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Winter Tree Nature Study: Ponderosa Pines

“Of all pines, this one gives forth the finest music to the winds.” John Muir

Bundle up for a Winter Tree Study Ponderosa Pines! Enjoy learning, sketching, and reading about these pine trees.

Our local forest is populated with predominately two different pines: the lodge pole and the ponderosa. Of the two, the ponderosa is my favorite! When the forest is cleared, either by man or fire, the ponderosa pines are so beautifully placed just like in a park. They give each other enough room to grow and flourish. Their colorful bark is highlighted especially with snow on the ground. We decided it was about time we took a closer look at this special tree.

Where are Ponderosa Pines?

The native range of ponderosa pine extends from southern Canada into Mexico, and from the Plains States of Nebraska and Oklahoma to the Pacific Coast.

In the winter season, with a proper frosting of snow, the ponderosa pine is like the quintessential pine of your imagination. It grows with a beautifully colored straight trunk with limbs reaching out at just the right intervals. Plus the needles are long and bundled and the cones are just the right size for holding in the palm of your hand. Read more about pine cones from the Homeschool Nature Study Pine Cones.

Bundle up for a Winter Tree Study Ponderosa Pines! Enjoy learning, sketching, and reading about these pine trees.

I remember learning that little trick to identifying the cones….palm size = ponderosa.

So, using our field guide, we set out to learn some new facts about the ponderosa pine. What an incredibly important tree! Not just for lumber but also as a part of the habitat for many birds and animals.

Bundle up for a Winter Tree Study Ponderosa Pines! Enjoy learning, sketching, and reading about these pine trees.

Did you know?

Bats roost in the crevices behind the bark of ponderosa pine trees. Learn more about bats in the Bats Homeschool Nature Study.

Big game like deer and elk use the pines for food and shelter. Read some interesting elk facts from the Elk Nature Study.

Utah is home to the oldest Ponderosa Pine at a young age of 843 years!

Bundle up for a Winter Tree Study Ponderosa Pines! Enjoy learning, sketching, and reading about these pine trees.

Member’s Pine Cone Worksheet

I love the habitat of the ponderosa pine and the creatures that live there. Some of my favorite family times hiking have been under these amazing trees not just here in Oregon but in California, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada.

Ponderosa Pine nature journal

Homeschool Nature Study Members can find the Pine Cone Observation Worksheet in their dashboard.

pine cone observations

“At least one pine tree should be studied in the field. Any species will do …” Handbook of Nature Study, page 674

 

Join the Homeschool Nature Study Membership

There are so many benefits to joining. You will access our full range of curriculum, our interactive learning calendar as well as a brand new homeschool nature study challenge post each week!

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership!

Original post written by Barb 2018, updated by Stef Layton 2024.

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Pond and Frog Nature Study: Includes Frog Life Cycle Activity Printable

Plan a fun pond and frog nature study with these frog life cycle activities, a lapbook download and suggestions for a homeschool pond nature walk!

Plan a fun pond and frog nature study with these frog life cycle activities, a lapbook download and suggestions for a homeschool pond nature walk!

Pond and Frog Nature Study

It’s getting to be that time of year when the tadpoles are swimming in our pond. It makes me feel as if spring is truly coming and we look forward to soon hearing frogs while out hiking at the river. The cycle of seasons and life bring me such joy!

With a pond and frog nature study in mind, I’ve had a special printable to share for your studies and outdoor hour challenge time. Members now have in their library a fun and informative Frog Life Cycle activity printable.

Frog Life Cycle

Frog Life Cycle Activity Printable Lapbook

Here’s what you get in this download:

In the frog life cycle activity printable and lapbook there are components for:

  • vocabulary
  • frog facts
  • bullfrog facts
  • frog noises
  • the frog life cycle

In the Frog Nature Study lapbook:

  • You can also mount your life cycle of a frog drawing (instructions for this drawing project are included).
  • There is also a set of copy work pages focusing on frog poetry.
  • There are two blank lined pages you can use for the copy work, as well as a page of frog poetry and suggestions for how to use them.
Pond and frog nature study in Homeschool Nature Study membership

Homeschool Nature Study Annual members can log into their account and go to the Pond course and find the two printables there to use any time.

