Author: Tricia Hodges

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Homeschool Fall Leaf Study And Activities (perfect for all ages)

To celebrate the first day of fall or autumnal equinox, we invite you on a fall leaf study in your homeschool! There are leaf nature studies to fill an entire week!

To celebrate the first day of fall or autumnal equinox, we invite you on a fall leaf tour in your homeschool! There are leaf nature studies to fill an entire week!

Celebrate The First Day of Fall

Here is a fun idea for the first day of fall and your fall leaf tour!

To celebrate the first day of fall or autumnal equinox, we invite you on a fall leaf tour in your homeschool! There are leaf nature studies to fill an entire week!

Homeschool Fall Leaf Study And Activities

This study is designed to be completed with what you have around you. As the leaves turn, head outside, notice fall colors and collect some different colored leaves.

Compare Leaves from Two Different Trees

  • Leaf shape and leaf margins.
  • Leaf arrangement on the stem.
  • Leaf color, texture, and size. (You can measure if you wish.)
  • Come back in from your walk and follow up with a journal page.

Take a Fall Color Walk For Your Nature Study

To continue your fall leaf tour, take a fall color walk! We also start to take more hikes now that the afternoons are a bit cooler. We have our favorite trails and try to get outside every day to see what we can find of interest.

Read in the Handbook of Nature Study page 14, “The Field Excursion”. The reason I want you to read this section is so you have a better understanding of how to prepare you children for a short outdoor excursion with a purpose. Let them know ahead of time the reason you are going outdoors, have them gather their supplies, and then make the excursion outside to look for fall colors.

With our Printable Autumn Series Field Notebook included in membership, you can enjoy these studies and journal pages:

  • Seasonal tree study
  • Goldenrod
  • Oaks & acorns
  • Fall bird study
  • Squirrels
  • Mushrooms
  • Pumpkins
  • Field Notebook List

Fall Color Challenge Activity: Match Leaf Color to Your Art Supplies

A more detailed advanced study for upper level students is included in membership. Here is a peek at what you can enjoy as you continue your fall leaf tour.

Outdoor Hour Challenge founder, Barbara McCoy shared this from her family’s Color Walk one year: “I decided to make color chart in my journal with the official names from the Prismacolor pencils noted just for fun. My favorite leaves were the pistache leaves with their bright orange, red, and yellow…..dare I say vermillion, crimson, and chrome yellow to be more exact?”

Collect a variety of colorful leaves and bring them inside. Have fun matching the colors of the leaves to your colored pencils, chalk pastels, crayons or other art supplies. You might want to sketch your leaves in your nature journal.

Watercolor pencils on the left and regular colored pencils on the right.

Fall Nature Study Crafts for All Ages

With leaf printings, a fall garland, a pumpkin house, a fern nature journal activity and more, there is something for everyone in our Nature Crafts course.

With leaf printings, a fall garland, a pumpkin house, a fern nature journal activity and more, there is something for everyone in our Nature Crafts course.

Fall Homeschool Nature Study Ideas

Track Weather in Your Homeschool

Autumn seems to be a season that many of us look forward to and in my part of the world we welcome the cooler temperatures and the crisp morning air. We begin to see a few days of wet weather and one activity that seems to make its way into my nature journal is to keep track of that cooler wet weather.

To celebrate the first day of fall or autumnal equinox, we invite you on a fall leaf tour in your homeschool! There are leaf nature studies to fill an entire week!

Simple Fall Homeschool Nature Study Ideas with Apples, Pumpkins and Pears

Our Homeschool Nature Study members enjoy these wonderful challenges!

  • Apple Challenge – Simple nature study featuring apples and the Handbook of Nature Study.
  • Pumpkins – Study your pumpkins and then eat them too!
  • Pear Challenge – Yummy nature study featuring pears and the Handbook of Nature Study with advanced study options too.
To celebrate the first day of fall or autumnal equinox, we invite you on a fall leaf tour in your homeschool! There are leaf nature studies to fill an entire week!

Autumn Series with the Handbook of Nature Study: Outdoor Hour Challenge Curriculum

There are so many fall favorites for you to explore over the next months!

