Category: Getting Started

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Spring Ant Study

Ant Nature Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge:

Every day we pass by ants, not noticing them in their busy ways. This week try to slow down and look for some ants in your yard, perhaps under a rock, in a crack in the sidewalk, or on a plant. Find a way to make this fun for your children. Invite them to open their eyes and to look carefully.

Use the ideas in this challenge from the past to get you going: Spring Series #10: Ants.

You can also use the Nature Journal Topper from the May 2014 newsletter to inspire a fun ant related nature study and journal entry.

If you have access to the new printables as part of your membership to this site, there is a new printable sheet with Insect Nature Table and Learning Style ideas for you to print out.

Special Activity:

Make a model of an ant out of clay or Sculpey. Make sure to depict the three body parts of the ant: head, thorax, and abdomen. There is a great video to show you how to do this with clay and wire.

How to Build a Model of an Ant on YouTube.com

Getting Started Suggestion:

If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #3.  Use the suggestions in this challenge to make some ant observations and then follow up with a drawing activity for your nature journal. Here is a link to help with drawing an ant: How To Draw an Ant-Step by Step.

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OHC Blog Carnival

You are welcome to submit any of you blog Outdoor Hour Challenge blog entries to the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. Entries for the current month are due on 5/30/14.

 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Spring Earthworm Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge:

Spring Earthworm Study

We are going to be outside this week looking for earthworms. The Handbook of Nature Study suggests going out at night with a flashlight to look for worms but we find them just digging around in our garden boxes. Ask your children if they know where there are any earthworms.

Spring Earthworm Study – Make sure to find all the suggestions for worm observations in this entry.

Earthworm Nature Journal Topper – Find a nature journal prompt in the May Newsletter that will help you record your earthworm observations.

Special Activity:

If you have a child who is super into worms and they would like to see a YouTube video of an earthworm dissection, here is a link: Earthworm Dissection.

Getting Started Suggestion:

If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #3.  Take some time this week to use the suggestions in this challenge to focus on making a drawing in your nature journal. It can feature your earthworm study or anything else your child finds during your outdoor time that interests them. 

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Library

 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Spring Snake Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge:

This may be a challenging study for many of you but from my experience I can tell you that you may be surprised when an opportunity to view a snake up close comes along. In any account, you can use this snake nature study to prepare for a future snake sighting.

  • Spring Snake Study using the Outdoor Hour Challenge: Use the ideas in this challenge to learn more about your local snake population. In my area we only have a few kinds of snakes so we listed them in our nature journals as a reference. This may give you a way to complete this study without actually seeing a snake.
  • April 2013 Newsletter – If you have access to this newsletter, there are some ideas and printables for you to use in your snake nature study, including a Reptiles and Amphibians nature study grid.

Special Activity: Field Trip-Amphibians and Reptiles

Use this free printable activity while on a field trip to a place in your local area that has reptiles and/or amphibians. This could be a zoo, pet store, nature center, or local park. Instructions are included on the bottom to create a mini-book to complete and then to attach in your nature journal.
Free Printable Amphibian and Reptile Field Trip Mini-Book

If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #2. Make sure to take your 10-15 minute outdoor excursion to spend some time outdoors this week. After you walk, help your child with finding words to describe their experience, whether they observed a snake or not. Use the accompanying notebook page to record your outdoor time.

Note: You can find the Getting Started ebook in all levels of membership here at the Handbook of Nature Study.

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Library

 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Cat Nature Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge:

We are going to have some fun with cats this week! Make sure to read the section in the Handbook of Nature Study for loads of ideas to try with your family cat or a neighborhood cat.

  • Spring Mammal Study – Cats: Make sure to use the free mammal notebook page linked in this entry and also check out the free cat unit on Homeschool Share.
  • You will also find a Nature Journal Topper prompt in the May 2014 Newsletter that will give you an idea for studying cats.
  • If you have access to the November 2012 Newsletter, you will find additional ideas for a mammal study, including the printable mammal study grid.

Printable Notebook Pages

Printable Notebook Pages

Getting Started Suggestion:

If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #8. Use a magnifying lens to example your cat. Look at the various parts suggested in the Handbook of Nature Study and then record your observations in your nature journal or on the accompanying notebook page.

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Library

Note: You can find the Getting Started ebook in all levels of membership here at the Handbook of Nature Study.

 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Wildflowers/Dandelions

Outdoor Hour Challenge Spring Dandelion Study @handbookofnaturestudy

Outdoor Hour Challenge:

This week we are going to get started with a spring wildflower or dandelion nature study challenge! This is always a favorite study and I look forward to seeing how your family completes some of the ideas in the following challenges. As always, if you don’t have any wildflowers or dandelions, take a walk anyway and see what you can find or talk about the up-coming wildflower season to create some enthusiasm. See the ideas below for a dandelion hunt.

Printable Wildflower Photo Hunt Activity

Special Activity: Dandelion Hunt

This month’s newsletter includes a page of Nature Journal Toppers. One of the suggested activities outlines some ideas for observing a dandelion that you may find during your outdoor time and then creating a nature journal page with all your measurements and comparisons.

Getting Started Suggestion:

If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #6. You can work on your nature table collection or pressed flower collection this week as part of your follow-up time. See the ideas in this challenge from the Getting Started ebook for more ideas and a custom notebooking page.

Note: You can find the Getting Started ebook in all levels of membership here at the Handbook of Nature Study.

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Library

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The Ultimate Naturalist’s Library

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Library

Nature Study Just Got Easier For Your Family

-with hundreds of resources gathered into one convenient Ultimate Naturalist’s Library.

 

What Will Stay The Same Here At The Handbook Of Nature Study?

  • I will continue to publish weekly Outdoor Hour Challenges and topical blog posts for your family to follow along with if you choose. I am passionate about nature study and it brings me such joy to share my experiences with all my readers so that will continue as long as I possibly can, hopefully for many years to come.
  • The free monthly newsletter for email subscribers will continue to be published to encourage your family with their nature study. *Make sure to confirm the email coming soon to your inbox so you will continue to receive all the blog entries, monthly newsletters, and special offers from the Handbook of Nature Study.
  • All the past Outdoor Hour Challenges (150+) organized by topic and season will continue to be available .
  • Access to all the current free printables will remain available.
  • The monthly Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival will continue to be published at the end of each month.
  • We will keep working through the scheduled 2013-2014 Bundle of challenges until the end of August 2014.

 

What Is Brand New?

Your family can choose from three levels of immediate access to the Ultimate Naturalist’s Library, each level containing valuable resources to make nature study easy and fun.

Ultimate($45) – All 12 Outdoor Hour Challenge ebooks ($87 value), all 36 archived newsletters (May 2011-April 2014), monthly printables, any new challenges for a year.*

Journey ($30)– Getting Started ebook, all 36 archived newsletters, monthly printables, any new challenges for a year.*

Discovery($20)– Getting Started ebook, all 36 archived newsletters.

*There will be quarterly releases of 6-9 Outdoor Hour Challenges and additional monthly releases of 2-4 printable resources. The first new challenges will be added to the Ultimate Naturalist’s Library in August 2014 for fall season nature study.

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Library

For the month of April 2014, I am offering a $10 discount towards the Ultimate level of membership. Just use the discount code: APRIL10.

 

The Ultimate Naturalist’s Library Is The Ultimate Nature Study Resource

  • Imagine having access to all the resources here on the Handbook of Nature Study,  gathered into one convenient Ultimate Naturalist’s Library!
  • You will no longer lose your ebook files or forget what resources you have on hand because you have them all organized and available right here in the Ultimate Naturalist’s Library.
  • Ebooks, notebooking pages, newsletters, and printables are all organized and available 24/7 for a complete year.
  • There will be regular additions to the Ultimate Naturalist’s Library as we work through each year of nature study. Look for brand new challenges every quarter, monthly printables, and other valuable resources to be added throughout the year.
  • Equip yourself to guide your family’s nature study with the very best resources available here at the Handbook of Nature Study.
  • The current 2013-2014 Bundle will be available until 8/1/14.
  • The Ultimate Naturalist’s Library is going to provide support for all ages in your family with endless ideas for activities and follow-up work.