Pond Nature Walk

Suggestions for a Homeschool Nature Walk at a Pond

To go along with a frog nature study, everyone can use these suggestions to follow up a nature walk at a pond, the river, or a lake.

Homeschool Nature Study Membership - Bring the Handbook of Nature Study to Life in Your Homeschool!

Homeschool Nature Study Membership Brings the Handbook of Nature Study to Life in Your Homeschool

We make it easy for you!

To get each Friday’s homeschool nature study Outdoor Hour Challenge and for access to a continuing series of new nature studies, join us in Homeschool Nature Study Membership. With homeschool nature study membership, you will have everything you need to bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool.

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership!

With membership, you will have access to Outdoor Hour Challenges curriculum and resources to enrich your homeschool.

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

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New Member’s Printable-Autumn Weeds and Pond Study

Now available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships:

1. Autumn Weed Notebook Page: This notebook page is a complement to any autumn weed or wildflower nature study. During the month of October, we will be studying jewelweed and prickly lettuce. If you don’t have either of those plants to study in real life, you can use this notebook page along with any weed or wildflower you want to focus on. You can get some autumn weed nature study ideas here: Autumn Weed Study.

2. Pond Nature Study Set-18 pages of notebooking pages included: As part of your family’s autumn nature study, you can start a year long pond study. Use the notebook pages in this set to follow up your pond time with a few of the more common subjects you may encounter. Topics include: dragonfly, damselfly, ducks, freshwater clams, mayfly, nutria, reeds, smartweed, water boatman, water snails, water spiders, water strider, whirligig beetles, aquatic insects, aquatic plants, pond fish, pond mammals, and tracks in the mud.

If you would like some pond study ideas, you can click over to see this study from my archives: Pond Study. 

Autumn Study - Weeds Notebook Page

 

(See the end of this post for more information on how you can become a member.)

Printables for Members Button

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

Join Us Ultimate Naturalist January 2020

October 2020 nature planner page

Members also have access to the Nature Planner pages in their library.

Print out this month’s page and use it to stimulate your weekly nature study time.


These are Amazon affiliate links to two books I have purchased and used with my family’s pond study.

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Pond Life – 4 Seasons Activity

Pond Study Nature Club August 2018 @handbookofnaturestudy

Handbook of Nature Study

Nature Book Club – August

Seasonal Pond Study with Printables

The theme of the link-up for August is Water – River, Stream, Pond. I decided to share one of the books that we used for our study of local ponds. This compact book is a terrific source of information for all ages. It’s detailed enough for an older student to use as a reference and it has colorful illustrations that will capture the interest of younger students.

 

Here’s the book I’m featuring: Pond Life – A Golden Guide

You can look for it at your public library or it’s available from Amazon (note that I’m an Amazon affiliate and there are affiliate links in this entry).

You can use this as a reference book or field guide during your pond study. Or, read a few pages a week over a longer period and learn about pond life in preparation for a future pond study. There are sections for plant life and animal life in this book, including birds, reptiles, fish, and mammals. In addition, there are simple illustrations for really small things you might collect in pond water, looking at them up close with a magnifying lens or microscope.

We have owned and read this book several times during our homeschool studies. I’ve kept it in our nature library even now as a quick way to learn more about things we see in our own pond/stream.

Pond notebook page with net

Nature Journal Page (shown above) Printable Link

 “Almost any of the fishes found in a brook or pond may be kept in an aquarium for a few days of observation in the schoolroom. A large water pail or a bucket does very well if there is no glass aquarium. ”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 145

august nature book club graphic

Seasonal Pond Study with Printables

Seasonal+Pond+Study+Notebook+Pages.jpg

Use this notebook page to record your pond study observations and then revisit your pond in each season to compare plants, insects, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
Printable Seasonal Pond Study Notebook Page

Summer+Pond+Bonus+-+Notebook+Page+Button.jpg

Pond Study and Pond Grid 

As a bonus, I’m including the Summer Pond Study notebook page and the Pond Study Grid from the August 2011 Newsletter!