Members also enjoy access to:

  • NEW, weekly Outdoor Hour Challenges to bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool!
  • the annual nature study plans
  • matching courses with materials and journaling pages
  • interactive calendar with daily nature study prompts
  • Nature Journaling course
  • and MUCH more!
Join Us In Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

More Fall Nature Study for Your Homeschool

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.

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The Ultimate Guide To Fall Homeschool Nature Study In Your Own Backyard

The benefits of autumn or fall homeschool nature study in your own backyard are endless! These simple resources get you started making memories together.
Photos by Amy Law

When the calendar flips to September you might be ready for an autumn or fall homeschool nature study in your own backyard. How about your part of the world? Are you feeling like autumn or is it lingering summer? Whatever your world looks like you can take a fall walk and discover some fall color…maybe not your leaves but look for berries, nuts, and weeds that are changing color.

autumn nature study with light coming through the treees

The Benefits of Nature Study in the Fall

The benefits of fall nature study seem to be endless! The most important of all is making memories together as a family. The crisp, cooler air and the brilliant blue sky (on sunny days) highlight all of the fall leaf color for us. Being outside does wonders for moods. And having an outdoor ‘laboratory’ for discovery is as simple as swinging open your backdoor.

The fall Outdoor Hour Challenges are among our very favorites. My children and I have wonderful memories of looking for not only different leaf color but leaf shapes. With the cooler weather, we tend to take nature walks even more.

Plus, a fall homeschool nature study gives an opportunity for all ages to learn as little or as much as they would like to.

Fall Nature Study Lesson Plans

We have Outdoor Hour Challenge Homeschool Nature Study Curriculum filled with weeks of fall nature study plans! You can also take a look at this sampling of the resources we have for you to enjoy simple, fall homeschool nature study in your own backyard.

  • Seasonal Tree Observations Outdoor Hour Challenge
  • Fall Color Walk with Printable Color Cards in membership (great for your youngest adventurers)
  • How to Make Leaf Rubbings (video)
  • Tips for Drawing Leaves
  • Learn Why Leaves Change Color
  • Advanced studies on the chemistry of leaves
  • Plus apples, pumpkins, bats, turkeys and more!

The benefits of autumn or fall homeschool nature study in your own backyard are endless! These simple resources get you started making memories together.

Fall Notebooking Pages For Your Homeschool

There are so many easy printable pages in Homeschool Nature Study membership for quick and fun nature walks!

  • Access to a Fall Leaf Nature Study Grid for printing (you can place in your journal and ‘check off’ scavenger hunt style. Includes a bookmark for coloring in the colors of the fall leaves near you)
  • Autumn nature study journal pages for each Outdoor Hour Challenge
  • Autumn coloring pages
  • Under the Fallen Leaves notebooking page
  • Autumn Changes in Your Own Backyard
  • Learning About Leaves – with journal page
  • Autumn Weather Tracking chart printable
  • Signs of Autumn Notebook Page
  • Printable Fall Series Field Notebook

And SO much more! (with more topics coming!)

Autumn is on the horizon with the yellowing of leaves signalling chilly weather to come, so lets create this forest floor biome to celebrate. In this tutorial I will show you how to layer watercolours to create depth as well as texture using a stippling technique. So grab your paints, download the free printable I have created and let's get crafting!

Fall Forest Biome Nature Craft Activity

Our resident illustrator, Victoria Vels, shares, “Autumn is on the horizon with the yellowing of leaves signalling chilly weather to come, so lets create this forest floor biome to celebrate. In this tutorial I will show you how to layer watercolours to create depth as well as texture using a stippling technique. So grab your paints, download the free printable I have created and let’s get crafting!”

Autumn is in full swing with rusty leaves and seeds galore, so let us bring in some of the season’s beauty with this Autumn garland.

Fall Garland Craft Activity

Autumn is in full swing with rusty leaves and seeds galore, so let us bring in some of the season’s beauty with this Autumn garland.

Members enjoy this craft in the Nature Crafts course!

More Homeschool Nature Study for Your Fall Learning

Join Us For Fall Homeschool Nature Study

We’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.

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

We make it easy with resources you can use at your own pace and on your own schedule. Or, you may choose to follow our annual nature study plans closely and have everything at your fingertips.

