Keeping a perpetual calendar of nature firsts is a wonderful long-term nature study project for families. It’s a simple way to learn the cycle of life in your world, noting the nature firsts that catch your attention each year. Comparing the dates of the firsts in nature will give you a more accurate telling of the passage of time.
Keeping a Calendar of Nature Firsts
Calendars: It’s a great idea to have children keep a calendar to record when and where they saw the first oak leaf, the first tadpole, the first primrose, the first ripe blackberries. Then next year they can pull out the calendar and know when to anticipate seeing these things again, and they can note new discoveries. Imagine how this will add enthusiasm for daily walks and nature hikes! A day won’t go by when something isn’t seen to excite them.
Charlotte Mason-in modern English
Download Your Free Calendar Page
(Note that members have this printable in your Planning Resources course in Homeschool Nature Study membership!)
You can use a calendar page for each month with the list of days down the side or a more traditional grid style calendar where you fill in the boxes as you go. Whichever way you choose will work if you just remember to weekly take a minute or two to note any nature firsts you observed. Make sure to record the date (including year), time, and or location of your observation.
Nature Study Items To Look For Each Year
First elk
First ground squirrels
First snow
First robin, junco, swallow, hummingbird
Last leaves on the aspen (Yes, you can keep track of “lasts” as well.)
First campfire of the season
First fire in the wood stove
More Nature Study Firsts for You to Observe in Your Homeschool
First bee seen
Frogs chirping– first day heard
First mosquito bite
First skunk smell
First trillium or other wildflower blooming
First acorns on the ground
First green grass
First tulips blooming
First day warm enough for shorts and t-shirts
First freezing temperatures
First snowfall
As you can see from the list, you are not limited to any one season or any one area for your firsts. Challenge your children to come up with some nature firsts of their own.
A calendar of firsts can be kept by the entire family or by each individual child. The observations can be listed in words and/or pictures!
The beauty of this project is that it can be started at any time and can be completed over many years with no guilt if you forget to record something for a period of time. If that happens, just pick up where you left off.
More Ways to Include Nature Study in Your Homeschool
How do you find the joy of nature study in your own backyard? Here are some encouragement for easy homeschool nature study right out your back door.
The simple truth is that everyone has something special and unique to explore in their own backyard or neighborhood.
How To Find The Joy of Nature Study in Your Own Backyard
I always go outside with the expectation that there will be something interesting.
Sometimes you have to look harder to find it than other times.
Nature study has made me more of a positive person…I expect to find something outdoors to make me joyful. I expect that there will be something that we can observe and notice.
Wow! Look at the color of this fungi? We think it is called Witches Butter.
There is just so much to see and learn about, but we need to train our eyes and hearts to be open to the opportunities that arise.
I am amazed by these seeds. As many times as we have hiked down this same path, by this same plant, I have never noticed these really great seeds but there they are.
Keep your senses open to any opportunities and you may be surprised what you find to be interested in along with your children.
There were lots of fresh critter holes along the trail this week. This one was especially large. We see signs of lots of mammals as we walk and holes are some of the most intriguing signs that we are not alone.
Tips for Simple Homeschool Nature Study
I got to thinking about all of the simple things we have nature study in our own backyard that we have noticed over the years.
If you are not a Homeschool Nature Study member yet, please consider joining to gain the benefit of having a nature study library at your fingertips. There are numerous resources available for you to help create the habit of nature study within your family.
There are so many simple ways to study nature in your homeschool this winter! From nature walks to indoor studies, use this guide as a starting point for making memories together.
Simple Ways to Study Nature in Your Homeschool This Winter
Getting outside for a walk on the first day of winter may be one of the most refreshing activities you could do with your children. The temperatures drop and we huddle inside more and more, especially on the shortest day of the year!