Pond Nature Journal

Additional Links

Here’s another idea for the field: Guide to Pond Dipping(YouTube video). I also found this excellent resource for identifying things you find when you scoop your pond water: Simple Guide to Small and Microscopic Pond Life.

 

Handbook of Nature Study Subscribe Now 2

Make sure to subscribe to my blog to follow along with our weekly nature study activities.

Note: This post is part of a monthly series of posts I’m writing as part of a fantastic group of nature loving women who I’m linking up with on the 20th of each month. There’s a topic of the month and we’ll all share a book and activity that goes along with that theme.  Use the linky tool below to share your own nature walk related links this month too.

Check out these other links for more nature walk ideas from Nature Book Club Co-Hosts!

Sensory Bin and Observation Notebooking Page from Jenny at Faith & Good Works
Pond Life Printable Pack from Emily at Table Life Blog
Aquatic Science Studies: 10 Activities for Teens from Eva at Eva Varga
Above and Below a Pond Unit Study and Lapbook from Tina at Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Online Book Study about water cycle from Dachelle at Hide the Chocolate
STEAM Challenge – Does Water Ever Flow Up? from Erika at The Playful Scholar
Who Was?® What Was?® Where Is?® Book Series: Where is the Mississippi River? from Sharla at Minnesota Country Girl

 

Past Month’s Themes:

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Ponderosa Pine Cone Study

We have been on the lookout for tree cones for the past few weeks (as part of the Winter Tree Cone Study) and picked the Ponderosa Pine as our subject for a tree cone study. There are many Ponderosa Pines in our neighborhood and they are easy to spot because of their size and trunk pattern. Our family has done a thorough tree study of the Ponderosa Pine in the past but this time we focused just on the cone.

Here is a close up of the cone showing it’s scale pattern and the sap too.

Here is a cone that the squirrels have taken apart to find the seeds hidden inside. This is a common sight along our local walking trail. It seems where there are Ponderosa Pines, there are squirrels.

I completed the tree cone observation page for my nature notebook. I included an image and some facts about the Ponderosa Pine cone. You can find the printable notebook page here: Winter Tree Cone Study.

  • Flexible scales
  • Egg shaped cone
  • Tipped with slender 1/8 inch prickles that can curve out
  • Seed is 3/8″ and the wing is 1″
  • Red and gray squirrels eat the seeds. California quail also eat the seeds.
  • Overall cone length is 3-6″

All information is from my Peterson Western Trees field guide.

You can read more about our Ponderosa Pine tree study here: Our Pine Tree Study.
We share more about our cone study here: Pines, Evergreens, Cones, and Needles. 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Seasonal Pond Nature Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge Seasonal Pond Study @handbookofnaturestudy

Outdoor Hour Challenge:
This week you will need to find a local pond to explore. I might suggest taking a look at the Turtles and Pondweed Challenge for a few ideas. This challenge also includes a free printable Pond Study which will expand your study beyond turtles and pondweed.

Printable Activity: Seasonal Pond Study Notebook Page

   
Use this notebook page to record your spring pond study observations and then revisist your pond in each season to compare plants, insects, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
Printable Seasonal Pond Study Notebook Page

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #10. This week take an opportunity to get outside and enjoy a picnic lunch or snack. Use the ideas in this challenge to create a fun nature study experience for your family. Complete the accompanying notebook page for your nature journal while you are outdoors!

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Ultimate Ebook Library @handbookofnaturestudy

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Frog Pond Study Plus a Rattlesnake Friend

Our first attempt at a tadpole/frog study was unsuccessful. We visited my dad’s pond and could  not scoop up any tadpoles but we did get some great insect larvae to observe in the pond water sample. We brought them home in a bucket and used our pond field guide to try to identify them.


