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We will be working our way through the Winter Wednesday series of nature study ideas starting in January. This ebook includes premade notebooking pages for you to use with your family. It is included in the Ultimate Naturalist Library.
Well, another year has passed and we sit on the brink of a new year. What nature study memories have you created with your family? Our family had a great year of outdoor adventures both together and as individuals. I started off my year in Florida and ended it with a trip to Oregon last week. It doesn’t get much better than that. I appreciate all the entries to the carnival this month…such diverse and interesting posts to enjoy. I look forward to another year with all my nature-loving families. I also wanted to thank all the contributors to the Handbook of Nature Study Newsletters this year. Our community has grown into such a wonderful group of families. I feel very blessed. Our family’s entries from this month’s study (in case you missed one): Using Our Senses Nature Walk December Extraordinary Things
Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!
December Extraordinary in the Ordinary Alex from Life on a Canadian Island submits their Snowy Trail entry sharing their awesome wintery world. Thanks Alex!
Taunya from Taunya’s Place shares their Nature Study-December Walk entry with the carnival. What a treat to glimpse her Oregon December World. I love the last image in this post…don’t miss it.
Tolowa Dunes State Park- December 2013
December World Umm Safiya has submitted their A Walk in Winter Wonderland entry for you to enjoy! It looks like a cold, cold day but they share all the fun things they did in their December World.
Carol from Journey and Destination share their Australian December World in the entry A Walk on the Wild Side. Don’t miss the dragons and the echidna! I loved glimpsing their warm December nature walk.
Annie from Annie’s Place would love for you to read their December World entry. I really loved seeing “God’s artwork”. Don’t miss seeing her images.
Barbara from The Schoolhouse on the Prairie shares their Winter Wonders entry with the carnival. They made a list of Winter Wish List and share how many things they were able to accomplish.
Kristen from Broom and Crown joins this edition of the carnival with their post, Neighborhood Nature Walks. Their family enjoyed a walk in their neighborhood.
Michelle from Following Footprints has submitted their Nature Exploration in December entry for you to enjoy. They completed many of the December Newsletter Grid Study items.
Harris Beach, Oregon Coast December 2013
Winter Nature Table Umm Safiya shares their Winter Scene Nature Table images and entry with the carnival this month. She shares a few simple ideas that her family loves.
Potpourri Alex from Life on a Canadian Island shares her Window Nature Study – December entry with the carnival. This is month four of her year long study.
Eva Varga shares their family’s continuing fungi study with Nature Study: Fly Agaric Fungi. She shares some interesting thoughts about how nature study can lead us in so many directions. Check out their nature journal entries too.
Alicia from Homeschooling in the Redwoods has written up and submitted a wonderful post, National Parks. She shares Crater Lake and Lassen National Parks.
Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in January are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 1/30/14 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com or submit them at the blog carnival site (link on the sidebar of my blog).
Join us for the 2013-2013 Outdoor Hour Challenges.
1. Visit two new national parks – My husband and I are anxious to travel to at least two new parks this year as part of my nature study goals. I have a few in mind so we share see how that works out: Great Basin National Park, Pinnacles National Park, Zion National Park, Olympia National Park. We are not sure which direction we will be heading for our annual big camping trip…east, southwest, or northwest.
2. Three new birds – Identify and journal three new birds. I am determined to make a goal I can keep this year.
3. Rock challenge from 2013 – Continue working through the list of rocks from 2013, hopefully completing at least three new rocks.
4. Take three new hikes – at least one new local hike and two additional hikes
5. Visit a new nature center.
6. Monthly nature photo challenge – I am going to take a nature photo a week. (I will be sharing my printable list of topics soon.) I am then going to choose one photo from each month for a 2015 family calendar.
7. Camping in all four seasons – This is a new goal that my husband and I are going to attempt to start in Spring 2014 and finishing up in at the end of the year. We have never camped during the winter season before so we have been reading up on all the how-to’s.
As I related in my Nature Study Goal 2013 recap from last week, I am learning to set goals but also grab opportunities that come up during the year. Following interest is a major part of my keeping nature study fresh and new as we encounter things along the way. I hope that you can set even just one nature study related goal for 2014. If you would like to share, leave me a comment with a link or just share your thoughts if you feel motivated.
Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #6. Use the printable notebook page in this challenge to record some of the things you collect for your winter-themed nature table.
You may wish to follow my Pinterest – Nature Display board for additional ideas.
Our December was filled with birdwatching. We had some exciting new birds and lots of old favorites.
Here is my list and then a few photos: December 2013
Anna’s hummingbird
White-breasted nuthatch
Western scrub jay
Oak titmouse
House finch
House sparrow
White-crowned sparrow
California towhee
Spotted towhee
Junco
Bewick’s wren
American goldfinch
Lesser goldfinch
Mockingbird
Northern flicker
House wren
Nuttall’s woodpecker
Mourning dove
European starlings
Hermit thrush
California quail – heard but didn’t see
Spotted towhee
Junco
House finch
Thinking this is a Hermit thrush-first time we have seen this and only in the snow.
Bewick’s wren
Anna’s hummingbird – at least three still at our feeders in December
Now a little something to inspire you…
I also finished my December nature journal entry for the extraordinary in the ordinary and December Grid Study. I cut some of the squares from the grid and then used them on my journal page. This is a quick and easy way to create a record of a variety of nature observations in a month.
We are definitely building a snowman birdfeeder again…it was so much fun for us and for the birds!
Outdoor Hour Challenge December World Observations
This challenge will help you appreciate your world during the month of December. This slowing down to make careful observations during December will help your child have something to compare with in each successive season. Learning the cycles of the natural world helps your child gain confidence by being about to distinguish the joys and blessings of each month of the year.
We have make careful observations in the past using the challenges listed below. If you would like an additional challenge, use the Shadows and Silhouettes activity below.
This really simple photo challenge can be accomplished at any time of the year. Before setting out for your outdoor time, sit with your children and discuss what a shadow and a silhouette are and how to find them. Allow them to take a photo of any shadows or silhouettes they observe during your nature walk. Print one or two of the photos for their nature journal.
Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #2. Finding words to record in your nature journal after your walk outside is an easy way to remember the experience. Make sure to discuss the walk afterwards with your child and then help them complete the accompanying notebook page for this challenge.
Goal vs. Accomplishments (original goals)
1. Study and journal ten new birds – Completed five new birds: Pine Siskin, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Mountain Chickadee, Spotted Towhee, and Common Raven.
2. Study and journal five new trees – NONE! What happened there?
3. Study and journal five new shrubs – Completed four shrubs: Toyon Berry, Chamise, Western Redbud, and Chinquain.
4. Take four new hikes: Completed all four!
5. Visit Yosemite National Park in all four seasons- Spring, Summer, and Autumn completed. Winter is coming up in January 2014.
6. Fifteen rocks collected and studied – We completed six of the fifteen rocks. This was a lot harder than I thought so we will make this a long term project.
Yosemite Oct 2013 – Hiking Buddies
What Did I Learn?
The lesson I learned from these year long goals is that you need to keep any goals right in front of you at all times to remind you of your progress. I did make planner pages for most of the goals but I filed them too far back in my planner. I need to look at them each month and pick a few to work on at a time.
Bike Tour down Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park- November 2013
I also learned that my interests change over time. I love following my passions and right now I am inspired by the December Newsletter to visit more national parks…even some far away. I love the idea behind the national parks and during 2014 I will be sharing some more of my thoughts on that topic.
What About New Goals For 2014?
I will be sharing my new 2014 nature study goals soon. If you decide to make some goals for you and your family, please share them with me. You can leave me a comment or leave me a link to come look on your blog.
Top of Vernal Falls – Mom and Son Trip May 2013
Last Thoughts
This has been a year of huge change in my life…our family has grown and stretched in amazing ways. My biggest personal change has been my sixty pound weight loss. I can now hike farther and faster than I ever could and it has opened up a whole new life for my husband and I. We now can set bigger goals for doing more things on trips and share incredible experiences together.
My middle son and constant outdoor companion has moved to New York. He now scours the woods near his new home and shares many of those experiences with me through text and photos.
