Author: Tricia Hodges

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7 April Nature Activities Great for Enjoying the Outdoors

With the weather warming up, these April nature activities for enjoying the outdoors have you covered. Simple and beautiful ideas for enjoying nature!

With the weather warming up, these April nature activities for enjoying the outdoors have you covered. Simple and beautiful ideas for enjoying nature!
Photo by Amy Law

Get Outdoors with April Nature Activities

Taking a nature walk can bring refreshment to your whole family. Maybe you are having a tough day and the children are a little restless or perhaps the weather is just too nice to stay inside all day…these are perfect opportunities to drop everything else and take a walk in your own neighborhood or a park close by.

I’ve observed that families that take nature walks on a consistent basis, as part of their weekly routine, benefit greatly from the efforts they spend in making them happen. They feel more relaxed in nature, they see their children get excited about things they discover, and they feel a closer bond as a family because of shared nature experiences.

Whether you use the Outdoor Hour Challenges as part of your nature studies or not, the fundamental idea of taking a short walk outside with your child is the basis of building a happier childhood. The Benefits of Nature Study with Ideas for Creative Nature Walks

With the weather warming up, these April nature activities for enjoying the outdoors have you covered. Beautiful ideas for enjoying nature!

Insect Nature Study for Kids: How to Identify an Insect

“Insects are among the most interesting and available of all living creatures for nature study. The lives of many of them afford more interesting stories than are found in fairy lore; many of them show exquisite colors; and, most important of all, they are small and are, therefore, easily confined for observation.”

Handbook of Nature Study, page 294

Find the Insect Nature Study here!

Take a Field Trip or Day Hike Near Home

Our family has always enjoyed being outside together, hitting the hiking trail and doing a little exploring. But often the biggest obstacle to taking that hike was figuring out where to go. We may have had the desire and the time to get outside but wrestled with the question of where to go. Often we thought too big.

I realized over time that we didn’t need to travel far to find places to go on short notice or even for a half day’s hike. I loved being able to roll out of bed, decide to go on a hike, and be out the door in a short period of time. So, how did I overcome the dilemma of finding places to hike near our home? Ideas for Field Trips and Day Hikes Near Home

Plan to Make Your Backyard a Natural Wildlife Habitat

Here are some simple ways you can make your backyard a natural habitat for wildlife. You will love having the opportunity to have nature come to you in your very own backyard. Involve your whole family in the project and spend some time outdoors! Here are the simple how tos: How to Make Your Backyard a Natural Wildlife Habitat

Learn the Parts of a Flower

This plant life nature study is going to be helpful to all families as they strive to learn the technical names for flower parts. Make sure to read the pages in the Handbook of Nature Study and look up the link in the challenge with a printable with the flower parts labeled. Don’t make this too much of a drill or memorization assignment. As the need arises, use the proper names for the flower parts as you go through your outdoor time and find garden flowers or wildflowers to observe. Plant Life Nature Study

Simple April Nature Activities: Keep Weather Records!

Keeping weather records has not only been a pastime for thousands of years, but it has also been essential to predicting the weather and its effects on everyday life. What should we wear? When should we travel? Is it time to plant our garden? We make many of our decisions based on the weather and its patterns and cycles. Keeping Weather Records as Homeschool Science

With the weather warming up, these April nature activities for enjoying the outdoors have you covered. Beautiful ideas for enjoying nature!

Enjoy a Ladybug Nature Study

It’s time for a ladybug homeschool nature study! We love ladybugs in our garden. It is as simple as that. They always make me smile when I see them crawling around in the grass or on the rose bushes. Maybe it is the nostalgia of childhood memories that flood in when I see ladybugs….you know, singing *that* song. A Delightful Ladybug Nature Study

With the weather warming up, these April nature activities for enjoying the outdoors have you covered. Beautiful ideas for enjoying nature!

Use Your Magnifying Lens in Your April Nature Study

Looking for ways to encourage your child to explore things in nature? Using a magnifying lens in homeschool nature study is not only fun for children but it helps them see more clearly the wonderful world of objects we have all around us. Try one of the ideas below to help your child get started making careful observations of natural items. Here are 5 Ways to Use Your Magnifying Lens in Homeschool Nature Study

With the weather warming up, these April nature activities for enjoying the outdoors have you covered. Beautiful ideas for enjoying nature!

Easter Nature Studies

With signs of spring upon us, enjoy these beautiful Easter nature studies for kids. A fun and hands-on way to celebrate the resurrection story. Be inspired here!

You might also like: Good Friday Garden and Picking a Year Long Tree Study – Both my grandfathers planted their gardens on Good Friday. We’ve adopted this tradition as well. The Good Friday garden.

Earth Day Homeschool Nature Study

Any day you get outdoors and enjoy nature is Earth Day. Start with the simple ideas in How to Use the Outdoor Hour Challenges for Your Homeschool Family Nature Study.

More Homeschool Nature Study Inspiration

Join The Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Year Round Support

New for members this month!