Edit to add: I was told this is not a Mayfly but a Damselfly so I will be off to do some more research….now you will understand why I say I should take Eva’s free entomology course down below. 🙂

Meet the Mayfly….which we learned are called naiads during their aquatic stage. (This is an image of a dead one I found lodged in my net.) They live in ponds, lakes, or streams for up to several years. They molt 20-30 times during that period of time. The most interesting thing about Mayflies is their short lifespan for adults- only a few hours to a few days, depending on the species. We actually observed an adult Mayfly that landed on my dad’s shirt while we were observing the pond. What a great insect to learn about!

Even if we didn’t find any frogs on this outing, we sure enjoyed our time just being outdoors at the pond.

As a sidenote: I think we need to take Eva’s Introduction to Entomology course that she is offering on her blog Academia Celestia. It is a free six week online course in a subject she is highly knowledgeable in and is passionate about. If your family is looking for a way to learn more about insects…click over and see it this would work for you.

We took a second trip to the local walking trail where I had observed some frog’s eggs earlier this month. Success! There were hundreds of tadpoles but I didn’t get a single decent image…the one below is the best I was able to get with all the reflections but if you look closely you will see some dark tadpoles swimming in the water.


We will continue to observe these critters in the weeks to come…easy to do since they are on the side of our usual route on the walking trail.

I highly recommend this Golden Guide to Pond Life. We have always been able to identify any creatures or plants we found at Grandpa’s pond using this simple field guide. Great beginning guide for young ones!

There are affiliate links in this entry. 

 Rattlesnake Video on YouTube….
My husband and I took a hike to the river on a glorious day last weekend. The grass was green, the wildflowers were amazing, and the sun was warm….perfect day for a spring walk through the Northern California foothills.

I was sort of worried about the possibility of encountering snakes but we were keeping a close eye out. I had stopped a few feet off the trail to look at some metallic insects on a wildflower stem. I was trying to get a really close look and then I stepped backwards to the trail. My husband immediately started yelling  that he saw a snake….startling me and making me scream. The snake was right by my feet….a really big rattlesnake!

He pulled me out of the way and the snake moved across the trail over to the other side. I (of course) pulled out my camera and started taking a video. That is what you see in the video above….me still all shaky and out of breath capturing this huge old rattler as it slithers into the tall grasses but not without showing us his extremely long rattle.


We ended up seeing three snakes that day, one rattlesnake and two gopher snakes. Just in time for reptile month!

So have you seen any reptiles in your area yet?

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Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival – August Newsletter Edition: Ponds and More

Outdoor Hour button

This is a very full carnival! Lots of new faces along with our carnival veterans….lovely to see how everyone is jumping in with the newsletter challenges but remaining flexible to follow interest and opportunities. I am overwhelmed with all the wonderful nature study that you have allowed time for in your busy lives…you will be blessed with children who are happier and healthier.

I am announcing two things before I share the carnival entries.
More Nature Study Button
1. My new More Nature Study With The Outdoor Hour Challenge ebook will be ready for purchase on September 5, 2011. This ebook includes ten nature study challenges focusing on topics you may find this autumn season. In addition to the usual challenges, follow-up suggestions, and notebook pages, I have included “Advanced Follow-Up” activities and “Upper Level” notebook pages to take each challenge a little further for advanced or older students. Please checkout the sample HERE. All of the ten ebook challenges will be posted on the Handbook of Nature Study blog over the course of the autumn season starting Friday, September 9, 2011. More information to come.

I have also included a special discount link in the September 2011 Newsletter. Make sure to read the newsletter and find the link there to use for your discounted price of $6.95 for the month of September.

2. Starting with the October issue of the Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter, the newsletter link will only be available to those that subscribe to my blog. Please make sure to subscribe to the Handbook of Nature Study so you do not miss the October 2011 and future issues of the Newsletter.
Subscribe to Handbook of Nature Study by Email

Now for the carnival!

August Newsletter Topics

Pink and Yellow Dahlia
Dragonflies
Amy at Hope is the Word shares their entry: Pond Study – Cows and Dragonflies. She captured a beautiful dragonfly and their study ended with some very well-done journal pages. Their family shares another entry from their pond study with lots of great experiences to write about: Turtles, Geese, and Herons! She also shares why their nature study time is the highlight of their week. Awesome.