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

The benefits of autumn or fall homeschool nature study in your own backyard are endless! These simple resources get you started making memories together.

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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Spectacular Night Sky Nature Study Ideas for Your Homeschool

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.

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.

Spectacular Night Sky Nature Study Ideas for Your Homeschool


Outdoor Hour Challenge
Night Sky Study

Record your night sky observations using this free printable. Barb McCoy created it so you can get two simple journal pages from one sheet of paper. Print the page, cut it in half, and then staple at the top to make a Night Sky Journal. Print several pages if you want to create a larger journal.

Night Sky Journal Printable


Night Sky Journal Printable Notebook Page

Please fill out the form, below, to receive your free night sky journal page!

Get Your Night Sky Journal Page!

Subscribe to get your free night sky journal page.

    We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.
    Perseids Meteor shower homeschool ideas
    How to Create an Amazing Perseids Meteor Shower Homeschool Lesson

    Stargazing: Perseids Meteor Shower Homeschool Ideas

    If you aren’t familiar with the Perseid Meteor Shower, it is one of the brightest and longest-lasting meteor showers. And, it happens in August, so it’s usually easy to view because the weather is warm, and the sky is likely to be reasonably clear. 

    Barb McCoy, founder of the Outdoor Hour Challenges, shares some Perseids Meteor Shower encouragement and a journal page:

    Last weekend I visited with a friend who is also a nature lover. She and I talked about the night sky for a long time and how much joy it brings to us to view the magnificent canvas of stars each night. We shared stories of past experiences with viewing meteor showers and agreed that it is something to make time for even if it is late at night.

    Our family was able to view the Perseid meteor shower over the last few nights…it doesn’t disappoint! As soon as it is dark you can view a few “shooting stars” so don’t think you have to keep your kids up too late. It is more spectacular later in the night but just getting your children aware of what is out there is worth the effort.

    We also looked up the next full moon for August and marked it on our calendar. We noted last night’s sunset and the time in our area..planning on checking it a few more times later in the month.

    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.

    My nature journal entry is a work in progress and as the month goes by I will add more of my thoughts to the box I made on the bottom of the page.

    Getting Started in Nature Study Suggestion


    If you already own the Getting Started in Homeschool Nature Study ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #4.

    *Note: the free Getting Started book has the first three challenges. Members enjoy all 10 Outdoor Hour Challenges.

    Have a short discussion with your child about which aspect of the night sky they are most interested in and focus on that as long as they are interested…could be a week or the whole month.

    Some night sky nature study ideas are:

    • stars
    • planets
    • meteors
    • or the moon

    Complete the notebook page from the Getting Started ebook if you want a more formal record of your study. 

    Moon phases homeschool nature study

    More Hands On Night Sky Homeschool Nature Study

    You might also like these fun ways to learn about the night sky:

    For even more homeschool nature study ideas, join us in Homeschool Nature Study membership! You’ll receive new ideas each and every week that require little or no prep – all bringing the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool!

    Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

    Enjoy the outdoors at night with your children. If you have early risers, you can even enjoy some time then. It is a special time to share together.

    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.

    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.

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    The Joy of Nature Study For Your Homeschool Year

    We are excited to announce several fun resources that will make is easy for you to add the joy of nature study for your homeschool year!

    “Make this a time to learn a little something new about your world. Finding time for these challenges will help this season be one that your child will not only learn something new but make special memories for a lifetime.” – Barbara McCoy (founder of The Outdoor Hour Challenges)

    We are excited to announce several fun resources that will make is easy for you to add the joy of nature study for your homeschool year!

    When Barbara McCoy retired, I knew that these gentle nature studies needed to still be available to homeschool famillies like mine.

    These are the very nature studies my children and I started homeschooling with. To us, they are deliberate delight!

    I shared a short introductory video, below:

    That is why we are now offering Homeschool Nature Study and your Outdoor Hour Challenge hostess, Shirley Vels, has joined us!

    Homeschool nature study annual plan. We are excited to announce several fun resources that will make is easy for you to add the joy of nature study for your homeschool year!

    Outdoor Hour Challenges Schedule of Nature Study

    The plan for the coming year is now available to members! In the photo above, you can see a preview of the courses and homeschool nature study curriculum we look forward to using! These plans were prepared by Shirley Vels, your Outdoor Hour Challenge hostess!

    Shirley and I are always planning something new for you! The new plans for the homeschool year are available each July so that members will know the topics ahead of time and can plan even more fun learning.

    We even have some new series coming soon!

    Autumn Handbook of Nature Study outdoor hour homeschool curriculum

    NEW Autumn Outdoor Hour Challenge Homeschool Curriculum

    The new Autumn Outdoor Hour Challenge homeschool curriculum is available to members. It is also now available for purchase in our nature study store.

    The Outdoor Hour Mom - nature study with Homeschool Nature Study series

    New Outdoor Mom Series

    Because nature study is for parents too, we have a new series starting in membership. These simple prompts will bring you joy, help you notice beauty and encourage you as you model nature study for your children.

    Outdoor Hour challenge Nature Crafts

    New Nature Crafts Series

    In addition to the Outdoor Mom series, we will also be offering a new Nature Crafts series for members. We are so excited about both of these offerings!

    New Outdoor Hour Challenge Every Friday

    Shirley Vels, your Outdoor Hour Challenge hostess, shares about how there is a new Outdoor Hour Challenge Nature Study each Friday. She also talks about how these nature studies bring The Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool.

    Nature journaling series at Homeschool Nature Study

    Monthly Nature Journal Activities

    In this continuing series for members, monthly nature journal activities take your outdoor experiences, your thoughts, new ideas or facts, and make them tangible. Here are some ideas to get you started nature journaling.

    We are excited to announce several fun resources that will make is easy for you to add the joy of nature study for your homeschool year!

    How to Get Started in Homeschool Nature Study

    You can download Getting Started – Nature Close to Home for FREE which helps you get started in homeschool nature study and outlines how to participate in the Outdoor Hour Challenges.

    We are excited to announce several fun resources that will make is easy for you to add the joy of nature study for your homeschool year!

    Nature Study in Your Own Backyard and Nature Journaling with Outdoor Hour Challenges

    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.

    Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

    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.

    We are excited to announce several fun resources that will make is easy for you to add the joy of nature study for your homeschool year!
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    A Beautiful Lupine Wildflower Nature Study for Your Homeschool

    Enjoy a beautiful lupine wildflower nature study for your homeschool! Don’t miss the free lupine resource download and the free, live event! Details, below.

    Enjoy a beautiful lupine wildflower nature study for your homeschool! Don't miss the free lupine resource download and the free, live event!

    Lupine Wildflower Nature Study

    This Homeschool Nature Study is part of the Wildflower Course with an accompanying Outdoor Hour Challenge curriculum ebook.

    The lupine nature study includes:

    • indoor preparation and Handbook of Nature Study references
    • Outdoor Hour suggestions
    • additional resources on the host plant and butterflies that love lupine
    • custom notebook pages to use for the lupine flower and the pea family
    • advanced studies
    • drawing lesson

    You may wish to watch this short video of lupine (including a bee visit): Lupine.

    Make Your Homeschool a Little More Beautiful – A Free Event with a Lupine Nature Study!

    Make your homeschool a little more beautiful with literature, art and nature study! Explore the beloved picture book, Miss Rumphius, with Sarah, Nana and Tricia. What a FUN way to kick off your homeschool year!

    YOU are invited!

    • When: Wednesday, July 27th at 11AM PT/2PM ET
    • Where: Zoom platform

    Sign Up To Participate

    Get your free resources + info on the Live Event!

    Make Your Homeschool Year a Little More Beautiful

    ​

      Sign Up To Participate and For Your Free Resources

      When you sign up you will receive:

      • Information for joining us for the live July 27 event
      • Your Read Aloud Revival Family Book Club Guide on Miss Rumphius
      • A Homeschool Nature Study lupine Outdoor Hour Challenge
      • Access to the replay for one week after the event

      Please note: A replay will only be available to those who sign up. Be sure to fill out the form, below!

      Here’s How to Be Ready for the Event

      For your literature time with Sarah, reserve or pick up your copy of Miss Rumphius at your local library or order online today!

      For your art time with Nana, you will just need a very few suggested supplies, below:

      • a starter set of chalk pastels (Our favorites are here).
      • construction paper (Nana suggests white construction paper for this lesson)
      • baby wipes or damp paper towel for easy clean up

      For your nature study time with Tricia, have your lupine download on hand.

      Remember to sign up, above!

      Enjoy a beautiful lupine wildflower nature study for your homeschool! Don't miss the free lupine resource download and the free, live event!

      Share On Social Media!

      Be sure to share your Make Your Homeschool A Little More Beautiful time on social media and tag @readaloudrevival @outdoorhourchallenge and @chalkpastelart – We can’t wait to see you participating and to see your paintings!

      And please invite your friends!

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      Monthly Nature Journal Activities For Your Homeschool

      Monthly nature journal activities take your outdoor experiences, your thoughts, new ideas or facts, and make them tangible. Here are some ideas to get you started nature journaling.

      Monthly nature journal activities take your outdoor experiences, your thoughts, new ideas or facts, and make them tangible. Here are some ideas to get you started nature journaling.
      Photos by Amy Law

      The Value Of Nature Journaling In Your Homeschool

      Paging through the completed journals gives such a sense of accomplishment, each page a nugget of learning from your nature study.

      This time of year is an opportunity to reflect on our goals and habits. I don’t know about you but one thing that has been a little neglected over the last year is my nature journal.

      Monthly Projects For Nature Journaling

      Our Homeschool Nature Study members will receive new nature journal activities each month! I jotted down a list of journal ideas for each month of the year. Creating a  page a month will be a simple and reachable goal and I hope it will help you and your family to complete a few pages too.

      Monthly nature journal activities take your outdoor experiences, your thoughts, new ideas or facts, and make them tangible. Here are some ideas to get you started nature journaling.

      Homeschool Nature Journal Supplies Needed?

      Let’s keep it simple. Pull your nature journal off the shelf or out of your backpack and take a look at what you have done so far and decide if your journal choice is inspiring you or hindering you.

      Or, if you are new to nature journaling, take a trip to the office supply store and look over your journal choices. It is important to like the feel and size of your journal. I like to use sketchbooks but some people like to use fancier journals.

      Here are a couple I have used in the past and really liked. They lie flat, are spiral bound, and they hold up to just about any medium I want to use (including watercolor with varying results).

      Some links may be affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

      Nature Journals

      The point is not to get hung up on choosing a journal but just pick one and get started!

      Monthly nature journal activities take your outdoor experiences, your thoughts, new ideas or facts, and make them tangible. Here are some ideas to get you started nature journaling.

      Art Supplies for Writing and Sketching

      I use a variety of things to write in my journal.

      • If you have a good black pen you like pull that out and keep it with your journal.
      • Gel pens
      • Prismacolor markers and Prismacolor watercolor pencils round out my nature journal writing and sketching choices.
      • Don’t forget a good old No. 2 pencil is always handy for making quick sketches in your journal.

      Other Journaling Supplies

      Other items that may be helpful for your nature journal activities include a small ruler, a jar lid for making circles, double sided tape to adhere items in your nature journal, a pencil sharpener, and a small cup and paint brush for working with watercolor pencils.

      More Encouragement

      Handbook of Nature Study nature journaling

      Nature Journal Series Overview By Month

      The first months of nature journal activities is ready for Homeschool Nature Study members in the Nature Journaling course in membership. This will give members the rest of the month to spend some time outdoors as part of the Outdoor Hour Challenge or other family activity and then create a journal using the suggestion.

      Each lesson is filled with ideas and how tos for your family:

      • June – Sketch Outside
      • July – Using Your 5 Senses

      More nature journal activities coming for members each month!

      Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

      Monthly Nature Journal Activities For Your Homeschool

      Share Your Nature Journals!

      Share a photo of your nature journal and tag us on social media @outdoorhourchallenge Join us in continuing this fun Nature Journal Project started by our founder, Barb McCoy!

      Browse examples by others on this Nature Journal Pinterest board.

      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 Summer Nature Study Photo Challenge

      Enjoy a fun summer nature study photo challenge plus first day of summer ideas! I don’t know about you but I’m so very ready for the summer season! The most noticeable change is the amount of daylight. The sun is up early and it lingers in the evenings.

      Enjoy a fun summer nature study photo challenge plus first day of summer ideas! I don’t know about you but I’m so very ready for the summer season! The most noticeable change is the amount of daylight. The sun is up early and it lingers in the evenings.

      Nature study can be easy and fun when you have access to the Outdoor Hour Challenges! Pick the topics that interest your family the most and then get started with the activities, videos, and follow up notebook pages.

      While you’re just starting your summer nature study planning, please consider an Outdoor Hour Challenge. Maybe observe your weather and plan to make a special day of activity on June 21st as we all usher in the summer season.

      Terrific Ideas for Your First Day of Summer Nature Study Activities

      Here are some ideas to get you started on your summer fun!

      Photo by Erin Vincent

      Summer Nature Study Photo Challenge for Your Homeschool

      Join us for a FUN summer nature study photo challenge! You can complete the challenges in any order you would like. You can take the photos or your children can take the photos. This is a fun, relaxed activity that I hope brings some joy to your outdoor time.

      Join us for a FUN summer nature study photo challenge! You can complete the challenges in any order you would like. You can take the photos or your children can take the photos. This is a fun, relaxed activity that I hope brings some joy to your outdoor time.

      This printable Summer Nature Study Photo Challenge is available in the Summer Handbook of Nature Study Curriculum in Homeschool Nature Study Membership. You can enjoy this and an entire summer’s worth of nature study Outdoor Hour Challenges plus a calendar filled with daily nature study prompts in membership.

      First Day of Summer Photo Walk

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

      First Day of Summer Flower Field Trip

      Take a trip to your local garden nursery and let your 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 any of the printable journal pages in our free Getting Started Guide or those in Homeschool Nature Study membership.

      Summer Nature Study with Art
      Photo by Erin Vincent

      Summer Nature Study with Art

      Enjoy a free Summer Treehouse art lesson – just imagine all you could observe outdoors in nature in your very own treehouse that you design and sketch! Find the lesson towards the bottom of the post.

      Summer Watermelon Recipe

      Summer Watermelon Recipe

      Watermelon Popsicles Recipe – are you a huge watermelon fan too?

      First Day of Summer Notebook Page

      First Day of Summer Notebook Page

      After a nature walk, preferably under a shade tree, complete the First Day of Summer notebook page in Homeschool Nature Study membership – for your nature journal.

      You might also like:

      Share Your Summer Photos!

      Be sure to tag us on Instagram @outdoorhourchallenge #outdoorhourchallenge so we can comment and share your photos!

      Are you as excited about summer as I am?

      Enjoy a Summer Brimming with Outdoor Ideas in Homeschool Nature Study Membership!
      A FUN Summer Nature Study Photo Challenge plus First Day of Summer Ideas! Nature study can be easy and fun when you have access to the Outdoor Hour Challenges! Pick the topics that interest your family the most and then get started with the activities, videos, and follow up notebook pages.

      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.

      Posted on by — 2 Comments

      Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story

      Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story is a beautiful picture book biography about the author of The Handbook of Nature Study. Anna Botsford Comstock was passionate about children getting out of the classroom and into nature to learn first hand about our beautiful world.

      Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story is a beautiful picture book biography about the author of The Handbook of Nature Study. Anna Botsford Comstock was passionate about children getting out of the classroom and into nature to learn first hand about our beautiful world.
      Photos by Amy Law

      “From the time she was no higher than a daisy, Anna was wild about nature.”

      Suzanne Slade

      One of the most natural ways for people to learn is through story. This sweetly illustrated biography of Anna Comstock gives a glimpse into the life of the woman who wrote the wonderful book The Handbook of Nature Study. Knowing more about her life makes her writing even more special! – my friend, Amy Law.

      Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story is a lovely book written by Suzanne Slade and beautifully illustrated by Jessica Lanan.

      Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story is a beautiful picture book biography about the author of The Handbook of Nature Study. Anna Botsford Comstock was passionate about children getting out of the classroom and into nature to learn first hand about our beautiful world.

      The Anna Comstock Story Picture Book Biography Review

      This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

      “This picture book biography examines the life and career of naturalist and artist Anna Comstock (1854-1930), who defied social conventions and pursued the study of science. From the time she was a young girl, Anna was fascinated by the natural world. She loved exploring outdoors, examining wildlife and learning nature’s secrets. From watching the teamwork of marching ants to following the constellations in the sky, Anna observed it all. And her interest only increased as she grew older and attended Cornell University. There she continued her studies, pushing back against the common belief of the day that implied science was a man’s pursuit.

      Eventually, Anna became known as a nature expert, pioneering a movement to encourage schools to conduct science and nature classes for children outdoors, thereby increasing students’ interest in nature. In following her passion, this remarkable woman blazed a trail for female scientists today.” –Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story

      Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story is a beautiful picture book biography about the author of The Handbook of Nature Study. Anna Botsford Comstock was passionate about children getting out of the classroom and into nature to learn first hand about our beautiful world.

      “The nature story is never finished. There is not a weed or an insect or a tree so common that the child by observing carefully, may not see things never yet recorded.”

      -Anna Comstock

      Here at Homeschool Nature Study, we highly recommend this book for your homeschool! It is a wonderful way to learn all about – and be inspired by – the author of the Handbook of Nature Study. You might also like our Anna Botsford Comstock Quotes for Nature Lovers and Last Child in the Woods.

      Bring The Handbook of Nature Study to Life in Your Homeschool!

      Learn More About The Handbook of Nature Study for Your Homeschool

      We have some great resources for learning what The Handbook of Nature Study is all about:

      You might also like my review of a Charlotte Mason Picture Book biography: The Teacher Who Revealed Worlds of Wonder – on our sister site, The Curriculum Choice. Charlotte Mason adored nature study!

      My Homeschool Nature Book Report

      In Homeschool Nature Study membership, you will find a printable nature book report page under your Nature Journaling course. Use this when you enjoy the Anna Comstock Story or any other nature book!

      Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story is a beautiful picture book biography about the author of The Handbook of Nature Study. Anna Botsford Comstock was passionate about children getting out of the classroom and into nature to learn first hand about our beautiful world.

      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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      A Beautiful Queen Anne’s Lace Nature Study for Your Homeschool

      Our family made great memories together one year while noticing and studying Queen Anne’s lace throughout the seasons. Enjoy this beautiful Queen Anne’s lace nature study for your homeschool and see what you notice in each season too!

      If you don’t have any Queen Anne’s Lace to observe in person, choose two other neighborhood weeds to study and compare using the ideas in the challenge.

      Homeschool Nature Study members will find the suggestions in this challenge a great help in learning about this common wildflower. (Some call it a weed, but I prefer to think of it as a wildflower!) Members: Find this challenge in your Summer Continues Outdoor Hour Challenge curriculum ebook.

      Make great memories by studying Queen Anne's lace throughout the seasons. Enjoy this beautiful Queen Anne's lace nature study for your homeschool.

      Queen Anne’s Lace Nature Study

      I suppose it’s the new awareness we have from last year’s summer study of Queen Anne’s lace. Or it could be recent rains. Or it could be that we didn’t really start looking for Queen Anne’s lace until late August of last year. Or it could be a combination of all those factors. Which, likely, it is.

      Make great memories by studying Queen Anne's lace throughout the seasons. Enjoy this beautiful Queen Anne's lace nature study for your homeschool.

      It’s abundant. We point and yell, “Look!” everywhere we drive. Lace lines the roadsides to the north Georgia mountains where we trekked last week. Lacey patches are right across the street – almost as tall as Middle Girl.

      “Nature study cultivates in the child a love of the beautiful…”

      ~ Anna Botsford Comstock, The Teaching of Nature Study
      Make great memories by studying Queen Anne's lace throughout the seasons. Enjoy this beautiful Queen Anne's lace nature study for your homeschool.

      (Above photos of her taken with my phone when we quick pulled off the road).

      family homeschool nature study

      And Queen Anne’s lace thrilled us in the usual spot we checked back in spring. When we went on a family walk that Sunday night before Memorial Day – there it was!

      Make great memories by studying Queen Anne's lace throughout the seasons. Enjoy this beautiful Queen Anne's lace nature study for your homeschool.

      Ready for the picking.

      Make great memories by studying Queen Anne's lace throughout the seasons. Enjoy this beautiful Queen Anne's lace nature study for your homeschool.

      We scooped a few blooms and brought them home to study up close. To sketch.

      Make great memories by studying Queen Anne's lace throughout the seasons. Enjoy this beautiful Queen Anne's lace nature study for your homeschool.

      We also found a beautiful robin’s egg, right in the middle of the grass, while on our walk. We figured the recent winds and storms may have blown it out of its nest.

      Make great memories by studying Queen Anne's lace throughout the seasons. Enjoy this beautiful Queen Anne's lace nature study for your homeschool.

      Our up close studies helped us appreciate. As I sketched my flower, I noticed the hundreds of little, tiny flowers…

      nature journaling

      …the umbrella looking underneath, the pink tinges of a young blossom.

      nature journaling

      The children appreciated the certain color of green, the hairy stems, the dot in the center.

      “The chief aim of this volume is to encourage investigation rather than to give information.”

      ~ Handbook of Nature Study
      homeschool nature journaling

      During sketching we noticed that the outside flower clusters open first, just as the Handbook of Nature Study says.

      Queen Anne’s lace makes this mama happy. It reminds me of childhood.

      Homeschool Nature Study for Your Family

      Join us this summer! Enjoy some deliberate delight with nature walks and simple, joyful learning.

      Join Homeschool Nature Study Today!
      Make great memories by studying Queen Anne's lace throughout the seasons. Enjoy this beautiful Queen Anne's lace nature study for your homeschool.

      How about you? Is Queen Anne’s lace lining your roadsides?

      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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      The Ultimate Guide to National Parks Nature Study for Your Homeschool

      Ready to enjoy a trip to a national park? Use this guide to national parks nature study for your homeschool and enjoy nature study learning while you explore the great outdoors!

      Ready to enjoy a trip to a national park? Use this guide to national parks nature study for your homeschool and enjoy nature study learning while you explore the great outdoors!
      Yellowstone National Park – Yellowstone Falls – Hodges, August 2020

      What a treasure! Barbara McCoy and her family travel so many of America’s national parks, monuments and state parks. Here, I have gathered all that she has shared over the years and have added in a few of my family’s travels too. While many of Barb’s photos did not transfer over and are not included in these posts, her words and tips are so very valuable!

      Barb and I got to take a trip to Florida together a few years ago – and we spent time studying nature. We even got to see an alligator. I shared about the memories we made together in my Florida Nature Studies.

      Enjoy this Guide to National Parks Nature Study for Your Homeschool. We hope it helps you make glorious memories with your family!

      Your Guide to National Parks Nature Study for Your Homeschool

      Ready to enjoy a trip to a national park? Use this guide to national parks nature study for your homeschool and enjoy nature study learning while you explore the great outdoors!
      Grand Canyon National Park – south rim – Hodges, August 2020.
      Muir Woods
      Ready to enjoy a trip to a national park? Use this guide to national parks nature study for your homeschool and enjoy nature study learning while you explore the great outdoors!
      Yellowstone National Park – Grand Prismatic – Hodges 2020.

      Trekking American Landmarks with chalk pastels.
      I Drew It Then I Knew It American Landmarks

      Hands On Learning – American Landmarks Art Lessons

      Do you dream of trekking America’s landmarks and national parks with your kids? With our sister website, You ARE an ARTiST, you can let Nana take you and your children on a trip around our great United States without leaving the comforts of your home. Trekking American landmarks with chalk pastels are as easy as walking to your kitchen table and setting out your chalk pastels with a pack of construction paper. Nana will do the rest.

      No hiking shoes or sore feet required! Browse I Drew It Then I Knew It American Landmarks

      Want even more ideas? Enjoy 99 Nature Study Ideas to Get Your Family Outdoors and Study Nature As You Travel This Summer.

      Ready to enjoy a trip to a national park? Use this guide to national parks nature study for your homeschool and enjoy nature study learning while you explore the great outdoors!

      More Resources For Homeschool Nature Study

      For even more homeschool nature study ideas, join us in Homeschool Nature Study membership! You’ll receive new ideas each and every week that require little or no prep – all bringing the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool!

      Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership HERE

      Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get Outdoors!