Preschool Nature Study Plans

Enjoy relaxed preschool nature study plans for your homeschool with nature table suggestions, simple nature study activities, field trip ideas, images to print, coloring pages, and so much more. What a privilege to introduce children to the glorious world God created! Get your FREE SAMPLE of Preschool Nature Study Plans HERE!

delightful preschool nature study plans for your homeschool

Spring Flower Lantern Nature Craft

It’s officially Spring! The first flowers of the season are beginning to bloom so let’s celebrate new life with these Spring flower lanterns! With pressed flowers we can create something beautiful to illuminate our gardens and enjoy the spring blooms even after dark. Here is a preview in the video, below:

The Outdoor Mom Celebrates April

April is the month when spring begins to make its presence felt. Deciduous trees produce new leaves and blossom; wild flowers such as daisies, cowslips and bluebells begin to appear in fields and woodlands; and birds build their nests and fill the air with their sweet, sweet song.

In this lesson, you can enjoy prompts for your April garden, encouragement for slow living, the April home and Holy Week preparation, nature journaling for mom, ideas for being creative, nature journal prompts and more!

You will find hundreds of homeschool nature studies plus all the Outdoor Hour Challenges 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 Outdoor Hour Challenges and Homeschool Nature Study Membership HERE!
With the weather warming up, these April nature activities for enjoying the outdoors have you covered. Beautiful ideas for enjoying nature!

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.

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Insect Nature Study For Kids: How to Identify an Insect

Even if you or your children are squirmy about insects, there is so much to discover and learn! In this insect nature study, learn how to identify an insect with simple steps!

This engaging insect nature study for kids includes step by step instructions on how to simply identify an insect.

“Insects are among the most interesting and available of all living creatures for nature study. The lives of many of them afford more interesting stories than are found in fairy lore; many of them show exquisite colors; and, most important of all, they are small and are, therefore, easily confined for observation.”

Handbook of Nature Study, page 294
This engaging insect nature study for kids includes step by step instructions on how to simply identify an insect.

I am finding this to be the case in our everyday life…there are insects everywhere. The caterpillar above we found on our hike yesterday. The more we looked, the more we found.

This engaging insect nature study for kids includes step by step instructions on how to simply identify an insect.

Rain beetle: Although she looks dead, she really wasn’t. She kept flipping over on her back and wiggling and stretching her legs. Today was a first. I actually looked closely at a very ugly beetle. Yes, I am becoming an insect gal. I know this for sure because my daughter and her friend Shyloh brought me home a very large, very alive beetle creature. I had asked all my family to bring home any interesting insects they find and had even given them each a ziploc sandwich bag to bring them home in. Yesterday was the first time someone brought me an insect treasure. They said they couldn’t bear to put it into a baggie so they used a small plastic container from my daughter’s lunch box. She said there were hundreds of the beetles so she felt like she could bring one to us to study

How to Identify an Insect

At first I was disgusted by this creature but after taking her out of the container and looking carefully, I once again found the beauty in the design of the Creator. Now all that was left to do was to discover what sort of beetle this insect was.

This engaging insect nature study for kids includes step by step instructions on how to simply identify an insect.


Steps To Identify An Insect


1. I pulled out my field guide but could not see any beetles that looked like this one.

2.So it was off to the internet and we started by looking up “beetle, california” on Google. I am finding that if I Google something and then look at the images it takes me far less time to identify a creature.

3.Once you find an image that looks like your insect, click on the link associated with that image. The majority of the time this is enough to get you pointed in the right direction.

Insect Nature Study For Kids

Here’s what I learned about this little female insect: Rain beetle or P. puncticollis (more on classification at BugGuide.net)and can be found in California woodlands. The male is approximately 1″ and the female can be slightly larger at 1 3/4″. The males have wings but the females do not. They range in color from reddish-brown to black. The underside is covered in hairy bristles.

The interesting thing about this beetle is that it makes a sudden appearance after a soaking rain….hence the name Rain beetle. We had a really good rain all the night before so I think this is probably why we were able to see this amazing creature. The life cycle of the Rain beetle is very long. The larvae, who feed on roots of live trees and bushes of oaks and conifers, take up to as much as 10-12 years to mature but once they become adults the males wait for the first rains to bring them out for their mating flight and the females dig a tunnel to the surface to wait for the males to find them. Here is the fascinating part:The conditions that trigger the males and females to emerge are so stringent that this may only happen in a population for a single day in a given year. This made the finding of this insect all the more precious since it is a rare event.

This engaging insect nature study for kids includes step by step instructions on how to simply identify an insect.

This is the head of the beetle and if you look closely you can see her little “horns”. The males fly slowly over the area, low to the ground, looking for the females who although rarely leave their underground burrow, wait at the burrow’s entrance for the arrival of the males. She puts off a pheromone that attracts the males. After mating the female closes off the entrance to her burrow and lays her eggs. These mature the following spring.

rain beetle up close

I love this photo that shows her leg parts.

Wow, so much to learn. I have a new appreciation for the study of insects after learning that this was not just an ugly bug. It has a whole life story to learn and now I can share it with others.

“When it is properly taught, the child is unconscious of mental effort or that he is suffering the act of teaching.”