Phyllis writes about Nature Study of Water Habitats which shows their multifaceted nature study featuring many water creatures.This entry will inspire you to do some research about your local water habitat.

Don’t miss reading Erin’s entry for their Dragonfly Study.  She has some awesome images for you to enjoy!

Nicole (Journey to Excellence) seized the newsletter topic and they have started an ongoing pond study. Here in Pond Study #1 she shares their observations and journal entries using the suggestion from the August Newsletter. How about her follow-up entry? Here is Pond Study #2.

Kirsty joins the carnival with their family’s Dragonflies Entry. They all did journal entries and share their outdoor time with carnival readers. They also submitted their pond dipping activity. I loved seeing their list of pond creatures they were able to observe with this project. Great job!

Leslie and her daughter had a chance to study some dragonflies at a local pond. You can read their entry here: Outdoor Hour Challenge – Dragonflies!

Jamie spent the day with her family on the river canoeing (not exactly a pond habitat but still on the water). They took the time encourage some water habitat nature study….their entry Canoeing the Chestatee shows a list of the things they observed  on their trip. Jamie has even started journaling about her experiences…great example Jamie. Would you like to read her daughter’s blog entry, you can read her view of the day HERE.
 

Butterfly at Six Flags
Frogs
Tricia shares their very unexpected nature study with Fabulous Find of the Frog Kind. Wonderful example for all of us to keep our eyes open and then let our schedule be flexible. Thanks for sharing! I am going to share another of their entries that shows more of their backyard tadpole habitat along with some other great nature study: Summer Nature Walks and Discoveries.

Jamie and her daughter are trying to start a year of nature study and they visited a near-by pond. They share their entry Pond Critters with carnival readers.

Ducks
Nicole from One Hook Wonder shares their duck observations at a near-by lake. They combined some family time, a bike ride, and a little nature study. Perfect!

Cattails
Nicole and her family did a great cattail investigation as part of the OHC this month. They not only observed and recorded their cattail study but they found other things to learn about as well. Read their entry: OHC – Cattails.
 
Tricia’s family had a day with their Creation Club at the pond. Guess what? They found cattails! Make sure to check out their wonderful pond study: Lily Pad Pond.

Jennifer joins the carnival with her entry: The Pond Outdoor Hour Study.  She shares their very successful pond nature study even with a toddler along for the ride. So glad they jumped in and gave it a try.

Amy from Hope is the Word writes about their second trip to the pond to view some cattails. Read all about it in her entry Pond Study: Cattails.  Don’t miss their very well done nature journals.She enjoyed her study so much that she wrote a recap entry here: Pond Flora and Fauna.

Perfect sunflower
Potpourri

Kim shares their entry, Experiments in Flight: Lift, Thrust, and Drag. Their family did direct observations of their backyard hummingbirds and then learned more in the more formal science study. Great job!

The Schoolhouse On The Prairie is just starting out with the challenges…they share Outdoor Hour Challenge #1. I’m sure she would love to have you leave her an encouraging comment.

Amber is joining the carnival with Outdoor Hour Challenge #2….using their words.  Make sure to make Amber feel at home….let her know you read her entry. 🙂

Janet has submitted a great post on their Milkweed Adventures which also includes some other insect study as well. This is perfect as a warm up to next month’s up-coming challenge for milkweed (stay tuned for that one).

Phyllis writes about their millipede and has some great images of this big guy in their submission to the carnival: Nature Study-North American Millipede. Phyllis also shares their water lily study…complete with pastel artwork to put the finishing touches on a already great study: The Water Lily and Lotus. How about one more from this family? Check out their Queen Anne’s Lace study using the Handbook of Nature Study. Great job on all of these studies!

I have read about sunflower houses before and have always wanted to grow one. Amanda and her boys have one this year, complete with vining morning glories. Check out their entry on their blog: Our Sunflower House.  They also submit a very encouraging entry sharing their summer nature study in their own backyard: Gourd-eous.