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Library

 The Ultimate Naturalist’s Library is going to be the resource you love for years to come!

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Spring Weather Observations

 

Outdoor Hour Challenge:
This week use the ideas in the challenges listed to make some simple Spring Weather Observations. 

 Spring Weather (2010) –Suggested Observations
  • Have your children describe any clouds they see in the sky.
  • Notice how hard the wind is blowing by how things are moving: leaves rustling, trees bending, etc.
  • Notice the wind’s direction. Where is it coming from?
  • Describe the temperature of the air and/or look it up on a thermometer.
  • Notice any precipitation that you may have this week: sprinkles, rain, mist, sleet, snow, fog, hail.

Printable Notebook Page: 
During your seasonal weather observations, take a photo of something that shows your current weather conditions. Better yet, let your children take the images and then print them out for a personalized nature journal entry. This can be done in each season and recorded in your nature journal’s seasonal section.

Printable Notebook Page:My Seasonal Weather.

Nature in Verse by Mary Lovejoy is a whole year’s worth of poetry organized by seasons. You can click the link and scroll to the table of contents. Look for any poems that relate to spring. Read some aloud to your children and perhaps pick a line or two to copy onto a nature journal page.

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #3.  Make sure to read the pages in the Handbook of Nature Study for this challenge. We all need reminders about how to encourage our children in their nature journals. Along with a sketch, your child can add a verse or two of spring poetry to their nature journal. Keep it simple and light…

 


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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Spring Tree Observations

 

Outdoor Hour Challenge:
Apple Trees in Spring –See some of the ideas below or click over to the original Outdoor Hour Challenge for more in-depth ideas for a study of an apple tree.

Suggested Observations for the Handbook of Nature Study, page 664 and 666
How tall is your tree?
How thick is its trunk?
What color is the bark?
Does the trunk divide into large branches or does it extend up through the center of the head?
Study the bud of the apple blossom.
Sketch an open apple blossom. How many petals? What is the shape of the flower?

Spring (Spring 2010 Ebook)  You can use the ideas in this challenge to start or continue a year-long tree study of your choice.

You may also like to read this entry for additional simple ideas to get you started:
For the Love of Trees

Special Activity:

Four Seasons Tree Photo Project:
To accompany this challenge, print these notebook page for your nature journal and attach a photo of your tree in each season.

Four Seasons Tree Photo Project Notebook Page: One page for each season’s observations and a photo or sketch.

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #10. I hope everyone is starting to see some signs of spring this week. Perhaps a simple picnic during the day during your tree study time might be nice. Use the accompanying notebook page to record your picnic time observations. 
  

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Mammals

 

Outdoor Hour Challenge:
We are at our last winter themed challenge for the season. Try some of these challenges or pick a mammal that lives in your neighborhood and look it up in the Handbook of Nature Study. 

Winter Mammals – Hibernation: Winter Wednesday ideas
Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Mammals: Look for tracks.   

Printable Notebook Page
My Mammal List: You can use this printable page instead of the running list notebook page if you wish to keep your mammal list by season. Reprint this page for every season and then compare your lists.

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #1. Take a walk looking for signs of mammals and find two things to investigate further. Complete the notebook page from the ebook after you return home. 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Birds

Outdoor Hour Challenge:
This week take some time to observe your neighborhood birds and document in your nature journal a bird you have noticed during the winter at your birdfeeder or in your yard. This is such an enjoyable nature study topic for the whole family. View from your window if you need to and use some of the ideas in the following challenges:

Winter Bird Study from Winter Wednesday – see this post for ideas to use without the Discover Nature in Winter book.
Winter Bird Challenge-focus some of your time on learning about bird migration using a field guide with migration maps
Bird Nature Journal Ideas – use some of these ideas to record your birds in your nature journal
 

Bird Themed Nature Table Ideas:
Use some of the ideas in this printable to find items for your children to have access to on your family’s nature table. 

Bird Themed Nature Table Printable

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #5. Use the ideas in this challenge to start or continue your family’s list of birds observed. If you have the ebook, there is a printable notebook page in the back to keep track of your Running List.