Handbook of Nature Study, page 6

I did all this research and it hardly felt like any effort at all. I will be striving to make our nature study so that it is interesting and feels not like work but like refreshment.


Get your FREE Getting Started: Nature Study Close to Home (includes three challenges!)

If you’re not a member here at Homeschool Nature Study yet, please consider joining to gain the benefit of having a nature study library at your fingertips. There are numerous resources available for you to help create the habit of nature study within your family.

Find Out More About the Outdoor Hour Challenges with Homeschool Nature Study HERE!
Handbook of Nature Study for your homeschool

by Barb McCoy, founder of the Outdoor Hour Challenges

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Summer Nature Study: Learn And Have Fun When It’s Hot Outside

Here are some tips for enjoying summer nature study when it’s hot outside. I live where it gets really hot outside in the summer. We have had just a taste of the heat so far this year but it has been enough to remind me just how hot it can be in the sun in the afternoon.

I want to encourage those that have emailed me lately telling me that it is too hot to participate in the Outdoor Hour Challenges right now in their part of the world. I sat and thought about how we can accomplish the Outdoor Hour even when the temperatures and humidity get up to the point where staying outdoors is unpleasant and potentially dangerous.

Homeschool Family Tips for Enjoying Summer Nature Study

Here are homeschool family tips for enjoying summer nature study (what we do in our family).

We try to get outside early in the day when there is still a little shade. We take a few minutes first thing to take a walk around the garden to pull a few weeds, make sure the watering system is working, harvest any goodies that are ripe, and enjoy the progress of the garden.

This gives us an opportunity to watch birds, look for worms, see butterflies, look at spider’s webs, watch ants, pick up some acorns, feel the cool breeze, look at signs of nocturnal visitors, and so many other everyday sorts of nature study.

Other than working in the garden, we many times take a short walk just around the perimeter of our property just looking for anything interesting. Ten or fifteen minutes is usually all that takes. Do we sometimes get hot? Yes we do but then we come inside and get something to drink and take a little time looking up anything we found interesting online or in a book while it is fresh in our minds. It might be a feather we found or an interesting rock. It could be a new flower blooming or a spider we don’t know the name of. Here is a quote from a newer participant in the Outdoor Hour and what she wrote on her blog.

“I have noticed in our studies that if we wait, nature will come to us.”

Paula, from Wakefield Academy

I love that and it is so true. It is the little things that come your way during your everyday business and travels that enrich your nature study.

It really isn’t about the big field trips or the nature study classes, it is the day to day, ho-hum stuff that is fascinating. The house fly that you look at with the hand lens, the ants crawling on your front step, the bird gathering twigs for a nest outside your window, the things we so many times fail to notice.

Nature Study When It’s Hot Outside

Here are some simple tips for summer nature study:

Have a Focus for Your Nature Study

I think in the heat of summer you just need to plan and have a focus for your nature study. You may want to focus your Outdoor Hour Challenges on garden flowers. Each challenge can literally be completed by taking a ten to fifteen minute period of time outside. You do not need to travel to a nature study area or spend a half-day or a whole day outside. For instance, challenge #17 was to look at leaves. My son and I went out and found about ten different leaves to look at and we were only outside about five minutes. We brought the leaves inside and we looked at them and then he drew them in his nature journal in the comfort of the cool indoors. You really only needed to find one leaf and bring it in to look at….tops outdoor time would be five minutes and that is still doable in hot weather.

Involve Water in Your Nature Study

I find that if I involve water in some aspect of our outdoor time the children and I enjoy it more. Watering the grass or watering with a watering can can provide just the touch of coolness to our time even if the temperatures are soaring. How about a squirt bottle to cool off with as you take a few minutes in your yard or neighborhood exploring?

Have a Cool Snack

The promise of a cool snack at the end of a short period outside is always a great way to keep spirits up as you have your outdoor time. We keep popsicles and Go-Gurts in the freezer for a refreshing snack in the shade after we have made our observations.

Remember That Your Children Are Developing Their Senses

The other aspect of nature study is that we are really training our children to see the differences in their world in each season. So many children today are raised in houses heated and cooled to a comfortable temperature year round. Our cars and the grocery stores are temperature controlled as well. Our kids need to feel the hot air of summer and the cold air of winter. It is part of growing up and experiencing our world and developing their senses.

I think that until we recognize that our children need outdoor time in nature close to their own homes, we do not make it a priority or think that it is worth while. Richard Louv in his book, Last Child in The Woods has a chapter titled “A Life of Senses: Nature vs. the Know-It-All State of Mind”. He makes some excellent points. Here is just one quote.

“Children need nature for the healthy development of their senses, and, therefore,
for learning and creativity.”

More Ideas for Your Summer Homeschool

You might also like these fun ways to enjoy summer homeschool nature study:

Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership for New Outdoor Hour Challenges Each Week!

Do you think this will help those that are hesitant to have nature study in the summer? I hope everyone that has a willingness to try will now not use the heat (or cold) as a reason to procrastinate nature study and participating in the Outdoor Hour Challenges any longer.

The best tips for enjoying summer nature study, even when it's hot outside.

By Outdoor Hour Challenges founder, Barbara McCoy

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10 March Nature Activities Perfect for Spring Celebrations

March brings beautiful spring opportunities to homeschool families. Enjoy these March nature activities perfect for spring celebrations!

March brings beautiful spring opportunities to homeschool families. Enjoy these March nature activities perfect for spring celebrations!

10 March Nature Activities Perfect for Spring Celebrations

First Day of Spring – Simple Ways to Study Nature in Your Homeschool – We are excited to get started on this first day of spring with simple ways to study nature and a fresh set of homeschool nature study ideas. It hardly seems possible that we are at the beginning of another spring season but here we go! We look forward to another season of encouraging nature study. Have fun and get outdoors with your children!

Clover or Shamrock Nature Study – (includes an art lesson too!) Enjoy a clover or shamrock homeschool nature study this spring and learn about this abundant ground cover you likely have in your own backyard.

Guide to Spring Nature Study – Getting outside with our children can be the sanity saving activity we all need. As spring approaches, have you considered adding a little nature study into your weekly routine? I’ve heard from families that they were reluctant to start a nature study plan, stating that they thought it would restrict their freedom to focus on one topic. But, they found that having a focus each week actually helped them to stay regular at getting outside and it helped them be better at taking a few minutes to learn about an object they encountered, even if it wasn’t the original aim for getting outdoors.

March nature activities for homeschool

Spring Nature Study with Art and Music Appreciation – This spring homeschool nature study curriculum contains all the nature study Outdoor Hour Challenges, custom notebook pages for nature study as well as three months’ worth of art and music appreciation.

Beautiful Easter Nature Studies for Kids – With signs of spring upon us, enjoy these beautiful Easter nature studies for kids. A fun and hands-on way to celebrate the resurrection story.

99 homeschool nature study ideas to get your family outdoors

99 Homeschool Nature Study Ideas to Get Your Family Outdoors – Be inspired with 99 homeschool nature study ideas and outdoors sorts of things! Make a list of your own and get outdoors!

How to Use the Outdoor Hour Challenges for Your Homeschool Nature Study – Every family is different so use these tips to get started with simple and joyful Outdoor Hour Challenges.

Your Spring Homeschool Nature Study: Beautiful Birds Nests – There are so many wonderful homeschool resources for birds nests in your spring nature study! These are some of our favorites. Nests are each unique and colorful!

Spring Weather Homeschool Nature Study – Here are some easy ideas for a spring weather homeschool nature study from rain and mud puddles to noticing tree buds. Includes ideas for nature journaling!

Your Backyard Homeschool Nature Study Laboratory – We are challenging you to begin homeschool nature study with the intention of creating the habit of getting outside with our children every week. There is something exciting about starting nature study with all the possibilities in front of us. Take the opportunity to join us for what could be the start of a grand adventure.

Easter nature studies for your homeschool
Beautiful Easter Nature Studies

More Activities for Your Spring Homeschool

5 Easter Activities Perfect for Tweens and Teens – What if I told you You ARE an ARTiST offers Easter activities perfect for tweens and teens and suitable for all ages? Nana also has a brand new art lesson appropriate just for your tween or teen!

Christian Liberty Nature Readers – These books are great for not only reading practice and comprehension, but they paint a beautiful picture of God’s awesome creation. There are numerous subjects covered and each book is a little different. The book we’re reading right now for instance talks about all kinds of things in nature from the honeybee to quails to bison.

Make a Resurrection Terrarium with Nature Crafts for Annual Members

Spring Homeschool Nature Study with Art – Perfect for commemorating spring, Nana’s spring homeschool nature study with art explores all creatures great and small and all things bright and beautiful! These nature-inspired art lessons are easy and fun for the whole family!

March Homeschool Art Activities – Add a beautiful layer of education with art! With these March homeschool art activities and spring homeschool ideas, you can celebrate Lent, St. Patrick’s Day, Dr. Seuss and Van Gogh’s birthday and more!

March Outdoor Hour Challenges bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool!

For our Homeschool Nature Study members, it’s a bumper nature study month this month with five nature study challenges for your homeschool. I think that the “Signs of Spring” as to be the one I am looking forward to the most!

Get your FREE Getting Started: Nature Study Close to Home (includes three challenges!)

If you’re not a member here at Homeschool Nature Study yet, please consider joining to gain the benefit of having a nature study library at your fingertips. There are numerous resources available for you to help create the habit of nature study within your family.

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership HERE!
March brings beautiful spring opportunities to homeschool families. Enjoy these March nature activities perfect for spring celebrations!

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.

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Beautiful Easter Nature Studies For Kids

With signs of spring upon us, enjoy these beautiful Easter nature studies for kids. A fun and hands-on way to celebrate the resurrection story.

With signs of spring upon us, enjoy these beautiful Easter nature studies for kids. A fun and hands-on way to celebrate the resurrection story.
Photo by Amy Law

Beautiful Easter Nature Studies For Kids

Why not spend these weeks leading up to Easter with some joyful activities which point to The Savior?