Kristen shares their Leaf-cutter Bees using the Handbook of Nature Study. What a great example showing how to take advantage of the opportunities that come along in your own backyard. Their family also had a chance to study their Beetles and Cicadas..another great desert nature study. A trip to the ocean beach provided another opportunity to introduce some nature study objects for her young family: A Little Nature Study on Vacation.Thanks Kristen.

Julie is jumping into the Carnival this time with Outdoor Hour Challenge #1. She shares their walk on the coast of San Diego. Here comes Outdoor Hour Challenge #2 as well…great job with this one too. On to Outdoor Hour Challenge #3….they are most definitely on a roll. Welcome Julie!

Nicole (One Hook Wonder) has written and submitted their Outdoor Hour Challenge Squirrels entry showing how they have enjoyed observing a squirrel visitor. Fun!

Kim shares her entry from her blog, A Child’s Garden, in this carnival entry: Little Brown Birds.  What a wonderful entry showing how to pull so many resources together to tie your nature study up with other areas of learning. They also encountered a Hummingbird (Sphinx) moth which she writes about in another wonderful entry. Thanks Kim.

Amanda is back from her maternity/summer break to share her latest nature study with carnival readers….their family enjoyed observing, listening, and learning about crickets in this entry: A Cricket Cage.

That wraps up this edition of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. Make sure to check out the September Newsletter for a fresh batch of topics and ideas for your nature study. You can submit entries to the next carnival HERE.

August Newsletter Giveaway
After generating a random number, it was determined that Tricia (Hodgepodge Mom) is going to receive the August Newsletter Giveaway prize of the Dover Backyard Nature Coloring Book. Congratulations Tricia! Send me an email with your mailing address and I will get that mailed out to you ASAP.

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Pond Study: Fish and Insects

Our Pond Study Fish and Insects @handbookofnaturestudy
It was a pond study day for our family and we enjoyed spending some time at Grandpa’s house poking around in his pond. His pond is very low at the moment so it was easy to scoop up a tub of fish to observe.

We have been using a new critter habitat that has made our pond study so much more enjoyable. We also purchased a new net to do the actual collecting of samples and it has made a big difference in our success in catching these little guys as well as snails and aquatic insects.


My son loves to incorporate humor into his nature journal entries and since I consider the entries to be his own, I don’t say much about it. Actually, in creating the humorous illustration he is demonstrating his understanding of the web of life that exists in a pond ecosystem. How can I argue with that?

He did observe some dragonflies at the pond and he made this journal entry for his nature notebook.
Later on that day at our home, we found this damselfly in the backyard. We think it is a California Spreadwing but there appeared to be something wrong with this particular insect. I don’t know if it was old or if it had some other issue but it never did fly away.

If you haven’t had a chance before, read over the section in the Handbook of Nature Study on fish. The study of any fish can be done using the observation suggestions on pages 147 and 148.

“Almost any of the fishes found in a brook or pond may be kept in an aquarium for a few days of observation in the schoolroom. A large water pail or a bucket does very well if there is no glass aquarium. ”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 145

We will be taking a few more trips to the pond before the season is over. Boys and ponds….water and mud….just can’t beat the combination.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Getting Started Ebook @handbookofnaturestudy

Here is the book we like to take along with us when we go to the pond. It has a little bit of everything discussed and so far it has been easy to identify the things we find at our pond. It is also a small pocket sized book that easily fits into your pocket or backpack.

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10 Fabulous First Day of Summer Nature Study Ideas

10 Fabulous First Day of Summer Nature Study Ideas perfect for weaving in some family time outside together. A valuable part of any summer bucket list!

These 10 fabulous first day of summer nature study ideas are perfect for weaving in some family time outside together. A valuable part of any summer bucket list and it takes just a little effort on our part!

Summer time brings a more relaxed rhythm to most of our family life. That doesn’t mean we can’t still be including some outdoor nature study time with our children. It can be as simple as taking a walk and asking them to look for three interesting things or to take a picnic lunch outside to eat under your backyard tree.