Mr. B – Nicaragua 2013
My daughter traveled to Bolivia and Peru while my youngest son traveled to Nicaragua. Both experienced the wonders of a habitat far different than our own. I loved hearing of their adventures and relived their travel through photos they brought home to share. Mr. B is hoping to go to Peru for an extended period of time in 2014…looking forward to seeing his experiences!
Death Road Bike Tour in Bolivia – My daughter loved it!
I am so glad that over the years we shared the outdoors together creating memories and a growing confidence about not only traveling the world but experiencing the flora and fauna at the same time.
I hope this encourages you in your own endeavors to create nature study experiences with your children. Nature study will shape who they are on the inside as they learn to appreciate the creation we have right at home and then beyond.
We often take quiet walks together but when it is an intentional thing it seems to heighten the senses. I found today that stopping and being still is even better than just walking quietly.
When you stop and are still it gives time for the birds and little animals to come out from hiding and perhaps let you glimpse them. In my case, I was able to see some woodpeckers chasing each other from tree to tree. I heard the squirrels chattering in the trees alongside the trail that I hadn’t heard before.
I stood silently for perhaps five minutes, looking out over a little meadow area where the trees have lost all their leaves and the snow is still a bit patchy. I could feel the warm air in the sunshine as it blew just ever so slightly on my face.
I heard lots of different birds: nuthatches, jays, a flicker in the distance. I also hear the wings of a bird flutter in the bushes.
The walking trail was still covered mostly in snow and ice except where the sun had melted it away. We were alone on the trail all the way out to the road landmark where we usually turn around. I noticed the edges of the trail had lots and lots of freshly fallen acorns. I thought about how the animals in the forest seem to always have a food supply even if the weather is freezing cold.
We smelled the air several times…dampness, creosote from the old train tracks, oak leaves.
The trees made long shadows in the afternoon sun…the shadow of a bird flying overhead caught my eye as we stood along the trail.
This kind of walk refreshes like no other. I know that if you have little ones along on your walk it is a bit challenging to have quiet but it is worth a try. Challenge yourself to experience the quiet of the outdoors. You don’t have to go far or be gone for long periods of time. If your children are not accustomed to being outside, you will need to gradually earn their trust about how much fun it can be.
Most children today are not comfortable just getting outside and walking…they get bored easily. All the more reason to not procrastinate getting outside as a family to learn the benefits of just how much it can heal your spirit and body.
You will not regret it.
I also wanted to share a book with you in this entry. I mentioned it in the newsletter but it is worth sharing again with you.
We pulled out all our national park literature and this one is our favorite. I love the park choices, the art work, and concise park descriptions. Try to find it at your public library or the next time you are at a national park gift shop. I love picking up books as souvenirs and this one is a good for inspiring future travel and sharing a love of the beautiful world we live in.
I’m an Amazon Affiliate and only recommend products that I personally own (or wish I owned) and think my readers will love as well! This post may contain some links that will take you to these products on Amazon where I receive a small referral fee. I greatly appreciate your support!
Outdoor Hour Challenge Using Your Senses – December Walk
There have been several challenges here on the blog during different seasons that feature using your senses or being quiet during a nature walk. Prepare your children ahead of time by explaining that spending some of your Outdoor Hour Challenge time should be time spent quietly observing. Use the ideas in the links below and the Listening Game in the additional activities below to incorporate some “using your senses” time into your OHC this week. Don’t be discouraged if your children can only manage a minute or two of quiet…it is something they can grow into when they learn the advantages of careful observation.
Don’t forget you can use this month’s (December 2013) Study Grid from the newsletter as part of this challenge.
Additional Activity: Outdoor Listening Game
Go outside with your children and let each one find a place to sit quietly, choosing a comfortable spot where there are few distractions. Show them how to make cups with their hands and then hold them behind their ears like big deer or rabbit ears. Sit with your “deer” ears on and discover the sounds of your neighborhood or a near-by park.
This is a great training activity for sitting and listening quietly during your nature adventures.
Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #10. Try having a snack or picnic lunch even if it is super cold outside. Our family even found driving to a favorite spot, parking with a view to something natural, and eating in the car is a fantastic way to make a memory. Keep it simple and then come home and record your experience on the accompanying notebook page in the ebook.
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