In my eyes, my autumn weed bouquet is as pretty as any flower shop bunch of roses. Invite your children to gather some of your autumn weeds to be indoors as part of your nature display.
Sitting on my desk is a small vase of flowers I collected a few weeks ago. Although they’re all dried up now, they are a fond reminder of an afternoon spent walking and collecting a few blooming things with my daughter.
This inspires me to share an idea with you readers. Why not go out on a crisp autumn day and collect a few flowers, weeds, and grasses from your neighborhood to enjoy in a vase?
A Beautiful Fall Homeschool Activity
My husband and I debate about the definition of a weed, an on-going discussion in our family. I say a weed is something growing where you don’t want it to grow, like in a flower or vegetable garden or in the middle of your manicured lawn. But, if the plant is growing, like most of those in our yard, in a natural landscape, I try to leave it as part of the habitat.
How To Make a Weed Bouquet
Take the opportunity to cut some of the fall weeds for a bouquet to have indoors. You and your children can create a bouquet that makes you happy. Once again, it is a matter of perspective in determining whether a plant is a weed or something amazing to look at as part of your fall homeschool nature studies in a vase.
Please feel free to use this idea as an alternate study to any of the autumn wildflower studies.
Autumn is finally upon us with all its rust, orange and golden glory, so it’s the best time to make these pumpkin pixie houses. With yellowing leaves, ripening apples and pumpkins galore, what better way to celebrate the new season than with an adorable new nature craft. Enjoy this fabulous new craft for our members – led by Victoria Vels! Join Homeschool Nature Study membership today!
Homeschool Nature Study Membership
Join us for even more homeschool nature studies for all the seasons! With a nature study each week, you will have joyful learning leading all the way through the homeschool year for all your ages!
Not yet a Homeschool Nature Study Member? We’d love for you to join us and take advantage of the numerous studies – already planned out for you, craft ideas, free worksheets, and #outdoorhourchallenge fun! Become a member and bring the love of learning nature and science easily into your home.
When picking garden flowers, geraniums are the perfect beginner’s garden flower study and the red flowers attract hummingbirds too!
Garden Flowers: Geraniums are the Perfect Beginner’s Flower Study
Up until now, I have not appreciated the geranium. I usually don’t pick geraniums for my garden but after reading that hummingbirds were attracted to red flowers I decided to give them a try. I picked the reddest variety I could find at Home Depot, brought it home, and potted it right under my hummingbird feeder.
When we were deciding on a garden flower to study this month as part of the suggestions in the Outdoor Hour Challenge, I skimmed the list of garden flowers in the Handbook of Nature Study.
One flower we have not observed closely and added to our nature journal is the geranium. I turned over to the pages to read about this common flower and I was dazzled by all that we could learn by taking a few minutes to follow the suggested lesson activities. (Lesson 163 in the Handbook of Nature Study)
1. We observed the leaves, touching them and enjoying the fuzzy texture. Mr. B said that they were thick and stiff and I would agree with that. What a great shape the leaves are and I decided right away that was going to be the focus of my nature journal entry.
2. We looked at the petals as suggested in the lesson, noticing that all the five petals are not the same shape and size. Anna Botsford Comstock says that this flower is the perfect beginners flower since you can observe and name all the parts easily.
“The geranium’s blossom is so simple that it is of special value as a subject for a beginning lesson in teaching the parts of a flower; and its leaves and stems may likewise be used for the first lessons in plant structure.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 585
3. We read about the nectar tube and took a closer look at it after reading how the structure works.
“No other flower shows a prettier plan for guiding insects to the hidden sweets, and in none is there a more obvious and easily seen well of nectar. It extends almost the whole length of the flower stalk…” Handbook of Nature Study page 586
This garden flowers: geraniums lesson was only a few minutes long on a sunny morning out on our back deck but what a lot of information we now have about this common garden plant. I love learning more about my own backyard.
Each person can pick a different design for their nature journal entry. I used the coloring page and the lined page with boxes for sketching and a photo. I was thinking that the coloring page is something you could make yourself using the Fill In The Circle idea.
Geranium Nature Study Outdoor Hour Challenge in Homeschool Nature Study Membership
Homeschool Nature Study Members enjoy an in-depth study of geraniums, including:
Video: Types of Geraniums
Video: How to Grow Geraniums
Handbook of Nature Study references and suggestions
Outdoor Hour Time: Visiting the garden nursery and Garden Nursery Field Trip Mini Book
Spring Walk: Observing a geranium up close or another spring flower
Can you tell I am going for lots of color this year? Can you tell I am going for lots of color this year?