“The most obvious work of nature has been the preparation for winter. A wide range of observation should be used to impress the truth: the trees and shrubs have lost their leaves, and stored the provisions for spring in the buds and branches; many softer plants die down to the ground, storing the food in roots, others in bulbs, and still others in tubers. The question may be asked for each plant that comes up for observation – How did it get ready for winter?”
1. Take a walk this week and spend a few minutes looking at the plants in your yard and neighborhood. Look for bushes and trees without leaves, stopping to note that these plants are many times not dead but just waiting for spring to begin a new growth cycle. Don’t go into too much detail but allow time for quiet observation.
2. After your outdoor time, spend a few minutes discussing how plants get ready for winter. You can bring out the following points:
Some plants (Annuals) have seeds that survive the winter even when the plant does not.
Other plants (Perennials) have roots that survive the winter and start to grow again in the spring.
Deciduous trees shed their leaves, conserve food, and have buds that are waiting until spring to open and grow.
3. Make a nature journal entry recording anything of interest from your outdoor time.
Alternately, make plans to get outside for a brisk nature walk and then to follow up with a nature journal page recording all of the interesting things you found while outside.
Animals in Winter Homeschool Nature Study
“The same thought should be applied to the animals. Most of the birds have gone south because of the cold, and also because their food is gone; the frogs, turtles, and toads are going to sleep all winter down in the mud or earth below the frost; the caterpillars are waiting in their cocoons for the warm spring sunshine; most of the other insects have laid their eggs for the next season, while a few of them have crawled into warm places to wait; the squirrels have gathered a store of nuts, and will soon be asleep in the old tree-trunks; the cats dogs, horses, and cows have grown a fresh coat of hair and fur. Nothing is forgotten; each is ready in its own best way.”
This will be another easy week of nature study that will blend easily with other Outdoor Hour Challenges. Take the opportunity to spend some time outdoors noticing the way that animals prepare for winter. Make this one an investigation!
You might prepare with a little discussion about the various animals and birds that live in your local area. Some ideas to get you started:
migrating or visiting birds
squirrels gathering nuts
insects in cocoons
changes in color of various animals as they prepare for the white of the snow time
Bundle up and spend fifteen minutes outdoors enjoying the December world. A good nature walk is pleasurable for everyone and allows you and your children to appreciate God’s beautiful creation. The best times I can remember with my children are the times we just took it slow and easy, looking for the little things that most people pass by.
Look for signs of animals and think about ways they prepare for winter. You can also make bird and animal observations, noting their behavior. How are they staying warm? finding food? sheltering from the weather?
Encourage everyone to use all of their senses on this walk:
Did they see something colorful or unusual?
How does the air feel on your skin?
Is there a particular fragrance to the air?
Can you listen carefully for a minute or two to distinguish any particular sounds?
Another idea is to ask your children to find differences in the landscape, comparing your neighborhood habitat on this winter day to what they remember about the first day of summer. This is a little harder and you may need to help them get started with a few of your own observations.
More Outdoor Hour Challenge Ideas:
Turn over a rock and see what’s underneath.
Look up in the branches of the trees and see if you can find any birds or other critters.
Sit quietly by the edge of a pond or stream and see what comes along.
Breathe the air and enjoy the day.
Follow Up Indoor Winter Nature Study Activities:
After your outdoor time allow time for a nature journal entry. Use the notebook page or the journal idea from the December Newsletter to record your observations of anything that your child finds interesting. I also have a December World Notebook Page included Homechool Nature Study Membership or you can use one of the journaling pages included in the free membership sample, below.
Maybe this week you could use a different art medium in your journal…many of us get stuck in a rut. Offer colored pencils, thin markers, watercolors, or pastels.
You could also try offering modeling clay as an alternative to drawing the subject this week and then take a photo of the finished product to include in the nature journal.
In Homeschool Nature Study membership, each challenge gives you step by step instructions to get started with simple weekly nature study ideas…even in the middle of winter! This may just be what your homeschool week needs to get you through the cold winter days of January, February, and March.
