a jumping off point. Enjoy these ideas for your snowy adventure.
Favorite Nature Books for Your Homeschool Nature Studies – This collection of nature books I’m sharing with you not only includes many of our favorites, but many favorites of other Curriculum Choice Authors.
North American Wildlife – One of my all-time favorite books for nature study. This colorful edition will keep the interest of children of all ages.
Last Child in the Woods – Encouragement for Parents – A book can transform your thinking completely or it can validate what you have experienced in your own life. Some books do both, like Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. This is a must read book for all homeschool families who are endeavoring to expose their children to the natural world on a regular basis.
Writing About Nature – The Writing About Nature book will help a wide range of writers who find their passion for nature moves them to document in words the creatures, plants, rhythms and cycles experienced in the great outdoors.
One Small Square Illustrated Nature Books – The One Small Square books by Donald Silver uses the space of a three-dimensional square to explore the Earth’s habitats. (You could choose the arctic tundra book for winter!)
More Tips for Your Nature Books
A Homeschool Mom’s Best Tips for Organizing Your Nature Library – Using good nature study reference books and literature will be a huge help in nudging along the seeds of a love nature in your child. To help you find what you need when you need it, these are our best tips for organizing your nature library. As the seasons and years pass, they will dig deep into your nature library and become familiar with so many things.
The Ultimate List of Preschool Nature Study Books – While nothing beats experiencing nature first-hand, preschool nature study books are a vital component of our preschool nature studies. We have used both fiction and non-fiction books to introduce a topic, supplement a topic and study a topic in-depth.
More Winter Homeschooling
Taking Your Winter Nature Study Indoors – Taking your winter nature studies indoors when the weather outdoors is proving to be a challenge may be just the thing you need every once in a while. We have a lovely post from the archives to inspire your homeschool nature studies indoors for those days that you can’t face getting outdoors.
The Winter Homeschool – In our own home, we have often found winter to be a time to cherish as we enjoy the slower pace of life. We build a fire to keep warm, make sure we have lots of hot chocolate and marshmallows and embrace all that this season has to offer us – winter nature walks, cuddle-up read-aloud times, more time for winter crafts and tackling some fun seasonal unit studies. Here are some things we have done in our own homeschool to capitalize on the winter weather.
- A Winter Bird Study for Your Homeschool
- Project Based Homeschool Nature Study: Keeping a Calendar of Firsts
- January Nature Studies Perfect for Winter Homeschooling
- A Winter Tree Study for Your Homeschool
- Snowed in Homeschool
- 7 Fun Winter Nature Study Ideas to Help Cure Cabin Fever
- Simple Ways to Study Nature in Your Homeschool This Winter
Winter Learning in Homeschool Nature Study Membership
It is always fun to sit nearby a window and watch to see what you can see outside! This journal page is included in the Winter course in Homeschool Nature Study membership.
Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!
Tricia and her family fell in love with the Handbook of Nature Study and the accompanying Outdoor Hour Challenges early in their homeschooling. The simplicity and ease of the weekly outdoor hour challenges brought joy to their homeschool and opened their eyes to the world right out their own back door! She shares the art and heart of homeschooling at You ARE an ARTiST and Your Best Homeschool plus her favorite curricula at The Curriculum Choice.