With signs of spring upon us, enjoy these beautiful Easter nature studies for kids. A fun and hands-on way to celebrate the resurrection story.
Lenten Countdown Calendar by Nature Illustrator, Victoria Vels

Lovely Lent Countdown Printable

Begin with a lovely reminder of the Lenten season. Countdown to Resurrection morning with this member printable calendar complete with nature prompts by our Nature Illustrator and Crafts Editor, Victoria Vels.

With signs of spring upon us, enjoy these beautiful Easter nature studies for kids. A fun and hands-on way to celebrate the resurrection story.
Photo by Amy Law

Easter Lily Nature Study for Your Outdoor Hour Challenge

Outdoor Hour hostess, Shirley Vels, shares, “during the Easter season, churches and homes are adorned with gorgeous, fragrant Easter lilies. But why? Why have these flowers become synonymous with Easter?”

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

Luke 12: 27

Also grow a mini egg shell garden and learn about seed germination! Make an edible Easter lily dessert and make paper lilies too. All available now in your Spring Course in Homeschool Nature Study membership.

Make a Resurrection Terrarium - Homeschool Nature Study Nature Crafts

Easter Craft – Make a Resurrection Garden

Just some simple supplies but plenty of discussion can happen while making it. Victoria is leading our members in creating your very own Resurrection Garden for her continuing Nature Crafts series.

Paint an Easter lily
Draw Your Way Through the Resurrection Story

Easter Lily Art Lesson

What a beautiful symbol of the Easter season – the lily! Enjoy this art lesson from our sister site, You ARE an ARTiST, included in the Easter Lily Nature Study in membership.

Julie shares, “Easter seems to come up suddenly. Maybe it’s because Easter weekend moves around the calendar, or maybe because it is preceded by Lent which is more solemn.

I decided I wanted to spend as much time anticipating the Resurrection with my children as we did the Incarnation. Both are beautiful events in our faith. Both bring a sense of wonder and awe. The Resurrection is special because it shows “God with us,” and God victorious for us!” Draw Your Way Through the Resurrection Story

Begin with a lovely reminder of the Lenten season. Countdown to Resurrection morning with this member printable calendar complete with nature prompts by our Nature Illustrator and Crafts Editor, Victoria Vels.

More Spring and Easter Activities for Your Homeschool

Here are even more spring and Easter activities for your homeschool:

Easter and Spring Nature Studies in Homeschool Nature Study Membership

Join us for even more homeschool nature studies this spring! With a new nature study each week plus a nature study calendar with daily prompts, you will have joyful learning leading all the way to summer!

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!
With signs of spring upon us, enjoy these beautiful Easter nature studies for kids. A fun and hands-on way to celebrate the resurrection story.

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.

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Fun Bird Nests and Eggs Activities For Nature Study

Enjoy these fun activities for learning about bird nests and eggs. Includes ideas for getting outside, bird resources and suggestions for follow up activities as well.

Enjoy these fun activities for learning about bird nests and eggs. Includes ideas for getting outside, bird resources and suggestions for follow up.
Photo by Amy Law

Activities for Learning About Bird Nests and Eggs

Spring is the time for birds to nest and currently we have nesting boxes up for a variety of birds: bluebirds, swallows, flickers, chickadees, and new to us is a robin’s nesting platform.  Every bird has its own unique nest and as we learn about birds, take time to look up and learn about their nest and eggs.

Enjoy these fun activities for learning about bird nests and eggs. Includes ideas for getting outside, bird resources and suggestions for follow up.

In Homeschool Nature Study Membership, there are several notebooking pages to use to record information about birds and their nests and eggs.

Enjoy these fun activities for learning about bird nests and eggs. Includes ideas for getting outside, bird resources and suggestions for follow up.

Bird Nests and Eggs Homeschool Resources

One of my favorite resources is the book Birds, Nests and Eggs.

The book Birds, Nests, and Eggs is the perfect beginner’s book for homeschool nature study. It’s also a wonderful take along guide that features many of the common birds that we see in our yards and neighborhoods.

Examples of Nests and Eggs: This is a page on the Cornell website that shows actual nests and eggs for many common birds. Spend some time with your children clicking the images and viewing them together.

Nestwatch: This citizen science program is something your family could participate in if you have a nest in your yard. Take a look and see if it’s something you can incorporate into your nature study plans.

Beautiful Birds Nests: Your Spring Homeschool Nature Study: There are so many wonderful homeschool resources for birds nests in your spring nature study! These are some of our favorites. Nests are each unique and colorful!

bird art lessons

You ARE an ARTiST has over 25 bird art lessons to enjoy! Browse A Bird Study with Chalk Pastels.

Learn how to draw a bird’s nest with this video art lesson.

Listen to Nana of You ARE an ARTiST’s John James Audubon podcast. He was the famous ornithologist, naturalist, and painter that documented all sorts of American birds in their natural habitats. He also identified 25 new species!

Homeschool Nature Study members can find Bird lessons in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter courses alongside the Outdoor Hour Challenge.

Bird Nests and Eggs Studies in our Homeschool Nature Study Membership

You can use notebooking pages in Homeschool Nature Study Membership to complete a bird study that focuses on the nest.