Each challenge is written for you to complete in your own neighborhood or backyard and you can adapt each challenge to fit your local area with suggestions I offer with each topic. Don’t be discouraged if you look at the list of topics and think you don’t have that particular subject close at hand. I will guide you through finding a replacement to still offer you a weekly dose of nature study.
The winter homeschool nature study challenges were written for families with children of all ages. In addition to the regular challenge, I have bumped up the nature study for older or more experienced children, complete with their own set of notebooking pages. You will be able to use these studies with your whole family and pull it out from year to year and have a nature study resource for all levels.
Outdoor Hour Challenges for Winter – Bring the Handbook of Nature Study to Life in Your Homeschool!
Membership includes all you need for using the Handbook of Nature Study and enjoying learning together as a family. See a sample membership Winter Homeschool Nature Study by signing up with the form, below.
Membership includes all of this plus MORE!
notebook pages and coloring pages
Upper Level notebook pages for advanced or experienced students
Charlotte Mason style exam questions
Complete list of supplies needed
Detailed instructions for each challenge, including links and printables
Nature journal suggestions
Alternate ideas to adapt the challenges to your local area
Members also enjoy:
Bird in Snow video art lesson
First Day of Winter Walk and Observations Page
December World Notebook Page
Winter Weather Observations Journal Page
Window Observations Journal Page
December Words and Poem Journal Page
Special Outdoor Hour Challenges
Snow Study!
Red and Green Outdoor Hour Challenge
Moon and Moon Names
Study on Magnets and the Compass
And more challenges from all of the courses pictured above!
Get Your Free Sample Of Membership: Winter Homeschool Nature Study Download
Most importantly, when you get outside for your winter homeschool nature study, take along a good attitude and leave yourself open to whatever the experience brings. Allow your children to direct you to things they find interesting and then share in their excitement.
Nature study crafts for kids are a hands on way to learn. What beautiful and easy activities for learning and FUN! Let us show you how.
Nature Study For Kids
There is such value in adding nature study! Getting outside for a walk may be one of the most refreshing activities you could do with your children. Not only will you be learning about the beautiful creation in your very own backyard but you will be building lasting memories together.
And, gathering supplies from your yard makes doing a nature craft together even more fun! Spend a little bit of time outdoors then come inside and create. You could even stay outdoors and be crafty on a nice day.
Nature Study Craft Activities For Learning and Fun
Using our nature craft activities makes nature study easy on mom because our craft artist, Victoria, leads you and your students, step by step. Victoria grew up participating in the Outdoor Hour Challenges with her family. Nature has always inspired her work, right from when she was young. She, along with her sister, would go on weekly nature walks following lessons from the Handbook of Nature Study to learn about the beauty of our natural world. She has found through years of nature study that the slow and simple process of painting and being surrounded by nature has become her form of escapism from such a fast paced and material world.
Each craft activity is seasonal and matches what you are already studying in your homeschool. Plus, nature crafts are just so much fun!
Ice art incorporating foraged berries, leaves, cones or whatever else you find in nature makes for a beautiful garden decoration…even of it only lasts a few hours.
How to Make Forage Fairies
This homeschool nature craft makes it so much fun to get outdoors and forage for your supplies.
How to Make a Leaf Mask
You will love making a nature craft with leaves! We will be making these gorgeous leaf masks with only a handful of supplies. Let your creativity go wild with these masks!
More Resources For Nature Study In Your Homeschool
We love the nature crafts Victoria shares! And, did you know that Victoria’s mother, Shirley Vels, is your Outdoor Hour Challenge hostess? Not only does Shirley share your weekly Outdoor Hour Challenge, she also encourages fellow homeschool moms with her monthly Outdoor Mom lessons in membership as well!
If you are not a Homeschool Nature Study membership yet, please consider joining to gain the benefit of having a nature study library at your fingertips. There are numerous resources available for you to help create the habit of nature study within your family.