Lantana for the bees and butterflies.
Petunias (Lesson 162 in the Handbook of Nature Study)
Pansies (Lesson 152 in the Handbook of Nature Study)
Gerbera daisies
You can grow a lot of different flowers in pots even if you only have a small space. I encourage you to give it a try and then complete some of the garden flower Outdoor Hour Challenges. Keep your study simple by choosing just a few of the ideas in each lesson, building on what you already know.
I hope you are taking advantage of the warmer, drier weather to get out into your own backyard. I look forward to seeing your nature study adventures!
More Spring Nature Study Activities
Here are some more dandelion resources to enjoy!
Discover a Dandelion Nature Study – Though you may consider the dandelion a weed, there is so much to discover in this dandelion wildflower nature study for your homeschool. This is simple and delightful learning in your own backyard!
Dandelions Outdoor Hour – I’ve always viewed dandelions as either a childhood delight or a nuisance. They tend to spread so quickly in a yard you are trying to keep free of weeds. But their seeds are also so much fun to blow and spread. A joy to watch catch the wind!
How to Draw a Dandelion Art Lesson – One of the icons of warm weather is the dandelion. Have you ever studied the detail of this beautiful creation? Oh there are so many ways you could paint it! This dandelion chalk pastel art tutorial is inspired by a photo I took last spring.
Take Along Nature Guides for Homeschool – I’m always looking for appealing books to help us out in our nature study to help spark my kids’ interest in all things outdoors. When I found my first “Take-Along Guide” at a used book store, I was interested so I purchased it. But it was later when I began really reading it that I became really interested.
Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Year Round Support
Can you believe all of these spring homeschool resources you will find in membership? You will also find a continuing homeschool nature study series plus all the Outdoor Hour Challenges for nature study in our Homeschool Nature Study membership. There are 25+ continuing courses with matching Outdoor Hour curriculum that will bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool! In addition, there is an interactive monthly calendar with daily nature study prompt – all at your fingertips!
Growing plants from seeds is easy! Here are the best tips for starting seeds for a flower garden. If you are new to gardening and need some tips, I will give you some step-by-step instructions.
We use yogurt cups filled with a little potting soil to start our seeds. Follow the directions on the seed packet for seed planting depth, watering, and transplanting.
The Best Tips for Starting Seeds for a Flower Garden
Good first choices for starting seeds are sunflowers, zinnias, marigolds, and petunias. In general you can grow just about anything in a little cup or pot as long as it gets some sun and a little water each day. If it is still cold at night where you live, you may want to sprout your seeds indoors. Our weather has warmed up so we are growing ours on our back deck.
As an experiment you could keep some cups outdoors and some indoors just to see the difference in their growth. (That’s extra credit!)
Outdoor Hour Challenge(OHC): Starting Seeds for a Flower Garden
1. Begin an eight week focus on garden flowers. Follow along with us as we adventure into the garden, whether it is your own flower pot with seeds in it, a square foot garden, a park with some flowers to observe, or anything in between. Read pages 453-456 in the Handbook of Nature Study-How to Begin The Study of Plants and Their Flowers.
“The only right way to begin plant study with young children is through awakening their interest in and love for flowers.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 453
Garden Nursery Field Trip
This would be a great week to take a field trip to a garden nursery to observe the variety of colors and textures in garden flowers that are available in your local area. While you are there, let your child pick out a flower to add to your home garden. You can pick out seeds to grow, a plant already growing in a pot, or both.
Shirley Vels shares, ” I love the idea of starting seeds in egg shells. It’s is a great way to recycle using organic materials. You can plant the entire egg shell once your seeds are strong enough, just crush the shell a little and plant straight into the ground.
Alternatively you can use cardboard egg cartons to start your seeds. Again, because cardboard will eventually degrade, you can just tear off each little segment and plant it straight into the ground. Here is a little video to get you started.”
If you haven’t started a garden yet, pick a flower that you can grow in a container either on your back porch or in a window. (Please note that in week 16 we will all be starting sunflowers and you may wish to pick those seeds up while you are at the nursery.) If you are starting some garden flowers from seed, make sure to water them according to the directions on the package. In general you will want to keep them moist during the germination period (until you see the plant popping out of the ground).