You can find even more bird nature study ideas in the Learning About Birds Outdoor Hour Challenge curriculum. This ebook curriculum is available in annual Homeschool Nature Study membership. There are also bird studies in each of the seasons. So many resources to enjoy!

Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!
Enjoy these fun activities for learning about bird nests and eggs. Includes ideas for getting outside, bird resources and suggestions for follow up.
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Tips for Tackling Difficult Nature Study Topics

All homeschooling moms have them: homeschool topics that we don’t feel confident to teach. Here are some tips for tackling difficult nature study topics.

All homeschooling moms have them: topics that we don’t feel confident to teach. Here are tips for tackling difficult nature study topics.
Photos by Amy Law

Building the Habit of Tackling Difficult Nature Study Subjects In Our Homeschools

Tackling the difficult topics found in nature study can be a stumbling block for many moms. Most of us find it easy to be interested in and to learn about topics like birds and butterflies alongside our children. But, what about things like spiders, fungus, or rocks? Are we as eager to study those things commonly found in nature? I’ve suffered from this lack of interest in tackling difficult topics in nature study with my children.

Reasons We May View Topics as Difficult

Let’s face it. Most of us are not “experts” in nature study. These things were not covered in our educational years. So many times, when we’re faced with introducing our children to nature study, we feel unqualified.

We lack knowledge in the area under study.

“But she should not let lack of knowledge be a wet blanket thrown over her pupils’ interest. She should say frankly, ‘I do not know; let us see if we cannot together find out this mysterious thing.’”

Handbook of Nature Study, page 3

We lack personal interest in a topic.

It’s our attitude about a topic that can either encourage or discourage our children in their pursuing the study of a topic. If you are disgusted by spiders, they will probably take on your attitude. Honestly, I found studying snakes one of the most difficult things to do with my children so I would continually put it off until a future date.

Resources may not be readily available.

At some point, we come across something during our nature study time that is not in the Handbook of Nature Study. It may be a local wildflower or a migrating bird. Whatever the topic, we lack the knowledge or resources to easily study it with our children. We realize we need to do more research in our study. It seems like too much work.

All homeschooling moms have them: topics that we don’t feel confident to teach. Here are tips for tackling difficult nature study topics.
by Amy Law

Ideas to Help with Difficult Nature Study Subjects

Start with the Handbook of Nature Study lessons for a topic.

Build Up Knowledge

If you need additional information, try the children’s section at your public library for books that talk about the topic. Search for videos on YouTube if you want some help making a topic less intimidating. (Note: The Outdoor Hour Challenges (OHC) will usually have all these ideas in the lesson so make sure to look up your topic to see if there is an OHC on the website that you may be able to use.)

Example from our nature study:

Rain Beetle – How to Identify a New Insect: I found that the closer I looked at this insect, the more beauty I found in its design and features. It taught me that sometimes if we just take time to learn more about a topic, the more interesting it becomes.

Develop Interest Over Time

If you introduce a topic and it falls flat, nothing says you can’t move onto something else. Sometimes you just need to let some time pass before you find a hook for a particular nature study topic. This is especially the case when you’re studying a subject that you haven’t encountered in person. We all get more excited about something new we see and experience with our own eyes!

“No teacher is expected to teach all the lessons in this book. A wide range of subjects is given, so that congenial choices may be made.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 24

Study a Variety of Nature Study Subjects

There is no end to the variety of nature study subjects available to you. You could easily stick to topics you are passionate about for a long time. Eventually, you may develop a desire to tackle some of the less attractive topics with your children. Give it time.

“Usually, the reason for this lack of interest is the limited range of subjects used for nature study lessons. Often the teacher insists upon flowers as the lesson subject, when toads or snakes would prove the key to the door of the child’s interest.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 6

Find a Group That Can Support Your Study

Ask around your community or look at local social media to find a group or event that will help you get excited about a nature study topic. Ask at a local nature center. Put the word out in your homeschooling community. Find a mentor for a topic that your child is interested in learning more about and you have no interest in tackling. There is no shame in finding help for difficult topics.

My Homeschool Mom Experience with Tackling Diffucult Nature Study Topics

One year we studied rocks and I took the kids to the local rock and mineral show at our fairgrounds. Talk about the perfect place to find a mentor in this area! Most of the participants were eager to share their knowledge and even invited the kids to join their rockhounding group. I was able to get suggestions for places to go look for rocks to collect and for books that we could add to our nature library.

More Ways to Include Nature Study in Your Homeschool

Here are a few more ideas you might enjoy:

All homeschooling moms have them: topics that we don’t feel confident to teach. Here are tips for tackling difficult nature study topics.
by Amy Law

Homeschool Nature Study Membership

All of the materials in Homeschool Nature Study Membership are going to give you support and direction in offering a simple study of difficult nature topics. Because we each have our individual likes and dislikes, it’s hard for me to point to just one resource for you to use in your study.

Join Homeschool Nature Study for a NEW Nature Study Every Week!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

written by Outdoor Hour Challenge founder, Barbara McCoy

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February Homeschool Nature Studies Great for Bird Watching

These February homeschool nature studies are great for bird watching and study. Includes The Backyard Bird Count and more!

These February homeschool nature studies are great for bird watching and study. Includes The Backyard Bird Count and more!

February Homeschool Nature Studies Great for Bird Watching

There are so many ways to enjoy bird watching this month (or any month). Here are some ideas to get you started.

Great Backyard Bird Count Resources: Everything You Need

Are you ready? Enjoy these Great Backyard Bird Count Homeschool Resources as you watch birds in your backyard this February!

What Is The Great Backyard Bird Count?

Each February, for four days, the world comes together for the love of birds. Over these four days we invite people to spend time in their favorite places watching and counting as many birds as they can find and reporting them to us. These observations help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations.

Birdcount.org
Are you ready? Enjoy these Great Backyard Bird Count Homeschool Resources as you watch birds in your backyard this February!

Bird Watching 101: Attracting Birds to Your Yard

Here you will find all sorts of ideas for attracting birds to your yard for homeschool nature study and birdwatching. We love to watch birds and do so on a regular basis without ever leaving our backyard. We can watch from our window or our deck and see usually around 4-5 different kinds of birds each day. At sometimes of the year, we have a lot more than that and it is exciting to see a new kind in the feeders.

Fun Bird Nests and Eggs Activities for Nature Study – Enjoy these fun activities for learning about bird nests and eggs. Includes ideas for getting outside, bird resources and suggestions for follow up activities as well.

Ultimate List of Bird Nature Studies Using the Outdoor Hour Challenges

You can enjoy a simple birds homeschool nature study with these resources we have gathered for you to use in your own backyard. It is such a delight to study and learn about these beautiful creatures! Find the list HERE.

These February homeschool nature studies are great for bird watching and study. Includes The Backyard Bird Count and more!
Photo by Amy Law

Make Bird Feeders and Bird Crafts for Your Backyard Birds

We created these amazing bird feeders in a special winter event with our sister site, You ARE an ARTiST! There are even more bird feeders/crafts you can enjoy in the replay. Find out more in this Winter Tree Homeschool Nature Study!

You might also like:

These are such fun with sayings such as: "Bee Mine", "I'm Nuts for You", "Owl Love You Forever" and "I Love You Deerly". Perfect for exchanging Valentines with friends or for mailing to grandparents!

Send Nature Valentines – Free Printable

These are such fun with sayings such as: “Bee Mine”, “I’m Nuts for You”, “Owl Love You Forever” and “I Love You Deerly”. Perfect for exchanging Valentines with friends or for mailing to grandparents! (Homeschool Nature Study members have these in your Resources course and on your February Nature Study Calendar!)

Get Your Printable Nature Valentines!

Subscribe to get FREE Nature Valentines to print and share.

    We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.
    homeschool nature journaling
    Photo by Amy Law

    Start the Nature Journal Habit

    Keeping a nature journal and building the homeschool nature journal habit can be a wonderful extension of your outdoor learning time. You will find nature journal ideas for everyone from young children to the homeschool mom!

    You can even start a Calendar of Firsts – such a wonderful habit that will hep your children notice seasonal changes and more.

    Spring Homeschool Nature Study with Music and Art

    Because by the end of February we are all ready for spring! You may even have some early spring bulbs poking through the soil! Take a peek at this Spring Homeschool Nature Study.

    Join The Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Year Round Support

    Can you believe all of these bird resources you will find in membership? You will also find a continuing series on bird nature study, bird watching and attracting birds 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!

    Our family is going to be counting in the Great Backyard Bird Count! Join us! and be sure to share on social media and tag @outdoorhourchallenge on Instagram or Homeschool Nature Study on Facebook with your results too!

    Looking For More Activities For February Homeschooling?

    Groundhog Day Homeschool Nature Study Activities

    Whether it is Groundhog Day or you are just wanting to learn more about these mammals, enjoy these homeschool nature study activities about woodchucks, groundhogs, prairie dogs and marmots!

    These February homeschool nature studies are great for bird watching and study. Includes The Backyard Bird Count and more!

    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.

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    10 Fun Groundhog Day Homeschool Nature Study Activities

    Whether it is Groundhog Day or you are just wanting to learn more about these mammals, enjoy these homeschool nature study activities about woodchucks, groundhogs, prairie dogs and marmots!

    Enjoy these groundhog homeschool nature study activities about woodchucks, groundhogs, prairie dogs and marmots - whether it is Groundhog Day or not!

    10 Groundhog Homeschool Nature Study Activities

    Have fun learning about these mammals! If you don’t have groundhogs near you, enjoy the alternate nature study activities for mammals.

    Read About Groundhogs in The Handbook of Nature Study

    1. Read pages 229-232 in the Handbook of Nature Study. As you read, highlight or underline some facts you can share with your children. There are observation ideas on page 231 and many of these suggestions are ones that you can continue to make over the next few seasons.

    More Fun Learning About Groundhogs

    Have you ever seen a marmot or a groundhog? Here is a cute video to introduce you to this mammal.