Members also enjoy access to:
Weekly Outdoor Hour Challenges to bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool!
the annual nature study plans
matching courses with materials and journaling pages
interactive calendar with daily nature study prompts
Nature Journaling course
and MUCH more!
Members of Homeschool Nature Study enjoy access to both the Nature Crafts course AND Outdoor Mom plus more exclusive courses and content.
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!
This ultimate nature study guide for homeschoolers might be just the nudge you need to get outdoors with your children! With just 10 minutes, nature study can be fun, easy and effective!
When I first started incorporating nature study into our homeschool days, I thought I had to do a lot of prep work and have a specific topic. With experience, I found that is not true.
I also found that while there is plenty of homeschool nature study curriculum, there is a lack of encouragement and guidance specifically for the homeschool mom.
The Ultimate Nature Study Guide for Homeschoolers
This guide is here to encourage YOU! We will show you not only the purpose of using the Handbook of Nature Study but also share how joyful nature study time can be. You will be making memories with your children that you will cherish. And you will learn so much about nature yourself.
Why Use the Handbook of Nature Study?
The author of The Handbook of Nature Study, Anna Botsford Comstock, suggests that nature study be only 10 minutes to half an hour in length. (page 6) I am finding this is a wonderful way to spend a few minutes outside with my children each day….yes we are committing to 10-60 minutes outside per day. We all feel so much more refreshed and it has actually helped us be more focused when we are doing our indoor homeschooling.
This is a BIG book and can be a little intimidating!
Don’t worry, I felt the same way which is why I want to share how The Handbook of Nature Study might be helpful in your homeschool.
Which edition of the Handbook of Nature Study do you use?Where do you find The Handbook of Nature Study book?
The Handbook of Nature Study book by Anna Botsford Comstock is a staple in the Outdoor Hour Challenges we share. This is a wonderful reference guide for you, the homeschool teacher to use. We show you how, HERE!
The Handbook of Nature Study is a Guide for the Homeschool Mom
Amy Law, homeschool mom of three, shares: “The first time I held my copy of The Handbook of Nature Study in my hands, I was a little overwhelmed at the thickness of it and all the information it contained. But, over the years, it has become a dear and precious friend that continues to teach me about nature.
Six tips for using The Handbook of Nature Study:
1. Read the introductory material. It’s so helpful!!!
2. Make use of the index in the back.
3. Pre-read it, and then tell your kids about it. Don’t just set them lose to read it on their own, or they’ll be overwhelmed.
4. Don’t forget to study the detailed drawings! There is much to be learned from those alone.
5. A field guide or an internet connection can be helpful to see the plants/animals in color.
6. Have fun with it!
I hope this valuable resource becomes a wonderful friend to you, too!
7 Top Tips for Using the Handbook of Nature Study in Your Homeschool – Have you ever wondered how to use The Handbook of Nature Study? Does one look at it have you feeling completely overwhelmed? Here are 7 top tips to help you use The Handbook Of Nature Study In Your Homeschool.
Helpful Tips for Incorporating the Handbook of Nature Study in YourHomeschool – So you have The Handbook of Nature Study on your bookshelf. Are you wondering how to use it? Having used it for a number of years in my homeschool I have a few tips to share with you to help put this fantastic resource to good use!
Handbook of Nature Study: Friend or Foe in Your Homeschool – There it is… The Handbook of Nature Study, sitting on your bookshelf. Now what? It can be intimidating to say the least. Is The Handbook Of Nature Study a friend or foe in your homeschool?
Why Do An Outdoor Hour Challenge?
Here are 7 tips for a successful Outdoor Hour Challenge! We spent a little while observing the weather in our own backyard this week! Summer weather always has something interesting going on for sure!
Tips for Planning Your Outdoor Time
Though it is fun to throw the door open and run outside and see what you can find, planning your nature study times will help you and your children look for certain things throughout the changing seasons. Here are some helps for Planning for Nature Study in Your Homeschool.