2. Take your 10-15 minute outdoor time to look for some garden flowers in your own area. If you already have some of your own garden flowers blooming, pick one to identify and see if it is listed in the Handbook of Nature Study.
3. Start a new list in your nature journal of garden flowers that you have planted or that you have seen while on your field trip or during your outdoor time. Make sure as you start this study of garden flowers that you turn to the Handbook of Nature Study’s table of contents to the “Garden Flowers” section and mark or highlight those garden flowers listed that you think you will encounter during your nature study time. Each week pick one flower to read about before you have your OHC time and this will help you have some interesting information to share with your children. If you found a new flower during your nature time, be sure to follow up with a reading in the Handbook of Nature Study if it is listed in the book.
4. Give an opportunity for a nature journal entry. Drawing flowers is a very enjoyable experience for most children.
5. If you are going to make field guide cards for your garden flowers, start those this week. Try to make one card per week and at the end of this focus period you will have eight cards completed.
This challenge is part of our Garden course. This course has ten garden related challenges that will walk you through a study of garden flowers using the Handbook of Nature Study. In addition to the challenges already written, there will be more photos, nature journal examples, book lists, and totally new notebook pages designed to go with each of the Garden Flower Challenges.
More Garden Activities for Your Homeschool
Homeschool Garden Activities – These homeschool garden activities are perfect for your May nature studies. Includes outdoor activities and gardening tips for kids.
Gardening in Your Homeschool – As the plant world comes alive again in springtime, what better way to teach our children about nature, food, hands-on history, and practical skills than by gardening? Whether we do a formal study or make gardening a purely hands-on project, our children will learn with a homeschool garden.
Gardening Projects for Kids: Growing Your Own Little Gardener – a book that encourages a gardening way of life..spending lots of time with your children in the outdoors in your backyard working and playing together. I love this message found throughout the book.
Get Them Gardening! Fun Garden Books for Kids – As spring starts to roll in, we turn our thoughts to finally getting outside and enjoying the nice weather. Along with this comes budding trees and growing plants, and gardening both for food and flowers. This collection of garden books for kids will help you include gardening in your homeschool.
12 Delightful Farm Activities for Kids – These 12 delightful farm art activities for kids include fluffy baby chicks, a tractor, a barn, ducklings, a lamb, a cow, a piglet and even the chicken life cycle. Such fun learning for your homeschool!
Our May Homeschool Nature Study membership calendar is FILLED with fun garden activities and MORE!
Garden Activities in Homeschool Nature Study Membership
Enjoy all of these and more in homeschool nature study membership:
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
and MUCH more!
Coronation Crown Nature Craft for Homeschool Nature Study Members
Victoria Vels shares, “May’s nature craft has landed for our lovely members and we’re feeling rather patriotic with these stunning Nature Coronation Crowns.”
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!
Learn why and how some flowers close up at night. Enjoy your own Nyctinasty Nature Study with these ideas.
I love learning about amazing things that happen right under my nose. Many of us have observed the way our dandelions are closed up tight in the morning and then the bloom opens up in the sunshine each day. But, have we taken the time to really understand how that happens and more importantly, why it happens? Enjoy this simple Nyctinasty Nature Study in your backyard!
What is Nyctinasty ?
This unfamiliar word was first introduced in the early 1900’s by German botanist Wilhelm Pfeffer. He was a pioneer of plant physiology and molecular biology. Nyctinasty means: plant movement in response to light intensity; or the closing of flowers at night. Which ultimately can help to protect the pollen from dew.
Some flowers that open and close:
Daisies: White daisies close their petals as evening falls
Tulips: Close up at night
Poppies: Close up at night
Crocuses: Close up at night
Morning glories: Experience nyctinasty
Lotuses: Some water plants that close their flowers at night
Water lilies: Some water plants that close their flowers at night
Oxalises: Experience nyctinasty
Gazanias: Experience nyctinasty
Even the leaves of some plants, like those of certain legumes, open and close. Peas, chickpeas, soybeans, beans, and peanuts, fold up at night.
How does nyctinasty work?
Nyctinasty is controlled by the circadian clock. It’s associated with changes in light and temperature during the day. Plants change pressure in cells at the base of the leaf or petal, which swell or shrink to cause the movement.
Nyctinasty Nature Study: Why Do Flowers Close At Night?
Nyctinasty Nature Study: Find a patch of daisies, dandelions, or poppies near your yard. Observe the flowers at different times of the day. What time of day do they open? What time do they start to close? Homeschool Nature Study Members can print the new Nyctinasty Worksheet and draw their observations. This worksheet is in the Member Database in the Wildflowers course.
Advanced Nyctinasty Nature Study: For an additional experiment, try covering a dandelion with a box to shut out the light. What do you think you will find when you take the box off the next day?
Taking time to notice these changes will help your child make a more intimate connection with the world around them. I guarantee you will look at dandelions differently after observing them up close!
More Flower Activities for Spring
Looking for more flowers to study? Try these other Nature Study Ideas:
You will also find a continuing series on gardens and wildflowers 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!
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.
This book is a fun way to introduce children to gardening. Each page has vibrant illustrations of bulbs and flowers. Children can see how different plants and flowers come in all different colors—-all the colors of the rainbow.
After reading the book, my daughter worked on a color-matching game and did a flower craft.
Planting a Rainbow File-folder Game:
Supplies 1 file folder 1 large piece of black fun foam or construction paper colorful craft sticks glue Directions: 1. Glue the craft sticks onto one half of the file-folder in the order shown in the book: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple.
2. Glue the piece of black fun foam/construction paper over the bottoms of the sticks to represent the soil.
3. Tape a large Ziplock bag on the other half to hold the rest of the popsicle sticks for matching.
4. Have the child place the matching colors on top of the glued-down sticks.
5. Optional: On plain wooden sticks, write the name of each color and have the student try to match the color name to the colored stick.
6. Optional: Use different color flower punch-outs or foam shapes and have the children match the correct color flower to the correct color stick.
Planting a Rainbow Flower Nature Craft
Our Homeschool Nature Study members enjoy this fun Planting a Rainbow nature craft! You can even add a cute, little worm in the dirt!
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! Everything you need for engaging nature crafts for kids!
Nature Study Printables for Toddlers and Preschoolers is a 60+ page eBook included in Homeschool Nature Study Membership containing all of our toddler and preschool nature study printables plus 20 exclusive pages available only in this book! Use these tools alongside Homeschool Nature Study Preschool Curriculum to help informally introduce young children to the natural world around them.
Join us for even more homeschool nature studies for all the seasons! With a nature study each week, you will have joyful learning leading all the way through the homeschool year for all your ages!
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Enjoy a summer butterfly nature study! Here is an easy step-by-step on how to make a butterfly puddle right in your own backyard.
Over the years, I’ve observed butterflies along hiking trails in the muddy edges. There will sometimes be 10 or 12 butterflies sitting on the mud slowly opening and closing their wings. This behavior fascinated me! After a little research on the internet, I discovered that butterflies are attracted to mud puddles for not only the moisture but the minerals and salts that are present in the mud.
**Don’t miss the nature study and art giveaway at the end!
Summer Butterfly Nature Study – How To Make a Butterfly Puddle
So, this summer I’ve decided I want to make my own butterfly mud puddle, but make it in a large saucer. During my research, I ran across several websites and videos that explained how to make an artificial mud puddle that butterflies could use in my garden.
Basically, you add sand to the saucer along with some sort of mineral source. I decided to try compost, a little gravel, a few rocks, and a bit of Epsom salts with my sand. Then you add water to moisten your “puddle”.
Attract Butterflies to Your Garden with a Butterfly Puddle
Here’s a YouTube video for you to watch for a tutorial:
Simple and easy!
I would love for you to give this project a try with your children and let me know if you were successful too!
You can always leave me a comment, email me directly, or post an image on Instagram and use the hashtag outdoorhourchallenge.
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!
This time of year the butterflies are out, and there’s a cool canopy of trees teeming with all sorts of plant and animal activity. We are blessed with so many beautiful details to study with our children as we enjoy the outdoors.
If you are looking for an engaging way to start the homeschool year, why not raise butterflies and enjoy some nature journaling? We have just the giveaway!
Here’s what’s included in this hands-on science and art prize pack:
A set of 12 NuPastels
A magnifying glass
A copy of the beautifully illustrated Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story. Read more about the book here.
An Insect Lore Butterfly Garden with a certificate for caterpillars (This is so much fun!)
A 24-piece set of insect life cycle figurines from Insect Lore
You may enter once per day. Entry closes at 11:59 p.m. on August 9, 2022. You must be over 18 years or old to enter. U.S. residents only. The email provided in the giveaway widget will be used to contact the winner.
A simple homeschool plant life nature study learning the parts of a flower. Flowers are a wonderful first nature study topic for many children, especially those flowers they find and ask about on your creative nature walks or even in your own backyard. Keep it simple and fun!
“All the names should be taught gradually by constant unemphasized use on the part of the teacher; and if the child does not learn the names naturally then do not make him do it unnaturally.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 456
Plant Life Nature Study – Learning 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.
More Flower Nature Study Activities
You will also enjoy this parts of a flower printable from our friends at The Homeschool Scientist.
Our sister site, You ARE an ARTiST, has a parts of a daffodil art lesson included in the I Drew It Then I Knew It Science series with Nana.
Homeschool Nature Study Lesson Plans
If you are a member here at Homeschool Nature Study, you will find this plant life nature study flower challenge in the Garden Flower and Plant Curriculum ebook in your membership library. In the ebook you will find a custom notebook page designed for use with this particular challenge.
You can enjoy a simple garden and wildflowers 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 a garden and the beauty of wildflowers!
The Ultimate List of Garden and Wildflowers Homeschool Nature Study Using the Outdoor Hour Challenges
NOTE: If the challenge is included an Outdoor Hour Challenge Curriculum ebook in Homeschool Nature Study Membership, it is noted directly after the challenge. If you have a membership, you will be able to pull up the ebook and print any notebook pages, coloring pages, or other printables for your nature study.
Autumn Apples– Autumn
Bachelor’s Buttons – Summer Continues
Bee Larkspur/Delphinium – Summer Continues
Black Eyed Susans – More Nature Study Summer
Black Swallowtail – Spring Continues
Bleeding Hearts – Winter Continues
Blue Flag Iris – More Nature Study Spring
Crocus – Winter
Daisy – More Nature Study Summer
Daffodil – Winter
Earthworms – Spring
Geranium – Spring Continues
Monarch Butterfly – More Nature Study Summer
Nasturtiums – Spring Continues
Pansy – More Nature Study Winter
Pears – More Nature Study Autumn
Petunias – Spring Continues
Robins – More Nature Study Spring
Salvia – Autumn Continues
Snails – More Nature Study Spring
Sunflowers
Sweet Peas – More Nature Study Spring
Tulip – Winter
Violets– Winter Continues
Outdoor Hour Challenge Wildflower Nature Study
These challenges can be found in Homeschool Nature Study membership.
Wild Mustard and Wild Radish
Shooting Stars
Lupine
Purple Chinese Houses
Yarrow
Henbit
Cow Parsnip
Columbine
Chicory
Cocklebur
Fireweed
Salsify
Forget-Me-Not
Paintbrush
Common Silverweed
Homeschool Nature Study:Wildflower and Weed Challenges
Join The Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Year Round Support
Can you believe all of these garden and wildflowers resources you will find in membership? You will also find a continuing series on gardens and wildflowers 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!
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.
Birdwatching 101 Attracting Birds to Your Yard
Here are some ideas for attracting birds to your yard.
Homeschool Nature Study with a Variety of Bird Feeders
Try a variety of bird feeders. We made most of ours from scraps around the house and my boys love to hammer a nail and saw boards so this is a great project with a little supervision.
We have some that are called platform feeders. The birds actually land on the feeder and eat from the seed in the tray. We have scrub jays (blue jays), tit mouses, towhees, dark eyed juncos, and house sparrows in these feeders.
The second kind of feeders are the hopper kind of feeders where the bird lands on the perches and eat from holes in the sides of the feeders. Birds like house finches, goldfinches, and house sparrows like these types of feeders.
Attracting Birds with a Homeschool Nature Garden
Now for the more “natural” way to attract birds to your yard with a garden. We have chosen some plants for our garden area that seem to attract birds…especially hummingbirds. We planted butterfly bushes and trumpet vines on our arbor to attract butterflies but they seem to attract more hummingbirds. I am not complaining because they are beautiful and I say the more the merrier.
We have several varieties of sunflowers in our garden. Both planted with seed and those that came up from our feeder spillage. The yellow finches seem to like to eat the whole leaf of the the sunflower leaving just a little skeleton for us to look at.
We also have a fig tree in our yard and the scrub jays love to sit and peck at the fruit for an evening meal. They make a big mess but I’m glad someone is eating the figs. So hopefully that gives you at least an idea of how to attract some birds to your own yard so that you can enjoy birdwatching from your window or backyard.
You may also be interested in visiting my page on feeding birds in winter….which would also apply at other times of the year as well: How To Feed Birds
Join Our Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Year Round Support
You will 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!