10 Fabulous First Day of Summer Nature Study Ideas

Here are some fun First Day of Summer nature study ideas for you to keep in mind for next week. Be sure to mark your calendar!

10 Fabulous First Day of Summer Nature Study Ideas perfect for weaving in some family time outside together. A valuable part of any summer bucket list!

1. Camp out in your backyard: Since the first day of summer lands on a Saturday this year, plan a sleep out in your own backyard. Spend some of your evening gazing at stars, listening to insects, or take a flashlight walk. Find more ideas in The Ultimate Guide to Camping Activities for Kids and Backyard Camping: Fun For The Entire Family!

2. First Day of Summer Flower Field Trip: Take a trip to your local garden nursery and let you child pick a plant to add to your backyard garden or patio container garden. After you plant your flower, sketch it into your nature journal along with the name of the flower and the date you planted it. You can combine this activity with this Garden Flower Nursery Field Trip ideas and printable.

3. Twilight at the Zoo: Many zoos have an evening option during this time of year. Check their calendar of events to see if your zoo has a special event for the first day of summer.

10 Fabulous First Day of Summer Nature Study Ideas perfect for weaving in some family time outside together. A valuable part of any summer bucket list!

4. First Day of Summer Photo Walk – take a camera outdoors and find some special First Day of Summer subjects, take a photo, print a few out, safely tuck them into your nature journal. You can combine this with the Summer Photo Challenge.

5. First Day of Summer notebook page – done after a nature walk, preferably under a shade tree with some fresh lemonade in hand.

6. Summer Insect Study – As the warm weather brings flowers you might find more insects flying around. It’s a great time to plan a summer insect nature study. There’s such a wealth of knowledge about insects in the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock. Using the lessons along with the Outdoor Hour Challenge will make you confident to tackle an insect nature study this summer. You won’t need to travel far to find an insect to learn about with your children!

10 Fabulous First Day of Summer Nature Study Ideas perfect for weaving in some family time outside together. A valuable part of any summer bucket list!

7. The Homeschool Mom’s Charlotte Mason Summer Nature Study Guide – “On fine days when it is warm enough to sit out with wraps, why not take tea and breakfast, everything but a hot dinner, be served out of doors? For we are an overwrought generation, running to nerves as a cabbage runs to seed; and every hour spend in the open is a clear gain, tending to the increase of brain power and bodily vigor, and to the lengthening of life itself. They who know what it is to have fevered skin and throbbing brain deliciously soothed by the cool touch of the air are inclined to make a new rule of life, Never be within doors when you can rightly be without.” Charlotte Mason – The Original Homeschool Series.

8. Summer Senses Nature Study – you do not need anything other than your five senses. We are going to take heed of what Charlotte Mason advised and we are going to allow our children to notice things by themselves.

9. Fascinating Fireflies or Moths Study – Fireflies are fascinating! In this study, learn if there is a pattern to the light flashing. Enjoy an up close fireflies and moths summer nature study. Explore even more summer nighttime nature studies!

10. Night Sky and Moon Gazing Activity – Take some time this next week to get outside at night and enjoy a beautiful night sky homeschool nature study. Allow plenty of time for your eyes to adjust to the darkness and just enjoy gazing up at the heavens. Use some of these suggestions to get started with some simple night sky observations.

More Summer Nature Studies

Find even more to discover and learn about this summer! Our summer series of Outdoor Hour Challenges included in membership. Explore ponds and lakes, meadows and fields, the seashore, the woodlands and so many beautiful summer topics!

Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Year Round Support

Can you believe all of these summer homeschool resources you will find in membership? You will also find a continuing homeschool nature study series plus all the Outdoor Hour Challenges for nature study in our Homeschool Nature Study membership. There are 25+ continuing courses with matching Outdoor Hour curriculum that will bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool! In addition, there is an interactive monthly calendar with daily nature study prompt – all at your fingertips!

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership HERE!

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. She and her husband, Steve, are also publishers of Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett.