Category: Family Outdoor Life

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Fall Leaf Activities For Kids: Nature Study For Learning And Fun

These fall leaf activities for kids are a perfect way to study nature throughout the season. Easy to implement and enjoyable for the entire family, this study has options for all ages.

“Make the lesson an investigation and make the pupils feel that they are investigators…The ‘leading thought’ embodies some of the points which should be in the teacher’s mind while giving the lesson; it should not be read or declared to the pupils…The outlines for observations herein given by no means cover all of the observations possible; they are meant to suggest to the teacher observations of her own, rather than to be followed slavishly…If the questions do not inspire the child to investigate, they are useless.”

Handbook of Nature Study, page 23

photo by Amy Law


Fall Leaf Study – Close Up Investigation

Inside Nature Study Preparation Work:

Leaf Study Outdoor Hour Time:

  • Spend your Outdoor Hour time in your own backyard or neighborhood.
  • Look at the various kinds of leaves and have your child point out several that capture their interest.
  • Choose four or five leaves to collect and bring home to look at with the magnifying lens.

Follow-Up Activity for Fall Nature Study:

  • Use the hand lens to make careful observations of your leaves. One at a time have your child describe what he sees as he looks at the leaf carefully. Record your results in your nature journal (or use the notebook page in the ebook).

Advanced and High School Leaf Studies

  • Advanced Follow-Up: Use this LINK and scroll down to the section, “Taking a Closer Look At Plant Cells”. Make your own leaf slides to look at under your microscope. Members – Use the Leaf Morphology page and the notebook page to complete your study.
  • Advanced Follow-Up: Read this article on Wikipedia: Leaf. Read this page that illustrates Leaf Margins and Shapes (love this page with the clear images).

Activities for Pressing Leaves and Leaf Nature Study

Press your leaves to add to your nature journal at a future date. You can watch my YouTube video to learn how to do this with simple household items.

Creating Leaf Prints Nature Activity

How to Make Leaf Rubbings

The Ultimate Guide to Fall Leaf Activities for Your Homeschool

Make beautiful Leaf Prints with Victoria in Homeschool Nature Study Nature Crafts course!

An Example of a Family Fall Leaf Study for All Ages

Tricia’s shares their family-style fall leaf study up close investigation!

Our leaf studies started when the first leaves started to change. We enjoyed the fall colors with a local trip to Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park. We’ve awed each week at the maple at church, watching it turn every beautiful shade from green to yellow to red.

A family-style up close study of fall leaves on homeschool field trips!

One Saturday, we traveled to the next state over to the highest point. We walked and we slowed to soak in the colors.

And earlier this week, we drove about 20 minutes down the road, where we climbed rocks as big as boats under a canopy of colors.

While we’ve been oohing and aahing this whole month at leaves, we didn’t stop to marvel closely at design until we took the Up-Close Leaf Study Challenge with The Handbook of Nature Study Outdoor Hour Challenges.

And while gorgeous leaves had gathered on the kitchen table now and then in an arrangement, Friday morning Middle Girl and I went out early for the very purpose of gathering a variety. Maple, poplar, river birch, oak leaf hydrangea, mimosa.

And while we were out, she spotted our spider.

It had just started to make a new web, using part of the pink string someone had tied.

With our notebook pages at the ready, we hit a problem. Where is the magnifying glass? We couldn’t even find the little plastic one kept in the outside playhouse. *Sigh* “I know!” Middle Girl said, “There’s an app for your iPhone. And I think it’s free.” After a quick search, we downloaded Magnifying Glass with Light and we were in business!

Looking first at a larva on the mimosa leaves…

…Then each choosing a leaf to study up close.

Matching the margins. I heard, “what is venation?” So we looked closely at the veins in each leaf, comparing.

The two youngest girls sketched their leaves up close. Love this notebook page!

Eldest boy compared four different leaves, referencing the shape & arrangement, margins and venation page. That’s when he said, while sketching each leaf…

“That’s the most fun leaf study I’ve ever done.” ~ 12-year-old

Middle Girl discovered you can turn the ‘lens’ around and look at yourself up close!

Technology and nature study.

For the record, we did find our little, plastic magnifying lens (after our study).

As a bonus, we copied some of our favorite leaf colors for our nature journals.

There are many fun art and nature journal ideas for trees and leaves listed below as well!