Nature Study Resources Made for the Homeschool Mom
A nature study guide series focused on the Outdoor Hour Mom. Yes, this is all about you! As homeschool moms we give…A LOT, which is why it is so important that we carve out a little time to nurture our own well-being. Our vision for the Outdoor Mom series is to inspire you to slow down, find beauty in the ordinary, in celebrating your home, in ordinary everyday tasks; your hobbies, interests and of course, nature journaling, nature and the seasons.
There are Outdoor Mom resources for every month of the year!!
Making Homeschool Nature Study Easy And Effective
If you’re not a member here on the Handbook of Nature Study yet, please consider joining to gain the benefit of having a large nature study library at your fingertips. There are numerous resources available for you to help create the habit of nature study within your family, whether you have preschoolers or high schoolers (yes, you can add nature study to your high school transcript!).
With a nature study calendar for every day of the year, nature curriculum topics to match the learning in your homeschool and the help you need as a homeschool mom, we truly do help make it easy and effective.
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:
Backyard Books by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries
Outside your Window A First Book of Nature by Nicola Davies
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!
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
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!
Jeannie Fulbright, Apologia Science Writer, inspired me to think about a living science beyond the books type of education and hands-on experience. To stop putting a time slot on the schedule for “science learning” and to start exploring the world with curiosity. To invite opportunities of discovery regardless of where we are or when it is during the day.
For our family, providing the opportunities for science as part of our every day life has been as easy as opening our back door and doing some exploring together. Books are a wonderful window to the world but true heartfelt science learning takes place when you learn about things you can see, touch, smell, and hear. You might enjoy some tips from our post: 30 Backyard Family Activities.
Living Science Beyond the Books
Birds in a book are great but birds in your very own feeder are a living and breathing example to learn from. We have found what works best is observation first and then facts. For example, we learned more by trying to identify these feathers…using a feather identification key for the first time, reasoning on which birds we see in our backyard, and then narrowing it down to a few bird choices. We had to learn the different kinds of bird feathers and make careful observations about color and pattern. So much to build on from just this simple feather find from our backyard.
Learning about pollen in a book is interesting but seeing it on a flower, watching a bee covered in it, and then perhaps looking at the flower pollen with a hand lens takes the lesson on pollen to a whole new dimension. Suddenly you care about the pollen…it means something. My son noticed the little yellow specks on flowers in our yard, so we brought them inside for closer inspection…pollen! No wonder the bees are swarming around this plant in our yard!
Fearful of Nature?
My youngest son hates spiders. He found a spider on a leaf and we spent some time watching it together. Direct observation of a spider takes the fear away and allows the awe to settle in for such an amazing living creature. Living science beyond the books is the best kind of learning for science. Books are there to support and generate interest! But remember to get outside to observe it.
“Nature study, as far as it goes, is just as large as is science for “grown-ups”. It may deal with the same subject matter and should be characterized by the same accuracy. It simply does not go so far.” Anna Botsford Comstock, Handbook of Nature Study
She supports the idea that beginning with nature study and observation we can build on those ideas and experiences and go farther with more formal science. For a complete picture of how she outlines nature study for families, read the introductory pages of the Handbook of Nature Study (pages 1-24).
“Adults should realize that the most valuable thing children can learn is what they discover themselves about the world they live in. Once they experience first-hand the wonder of nature, they will want to make nature observation a life-long habit. All people are supposed to be observers of nature and there’s no excuse for living in a world so full of amazing plants and animals and not be interested in them.” Charlotte Mason, Volume 1
So, I think we are in good company. We can provide or support science education in our homes if we remember to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. Open eyes, open hearts, and then open minds to enjoy living science.
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.
These 7 tips for a successful outdoor hour challenge will help you and your family establish an easy and fun nature study routine.
What Is The Outdoor Hour Challenge?