    Read About The Groundhog in The Burgess Animal Book for Children

    Enjoy this supplemental reading in The Burgess Animal Book for Children: Read Stories 7-8. After you read each story, pause and let your child narrate back some facts they learned from the reading.

    This could be as simple as looking at the illustrations on pages 48 and 54 and having them tell you a few things about the woodchuck, the marmot, or the prairie dog.

    Mammals: Groundhog Homeschool Nature Study Activities

    Groundhog Outdoor Hour Nature Study


    Spend 10-15 minutes outdoors on a nature walk. Look for signs of mammals as you walk. Look for tracks, burrows, holes, or scat. If you are able to observe one of this challenge’s featured mammals, be sure to use some of the observation ideas from page 231. Be alert for any opportunity to observe a mammal during your outdoor time. So far we have learned about rabbits and squirrels, but be on the look out for more common mammals like dogs, cats, or horses.

    Don’t have groundhogs near you? More ideas for a mammal nature study in the Ultimate Mammals Homeschool Nature Study Using the Outdoor Hour Challenges.

    Enjoy founder Barb McCoy’s family study of groundhogs and a foggy day walk.

    Groundhog Nature Journaling Activity

    After your outdoor time, if you observed a mammal, you can look it up in the Handbook of Nature Study. For your nature journal you can sketch something you saw during your outdoor time. One additional idea is to compare two animals that we have already studied. You can compare a rabbit and a prairie dog or a squirrel and a prairie dog. Make sketches or make a list of the comparisons. You may also use any of the additional resources for your nature journal.

    You ARE an ARTiST Groundhog art lesson
    You ARE an ARTiST Groundhog art lesson

    Additional Groundhog Resources for Your Homeschool

    Join The Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Year Round Support

    You will find a continuing series on mammals 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!

    Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!
    Enjoy these groundhog homeschool nature study activities about woodchucks, groundhogs, prairie dogs and marmots - whether it is Groundhog Day or not!

    Written by Outdoor Hour Challenges founder, Barb and updated by Tricia.

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    Project Based Homeschool Nature Study: Keeping a Calendar of Firsts

    Keeping a perpetual calendar of nature firsts is a wonderful long-term nature study project for families. It’s a simple way to learn the cycle of life in your world, noting the nature firsts that catch your attention each year. Comparing the dates of the firsts in nature will give you a more accurate telling of the passage of time.

    Keeping a perpetual calendar of nature firsts is a wonderful long-term nature study project for families. It’s a simple way to learn the cycle of life in your world, noting the nature firsts that catch your attention each year. Comparing the dates of the firsts in nature will give you a more accurate telling of the passage of time.

    Keeping a Calendar of Nature Firsts

    Calendars: It’s a great idea to have children keep a calendar to record when and where they saw the first oak leaf, the first tadpole, the first primrose, the first ripe blackberries. Then next year they can pull out the calendar and know when to anticipate seeing these things again, and they can note new discoveries. Imagine how this will add enthusiasm for daily walks and nature hikes! A day won’t go by when something isn’t seen to excite them.

    Charlotte Mason-in modern English
    calendar of firsts nature study

    Download Your Free Calendar Page

    (Note that members have this printable in your Planning Resources course in Homeschool Nature Study membership!)

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      You can use a calendar page for each month with the list of days down the side or a more traditional grid style calendar where you fill in the boxes as you go. Whichever way you choose will work if you just remember to weekly take a minute or two to note any nature firsts you observed. Make sure to record the date (including year), time, and or location of your observation.

      Keeping a calendar of firsts a great project based activity for your homeschool nature study. Here's how to make it work.

      Nature Study Items To Look For Each Year

      • First elk
      • First ground squirrels
      • First snow
      • First robin, junco, swallow, hummingbird
      • Last leaves on the aspen (Yes, you can keep track of “lasts” as well.)
      • First campfire of the season
      • First fire in the wood stove
      Keeping a calendar of firsts a great project based activity for your homeschool nature study. Here's how to make it work.

      More Nature Study Firsts for You to Observe in Your Homeschool

      • First bee seen
      • Frogs chirping– first day heard
      • First mosquito bite
      • First skunk smell
      • First trillium or other wildflower blooming
      • First acorns on the ground
      • First green grass
      • First tulips blooming
      • First day warm enough for shorts and t-shirts
      • First freezing temperatures
      • First snowfall

      As you can see from the list, you are not limited to any one season or any one area for your firsts. Challenge your children to come up with some nature firsts of their own.

      A calendar of firsts can be kept by the entire family or by each individual child. The observations can be listed in words and/or pictures!

      The beauty of this project is that it can be started at any time and can be completed over many years with no guilt if you forget to record something for a period of time. If that happens, just pick up where you left off.

      Keeping a calendar of firsts a great project based activity for your homeschool nature study. Here's how to make it work.

      More Ways to Include Nature Study in Your Homeschool

      Here are a few more ideas you might enjoy:

      Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

      Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership – with a NEW Nature Study Each Week!

      Written by Outdoor Hour Challenge founder, Barb McCoy in 2015. Updated by Tricia 2022.