So many things we discovered by taking the time to look up close! Thanks to an October of beautiful fall colors and Handbook of Nature Study.

Leaf Resources for Homeschool Nature Study Members

Members have all of these leaf studies to enjoy!

  • Outline the Shape + Leaf Coloring Page
  • Leaf Masks Nature Craft Activity
  • Learning Leaf Parts
  • Fall Leaf Study Grid
  • Under the Fallen Leaves Autumn Fun
  • Fall Color Walk with Printable Color Cards
  • Learning About Leaves Outdoor Hour Challenge
  • Seasonal Tree Autumn Comparisons
  • Outdoor Mom – September and October

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 Homeschool Nature Study Membership!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

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An Easy Kids’ Guide To Planting Bulbs in the Fall

You have heirloom bulbs given to you or your bulbs just arrived in the mail? Here is the best guide to planting bulbs in the fall.

Here is the best kids' guide to planting bulbs in the fall for your heirloom bulbs given to you or your bulbs that just arrived in the mail!

Planting Bulbs: A Favorite Fall Homeschool Activity

You will want to know when to plant, how to plant but also you will need to research your hardiness zone.

When and How to Plant Bulbs

The National Gardening Association has some simple steps to follow.

Here is how to find your hardiness zone for the best time for planting in the area you live.

“The best time to plant spring-flowering bulbs depends on where you live. Ideally, wait until the soil temperature is below 60°F. As a general guide, plant in September through early October if you live in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 or 5; October to early November in zones 6 or 7; and November to early December in zones 8 and 9. Plant bulbs that have been refrigerated for 8 to 10 weeks in late December to early January in zone 10.”

Planting Bulbs in Your Yard with Children

Our Outdoor Hour Challenge founder, Barb McCoy, shared her experience with planting bulbs in the fall:

I ordered the bulbs online and they held my order until it was time to plant them in the ground. I decided I needed to just do it before I forgot about the bulbs and they sat in the box all winter. (Not like I have ever done that before.)


The instructions that came with the bulbs said that the soil needs to have good drainage and our natural garden soil is a little on the clay-like side so we added some soil enhancer to increase the texture of the soil.

  • The instructions also said to add a little bulb booster product and I found this sack at Home Depot for a few dollars. I read the back and added the prescribed amount into each hole I dug.
  • You can see, in the photo above, my holes for the allium gladiator bulbs that I purchased. I am so excited about planting these guys and I look forward to seeing them bloom sometime next year.
  • The photo collage also shows my tulip bulbs going in. They will be in the front of the garden box that the allium is in and they will bloom at different times. I purchased purple tulips for the first time. I also planted dutch iris and double daffodils for a total of forty-one new bulbs.

It took me the better part of an afternoon but now I can sit back and wait for spring and some new color in my garden.

Don’t miss your best opportunity for a spring bloom. It will be a delight to see all that spring bulb color after a long winter.

Planting bulbs are a favorite fall homeschool activity! Here is the best guide to planting bulbs in the fall for your heirloom bulbs given to you or your bulbs that just arrived in the mail!

More Homeschool Garden Activities in Homeschool Nature Study Membership

These homeschool garden activities are perfect for your nature studies. Includes outdoor activities and gardening tips for kids. Enjoy all of these and more in homeschool nature study membership:

  • Garden Outdoor Hour Challenge Curriculum
  • Herbs Outdoor Hour Challenge Curriculum (annual members)
  • Flower and Gardening Activities and Notebook Pages
  • Learning leaf parts
  • Poppies and buttercups
  • Ferns
  • Looking for pollen
  • Pressing flowers
  • How to draw flowers
  • Learning flower parts and dissection of flowers
  • The garden snail
  • Garden Seed Ideas

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 Homeschool Nature Study Membership!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

By Barb McCoy, founder of the Outdoor Hour Challenges with The Handbook of Nature Study. Updated and new resources added by Tricia.

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The Ultimate List of Preschool Nature Study Books

While nothing beats experiencing nature first-hand, preschool nature study books are a vital component of our preschool nature studies. We have used both fiction and non-fiction books to introduce a topic, supplement a topic and study a topic in-depth.

Sometimes the books we read have been intentionally picked for nature study, and other times while reading, we come across a nature topic we’d like to learn more about.

Preschool Nature Study Books

Here are some suggestions for enjoying preschool nature study books in your homeschool.

Introduce a Nature Study Topic:


Recently we read the book Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert. It is a cute toddler and preschool counting book that read for fun. It also got my young girls wondering about different types of fish. After reading the book they wanted to see real fish. The only local place that I could think of that had many different types of fish on display was our local pet store (nature study doesn’t always have to happen outdoors!) We observed the fish and ended up purchasing a small tank and 2 guppies so we could continue our observations at home.

Sometimes a book that wasn’t intentionally picked for nature study can be used as a springboard for further nature studies. Of course you can also pick a quality picture book to intentionally introduce a topic.

Supplement a Topic with Nature Activities:


Once we had our tank set up, we printed out our fish nature journal and watched our new pets. To help supplement our observations, I picked up a few non-fiction picture books about fish. Our favorite book was What’s It Like to Be Fish? by Wendy Pfeffer. It was the perfect amount of information for young children. Explore even more Fun Fish Activities for Preschoolers!

How To Study a Nature Topic with Preschoolers:


When we want to go more in-depth, we usually turn to field guides and The Handbook of Nature Study for more information. In order to help my children delve deeper, I will gather various resources and set up a book basket on that topic. This basket is accessible at all times to encourage independent learning and exploration. I might also put in items relating to the study and tools to help them observe on their own (such as binoculars and magnifying glasses.)

A List of Preschool-Age Picture Books To Introduce and Supplement Seasonal Nature Studies:

Preschool Nature Study Books For Any Time of Year:

Summer Preschool Nature Books:

Preschool Nature Study Books for Fall

More: Fall Nature Study Ideas for Preschoolers

Winter Preschool Nature Study

spring preschool nature study books

Spring Preschool Nature Books

MORE: Spring Nature Study: Activities, Books and More For Your Homeschool

More Preschool Nature Study Activities

Enjoy these fun ideas for learning!

Even MORE Favorite Nature Books for Your Homeschool Nature Studies

Toddler and Preschool Nature Study Printables

Do you like the idea of involving young children in nature study but not sure how to start? Do you need a little help being intentional with your nature studies? Nature Study Printables is full of printable tools for you to use to get young children observing and talking about nature!

Preschool Nature Study with Homeschool Nature Study Membership!

Enjoy ALL of our preschool nature studies plus access to the Outdoor Hour Challenges curriculum for the whole family in Homeschool Nature Study Membership. Find out more about our Delightful Preschool Nature Study Plans for Your Homeschool.

Explore Homeschool Nature Study Membership Now!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

By Maureen Spell, a long-time contributor to the Outdoor Hour Challenges. Maureen helps Christian mompreneurs operate their business from a place of joy, purpose, and excellence because they are clear on how their business is serving their family and others. As a homeschool mom, she believes success at home AND business without the mom-guilt, stress and burn-out is possible! Outside of work, she loves having good conversations over a hot chai or GT Gingerberry kombucha and spending time with her husband and seven children. Visit her at MaureenSpell.com

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Rooted in Wonder: A Nature Study Resource Review

Have you seen this book yet? If not, you probably should. For all nature-loving families and families who are interested in starting nature study, this is a must-read. Eryn has taken love of God, His creation, and nature study and blended them together in a way that is truly beautiful. And, speaking of beautiful, the inside and outside of this book are designed so beautifully! It is a treat for the eyes, as well as the mind.

Rooted In Wonder takes a beautiful approach to family nature study. This review includes an overview of included resources and tips.

Rooted In Wonder: An Overview

She starts out by reminding us that ultimately, nature should be drawing us to God, and that nature is a tool to help us know God. “Every time we read our children Scripture or take them outside and point them to their Creator matters. God sees a your labors, and he will not let them go to waste! ” p. 43 Time in nature is so powerful! It can only draw us to Him.

She takes us through a Biblical view of climate change, cultivating curiosity, a Biblical view of conservation, how seeing natures laws helps our children see truth, letting nature refresh our minds, screen time vs. nature, how spending time in nature helps “slow down time,” and much more.

Rooted In Wonder takes a beautiful approach to family nature study. This review includes an overview of included resources and tips.

Resources For Nature Study: Rooted In Wonder

I also loved how she gave practical and fun ideas to implement. She has ideas for Family Hibernation, and how to bring nature inside our homes! Since nature is so healing to our bodies and souls, why wouldn’t we bring in things like plants and fish ? At the end of each chapter she has ways to implement what has been talked about in that chapter. These ways are fun and practical.

Most of all, what I loved about this book, was the way she continually pointed us back to our Creator. Even the very rocks cry out. . .and she makes that so obvious through her words in these pages. One idea that I have been pondering was how much time Jesus spent outside while He was here on this earth. He was often meeting outside, sleeping outside, teaching outside, going to an outdoor place away to pray. . .

Family Nature Study: The Beauty Of Creation

In our culture, it is so easy to stay home and be entertained, but what if we show and share a different mindset to those around us? What if, through our love of nature, we can have more opportunities to point people to their Creator?

Through every hour we spend outside, we are giving our children and ourselves a gift. . .may we bring glory to His name and know Him better because we have done so.

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership!

Rooted In Wonder takes a beautiful approach to family nature study. This review includes an overview of included resources and tips.

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.

Amy Law is wife to Jeremy, and mom to three. They homeschool using Charlotte Mason’s principles, and love to spend lots of time in nature! You can often find them hiking the beautiful trails of their beloved Tennessee hills, while Amy attempts to capture the beauty of it all with her camera lens.

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Seashore Activities And Worksheets For Kids

A trip to the beach can be a fun family time experience. When you add a few purposeful seashore observations, the trip can transform into beautiful long lasting memories. One summer we headed to the beach in Naples Florida. It wasn’t long snorkeling before many starfish suddenly started to make themselves known to us. A few of these creatures even swimming right into my husband’s gloved-hand. The boys were absolutely thrilled and it’s a memory they still bring up almost 10 years later.

That evening we discovered there are over 2,000 different species of starfish! All because we were on the look to discover something unique and different. I’m not against building sand castles and even taking a nap in the shade. I am pro-nap! But when we went on these excursions with purpose, eyes open, ready to observe the world around us – it made such a difference!

seashore field trip

Seashore Observations for Nature Study Activities

Here are a few helpful tips to turn a beach trip into a Nature Study.

  1. Go with an intention. Are you looking for shells? Animals? Crab hunting? Trash pick up? Have a purpose, but also be flexible. There were days when the boys only wanted to find a sand dollar. That’s a big ask on the east coast of Florida. Maybe instead of a specific shell, decide on a size or color. Maybe something living inside the shells.
  2. Set Perimeters. The beach is a big place. Square off an area to observe. You can even assign each student a square area (usually drawn by my big toe), to dig, notice, and report any findings.
  3. Use Back Up Help (curriculum!). It’s always helpful to have some back-up help with curriculum, field guides, books, etc. When we were using Apologia’s Swimming Creatures – there was always a purpose to go to the seashore.
  4. Observe with Eyes Only. As pretty as some things are at the seashore, not everything should be touched. We learned this the hard way one trip when my youngest decided to step on a “squishy” jellyfish. As for that old myth, it’s a myth. Only rubbing alcohol got the sting out of those poor piggies.
  5. Visit the Aquarium. Your local Aquarium offers vast amounts of seashore information! From plants, bugs, and animals you might not even notice at first glance. It’s great to see them at the aquarium and then be on the hunt for them in the wild!
  6. Visit Different Seashores! We lived in Florida for 30 years, the east coast is much different than the west coast. I can also say upon our travels: Florida beaches are different from Cape Cod beaches. Florida beaches are much different from Costa Rica beaches. And Florida beaches definitely do not offer the monkey business like a Thailand beach!

Please pick up your trash – whichever beach you visit! The monkeys in Phuket are now becoming aggressive. We watched a group steal a woman’s bag off her back and rip open a can of Pringles.

Nature Study Member Worksheets: Ocean Study

We love to offer helpful free downloads to add to your nature studies. Here are a few new resources for your Seashore and Ocean Study.

Members can head over to their dashboard to print the SeaShells Coloring Page, Ocean Animals Matching Page, and older students can use the Ocean FoodChain Worksheet.

Ocean and Shell Nature Craft Activities

We are loving this cute Ocean Nature Craft. A great craft when learning about the Ocean Biome.

Ocean Biome Nature Craft

Seashell Nature Craft

Hot, summer weather means the bugs are all out busy pollinating, so let’s create some seashell watering stands to help cool them down. This craft only needs a few supplies and a little supervision for the little ones but overall it is an unbelievably simple craft to make. So head down to the beach and hunt for mussels and other pretty shells and let’s get crafting!

Perfect to go with the Seashells Coloring Page! Members, log in and head to your Nature Crafts course!

Create some seashell nature crafts with watering stands! This craft only needs a few supplies and a little supervision for the little ones but overall it is an unbelievably simple craft to make. So head down to the beach and hunt for mussels and other pretty shells and let’s get crafting!

Homeschool Nature Study Membership

It’s a great time to join Homeschool Nature Study! We offer a multitude of science activities, hands-on learning ideas, seasonal nature studies, crafts, free resources for all ages – join the #outdoorhourchallenge community and enhance your homeschool science lessons!

Stef Layton Bio

Stef started homeschooling her boys in 2008. She quickly adopted a hands-on learning homeschool style and graduated her oldest tactile learner in 2021. Stef started the Hands-On Learning column in Homeschooling Today magazine. The Laytons currently reside in the foothills of Colorado where Stef also teaches yoga. The family loves to hike trails, stand-up paddle board, and chase sunsets. Stef shares travel and homeschool tips on IG at @LaytonAdventures.

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Fun Owl Nature Study Ideas

These fun owl nature study ideas include live owl cams, owl pellet dissection, bird field guides and more to help you learn more about these fascinating and beautiful birds!

Who Cooks For You? A favorite unit study for my boys, Owls! I believe it was the fun of getting to stay up late to listen for owls and call out into the backyard, Who Cooks For You, the Barred Owl “hoot”. I’ve compiled a few Fun Owl Nature Study Ideas if you do not have owls in your neck of the woods.

Fun Owl Nature Study Ideas

These fun owl nature study ideas include live owl cams, owl pellet dissection, bird field guides and more to help you learn more about these fascinating and beautiful birds!

Owl Live Cams

For many of us, we rarely have the opportunity to watch owls. Primarily because owls are nocturnal. So I greatly appreciate Owl Live Cams, hosted by the Owl Research Institute. These cams offer many different species of owls to watch from the comfort of your home. They offer at least 5 live cams, some areas are not active year round.

Owl Pellet Dissection

We have dissected owl pellets more times than I’d like to remember the smell of them. But this is such a fun science experiment. We have done this as a group project through our science co-op, a field trip activity at our local Nature Center, and an at-home purchase. Using the Scientific Method you can guess what you will find in each pellet and then carefully pull them apart discovering bones and fur. Don’t forget to discuss new words with younger students like: carnivore, digestion and regurgitation, etc.

Fun owl nature study ideas include live owl cams, owl pellet dissection, field guides and more for learning about these fascinating and beautiful birds!
Fun owl nature study ideas include live owl cams, owl pellet dissection, field guides and more for learning about these fascinating and beautiful birds!

Homeschool Nature Study Members can print both Herbivore or Carnivore Worksheet for younger students and the Owl Pellet Dissection worksheet (following the Scientific Method) for older students.

Bird Field Guides for Owl Nature Study

Did you know, there are about 250 owl species? We enjoyed taking a day to flip through owl books and Birds of Prey Field Guides. You can take a moment to read our Top Picks for Field Guides. Field Guides are usually available at your library if you’re not ready to invest in one just yet.

These fun owl nature study ideas include live owl cams, owl pellet dissection, bird field guides and more to help you learn more about these fascinating and beautiful birds!

Watch Famous Owls

Hedwig, Errol, Pidgwidgeon … my boys were Harry Potter fans and this series loved to show off many different types of owls. We would pause the screen and then try to identify which type of owl we were seeing. The Owl Research Institute offers a page on their website for Owl Identification. This was quite fun, however not something I would recommend during a busy homeschool day! If you’re not a Harry Potter fan, kid-friendly owl movies: Legend of the Guardians, The Owls of Ga’Hoole, Winnie the Pooh, Sword in the Stone, Sleeping Beauty, etc.

Owl Art

What fun to paint a Little Owl In A Tree, with Nana? These owl masterpieces make for such fun decorations, especially around Halloween. If your children do not like to start from scratch – you can print the bird themed scripture verses – and color in the owl coloring page from Your Best Homeschool. Chat about wisdom.

Did you know owls and wisdom go back to Greek Mythology? Athena, the goddess of wisdom, was often represented with an owl.

Other Bird Nature Study Ideas

We have enjoyed studying birds throughout the seasons thanks to Homeschool Nature Study! Here are a few more posts about different types of birds and great resources to use in your homeschool.

Homeschool Nature Study Membership

It’s a great time to join Homeschool Nature Study! We offer a multitude of science activities, hands-on learning ideas, seasonal nature studies, crafts, free resources for all ages – join the #outdoorhourchallenge community and enhance your homeschool science lessons!

Stef Layton Bio

Stef started homeschooling her boys in 2008. She quickly adopted a hands-on learning homeschool style and graduated her oldest tactile learner in 2021. Stef started the Hands-On Learning column in Homeschooling Today magazine. The Laytons currently reside in the foothills of Colorado where Stef also teaches yoga. The family loves to hike trails, stand-up paddle board, and chase sunsets. Stef shares travel and homeschool tips on IG at @LaytonAdventures.

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Rocks and Minerals Unit Study Ideas

My boys love to skip rocks. No matter if we’re by a lake, stream, or river – some stone is getting tossed into the water. It’s a contagious activity really. Who can make the most bounces. It truly comes down to finding the perfect rock. Our last day in the Grand Tetons, skipping rocks, one child decided to fill up his pockets with treasures rather than toss them away. The tactile child immediately noticed the rocks were much different than the rocks in Florida. I knew as soon as we arrived back home we’d be starting a Rocks and Minerals Unit Study.

Use these fun ideas to create your next Rocks and Minerals mini unit study. Plus three free downloads for Members.

Rocks and Minerals Study For Homeschool Science

Regardless of topic, always hit up your local library when creating a unit study! The library is a homeschool mom’s best friend (before we count up the late fines). Each child is assigned a job of finding one book to contribute to the current unit study topic. My boys are highly competitive so we always end up with more than one book each. We gathered many books, everyone carrying an arm load of information. Be sure to find more than one rock, mineral, gemstone, etc. identification guide and maybe a biography on a famous geologist, James Hutton is the “Father of Modern Geology”.

Start a Rock Collection

You can take a Nature Walk and find rocks in your backyard, but I decided to buy a rock set online. Veteran Homeschool Mom Tip: ask your homeschool friends if they have a rock collection or gem set. Once our set arrived I shared with a friend I purchased a box and of course she had three different sets on a shelf somewhere in her homeschool room. Don’t forget to ask your crystal loving friends too! I’m sure they have some quartz, tiger’s eye, and amethyst ready to be examined.

Use these fun ideas to create your next Rocks and Minerals mini unit study. Plus three free downloads for Members.

We were very pleased with the variety in our set and spent several days sorting them and trying to identify them. Some sets include a color sheet with names. I created my own sheets for identification and quizzes. Little learners can start by sorting rocks by color, shape, and size.

Free Rock Worksheets

Homeschool Nature Study Members can print My Rock Journal and Rock Types we created just for you. For older students who may have already studied rocks, print the Earth’s Layers Worksheet. You can download all these from your dashboard in your Rocks Course.

Use these fun ideas to create your next Rocks and Minerals mini unit study. Plus three free downloads for Members.

Rock Field Trip

After you’ve hit the library and loaded up on your own collection of rocks, be sure to plan a Rock Field Trip! We were visiting Minnesota and noticed a few great waterfalls to hike around. Read: Waterfalls & Creeks before you go. The family wanted to head north on a pretty drive up to Canada. We found an Amethyst Mine where we were able to hammer, chisel, and keep our own bucket of amethyst! Years later when we moved to Colorado we toured an active gold mine in the Rockies. It was such a great experience wearing hard hats and working the mine. You can find these interesting places with just a quick search online.

Keep an eye out on your next vacation. Veteran Homeschool Mom Tip: vacation is never truly just a vacation. We’re always learning! Check out the local things you can do for homeschool interests and build on what you learned at home. When we visited DC we spent days hitting the Smithsonian.

If you cannot visit a real or active mine – visit the museum! Geology became really exciting for us once we moved from sea level Florida to mile high Colorado.

Science Centers, Natural Museums, and Learning Centers are full of these wonderful stones. Google “rock exhibits near me“. You will be surprised how many traveling exhibits bring in such interesting gems.

We are incredibly lucky to be near the Denver Science & Nature Museum. They have a huge permanent display of rocks and gems. Plus the History Colorado Center, a museum in downtown Denver, shares the History of mining and tools (who doesn’t love learning about “The Widow Maker”), and offers fun hands-on explosive exhibits.

Rock Art

We believe all lessons should have some type of art component. We wrapped up our rock unit study by painting rocks and leaving them on trails for others to find. You might not be able to mine amethyst, but you can paint a rock purple! Or even yellow with a giant smile. Leave a rainbow behind for a special keepsake. We’ve noticed in our travels some small towns hide rocks along their main street shopping area. We really enjoyed swapping rocks in Winter Garden, Florida.

rock art

We hope you create a fun time learning with your students with these rocks and minerals unit study ideas. Are you a Homeschool Nature Study Member? If not join the community for tips, ideas, unit studies, and #outdoorhourchallenges.

Stef Layton Bio

Stef started homeschooling her boys in 2008. She quickly adopted a hands-on learning homeschool style and graduated her oldest tactile learner in 2021. Stef started the Hands-On Learning column in Homeschooling Today magazine. The Laytons currently reside in the foothills of Colorado where Stef also teaches yoga. The family loves to hike trails, stand-up paddle board, and chase sunsets. Stef shares travel and homeschool tips on IG at @LaytonAdventures.

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A Homeschool Mom’s Best Tips for Organizing Your Nature Library

Using good nature study reference books and literature will be a huge help in nudging along the seeds of a love nature in your child. To help you find what you need when you need it, these are our best tips for organizing your nature library. As the seasons and years pass, they will dig deep into your nature library and become familiar with so many things.

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”

― Rachel Carson, Silent Spring

Creating a love of beauty in nature is something that develops over time with encouragement and nurturing. Each of us has a way of looking at things and learning to see an object in nature through someone else’s eyes will expand your own vision.

To help you find what you need when you need it, these are our best tips for organizing your nature library.

Photo by Amy Law

Tips for Organizing Your Nature Library

As you add to your library, you may wish to incorporate some of these ideas that have stood the test of time in my own nature library. I have more nature books than the average person, first because I love them all and second because I support my nature challenges with great information found in books.

Divide Nature Books into Categories on the Shelves and Then Try to Group Books by Topic

Field Guides

I love having a variety of guides all lined up on one shelf…or now it is actually two shelves.

Reference Books

These are books that are a little more scholarly and provide meaty information about a topic for nature journal pages. I have my Handbook of Nature Study on this shelf because it is a ‘go to” book for me.

To help you find what you need when you need it, these are our best tips for organizing your nature library.

Children’s Literature

I am a big collector of nature-related children’s literature. I try to group the literature by topic: garden, insects, ocean, etc.

Travel Guides and Hiking Books

These are used over and over as we explore different areas of the world both near by and far from home.

Coloring Books

I have quite a collection of coloring books that my children have used over the years and I still use as a basis for drawing in my own nature journal.

Series of Books

When there is a series of books from an author, I group them together so I can find them easily. Books in this category include the One Small Square series, the Discover Nature series, and the Golden Guides.

To help you find what you need when you need it, these are our best tips for organizing your nature library.

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

For even more homeschool nature study ideas for all seasons, 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!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

by Barb McCoy, founder of the Outdoor Hour Challenges.

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Summer Insect Nature Study

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

Insect Nature study

Homeschool Nature Study: New Member Resources

Homeschool Nature Study Members can print a few new resources added to your dashboard to go along with your insect studies! Print: My Spider Journal, Bug Scavenger Hunt, and My Bee Journal – these are perfect for younger learners.

Insect Observation Tips

It’s fun to observe the 6 & 8 legged creatures, but can feel scary for children. When studying insects be careful ! A few helpful tips:

  • Wear garden gloves.
  • Do not touch stinging or biting insects.
  • Use a net or container to observe insects and be sure to release them.
  • Turn on a light at night and observe the bugs that stop by.
  • Never catch a butterfly in a jar – they can damage their wings.
  • Find fireflies in meadows, yards, edges of forests, and around streams.
  • Ladybugs like forests, gardens, and weed patches.
  • Bees dislike the smell of peppermint and eucalyptus.
  • Always bring a sketch pad and draw what you find!

More Bug Activities And Resources

We have shared the buzz of these great resources! Be sure to read these posts for more ideas!

Become a Member!

Not yet a Member?! Spring has sprung and it’s the perfect time to incorporate Nature Study into your homeschool. We offer many tips, ideas, nature studies, worksheets & helpful downloads, plus encouragement along the way! Homeschool Nature Study is perfect for preschoolers, elementary, middle schoolers, and high schoolers! Yes – we believe Homeschool Nature Study works for ALL AGES. Join the community!

Stef started homeschooling her boys in 2008. She quickly adopted a hands-on learning homeschool style and graduated her oldest tactile learner in 2021. Stef started the Hands-On Learning column in Homeschooling Today magazine. The Laytons currently reside in the foothills of Colorado where Stef also teaches yoga. The family loves to hike trails, stand-up paddle board, and chase sunsets. Stef shares travel and homeschool tips on IG at @LaytonAdventures.

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Top Picks for Field Guides for Homeschool Nature Study

Building a library of field guides for your reference shelves is something that you can do as you work through the Outdoor Hour Challenges or as part of creating a homeschool library. These are our carefully selected, top picks for field guides for homeschool nature study.

You don’t need to in-vest a lot of money all at one time but choose a topic of interest and search out a good field guide as you can afford it. It is an investment in your family’s growing interest in nature study that will enrich your life for many years to come.

These are our carefully selected, top picks for field guides for homeschool nature study. Includes options for all ages.

What is a Nature Study Field Guide?


First of all, what is a field guide? A field guide is a book that helps you identify wildlife like plants and animals or other objects you find in nature like rocks or weather phenomenon. It is usually created to cover a specific region or area of the world. The guide usually has photos or illustrations of the object along with descriptions of the subject that help the reader identify it. Field guides are usually arranged to group subjects by color, shape, or habitat. Each guide will have introductory pages to explain how that particular field guide is organized.

Find out more about The Handbook of Nature Study book!

Three Field Guides To Use Alongside The Handbook of Nature Study


Our collection of field guides has grown year by year. I will share three choices that there are for field guides to use alongside the Handbook of Nature Study: Audubon Society Field Guides, Peterson Field Guides, and Golden Guides.

Audubon Society Field Guides

  • Actual photographs-glossy and in color
  • Separate section with thorough descriptions for identification
  • Vinyl cover for more durable wear or carrying in your day pack
  • Some topics available in Western or Eastern North American editions
  • My favorite: Birds

Peterson Field Guides

Read my full review of the Peterson Field Guides at The Curriculum Choice! Peterson Field Guides for Young Naturalists

  • Illustrations of typical specimens
  • Field marks for birds
  • Leaves, nuts, cones, needles shown for identification in the tree guide
  • My favorite: Trees

Golden Guides

  • Compact size and interesting to look at
  • Illustrations in color
  • More than a field guide with help in getting the most out of each study
  • My favorite: Pond Life

More Nature Themed Books to Enjoy

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.

A Nature Themed Book List for Easy Summer Learning – Over the years, our family has built a nature themed library of our favorite and most useful resources. There are picture books featuring the natural world, fiction with a nature theme, and non-fiction reference and activity filled books. Even now with my children all grown and on their own, I use this nature library for my own benefit and enjoyment.

Using the Public Library to Enhance Your Nature Study – You don’t need to spend lots of money building a library of nature literature. Using the public library as a source of books is easy and fun.

Favorite Nature Books for Your Homeschool Nature Studies at The Curriculum Choice – This collection of nature books I’m sharing with you not only includes many of our favorites, but many favorites of the Curriculum Choice Authors.

Homeschool Nature Study members have access to two resources to complement your nature book fun! Members enjoy a Nature Book Report Printable which is a wonderful follow up to your reading. There is also a Nature Book Project list to help you purposefully add nature books to your homeschool learning.

Living Science Beyond the Books – Every parent hopes their child receives a solid science education. This is the case whether our children are homeschooled or attending a traditional school. Many parents, including myself, know we received very little “real” science education growing up and when it comes time to teaching or supporting science learning in our children, we tend to feel slightly inadequate. This doesn’t need to be the case!

Planting a Rainbow Book Activities – After many, many days of grey, dreary weather–we needed a change! So for this week I checked out Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert.

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.

These are our carefully selected, top picks for field guides for homeschool nature study. Includes options for all ages.

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

For even more homeschool nature study ideas for all seasons, 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!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

by Barb McCoy, founder of the Outdoor Hour Challenges.