This is a great question! And there is a simple answer. Basically there are three parts:
Inside preparation of a nature topic
Outdoor time (even 10-15 minutes!) looking for and learning about one or two topics (or whatever you find!)
Follow up time nature journaling about your topic
Just how do you get started in homeschool nature study? How do families participate in the Outdoor Hour Challenges? It is so simple to get started and we will show you how. Grab this free Homeschool Nature Study Guide and discover the joys of nature study in your homeschool.
We spent a little while observing the weather in our own backyard this week! Summer weather always has something interesting going on for sure!
The night before, or the morning of, I check to see what we’ll be studying. I love that I can access everything in the member section by computer or on the go on my phone!
I pre-read the suggested pages in The Handbook of Nature Study. This book was not written to be read aloud word for word; so I try to get an idea of she’s saying before I go over it with my kids. Both of these steps take maybe 5 minutes altogether.
Quickly gather supplies. We try to keep our supplies together in convenient places; so we don’t have to search all over the house for them.
Sit down and go through the assigned pages in The Handbook of Nature Study together. There are usually other activities, such as watching a video, to do as well.
Go outside and do the Outdoor Hour Challenge! This week it was observing the weather! We had beautiful weather to observe, using our senses! This can be as simple as spending 15 minutes in your own backyard, which we did today!
Then, we come back inside and do our nature journaling. . .drawing/making observations on what we saw.
Time for clean up!
Yes, it’s just that simple. 😉
More Tips For Nature Study In Your Homeschool
Here are some practical tips for you to use to get started!
We’ve heard from families that they were reluctant to start a nature study plan, but, they found that having a focus each week actually helped them to stay regular at getting outside. It also helped them be better at taking a few minutes to learn about an object they encountered, even if it wasn’t the original aim for getting outdoors.
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.
You can plan a simple outdoor picnic with the benefit of homeschool nature study! Even a snack in your backyard will make for a fun time together outdoors. You will be surprised at all you notice while you are outside.
“..by beginning with the child in nature-study we take him to the laboratory of the wood or garden, the roadside or the field, and his materials are the wild flowers or the weeds, or the insects that visit the goldenrod or the bird that sings in the maple tree, or the woodchuck whistling in the pasture.”
Picnics don’t need to be fancy. Wrap up a sandwich in a cloth napkin, grab a piece of fruit, and some water and you are set. Venture outside even if it is only to your own yard to sit on a blanket and enjoy your lunch. Afterwards you can make time for a short period of nature study.
I love eating outside with my family, especially in the summertime. This week’s Outdoor Hour Challenge encourages you to share a meal outside with your children. Keep it simple as far as food selections and location. Even if all you do is put a few things in a bag, grab a blanket, and then spread it all out on your own backyard lawn, I’m sure you and your children will enjoy the fresh air and the time spent outdoors sharing a meal.
Our family looks back fondly on the meals we shared outside in the summertime on our back deck. It made us slow down a bit and take notice of the things that happen outside like clouds floating by, birds chirping, and trees swaying in the breeze. We watched loads of sunsets and I remember a few times being sprinkled on by a passing late afternoon thunderstorm.
Our family eats dinner outside every night from June to September….longer if the weather allows. We have arranged our patio table under a canopy and the citronella candles are always kept nearby. We have a tree that the hummingbirds sip nectar from in the dusk hours and after our meal we sit and observe their dinnertime.
“…When the weather is warm, why not eat breakfast and lunch outside?…Besides the benefit of an added hour or two of fresh air, meals eaten outside are often delightful, and there’s nothing like happiness to convert food and drink into healthy blood and bodies.“
Charlotte Mason, Outdoor Life pg 43
Summer Nature Study Tip
Purchase some inexpensive, unbreakable dinnerware and reusable utensils. Make sure you have a small ice chest and some cooler packs to pop into your freezer. Gather a blanket or camping chairs to leave in your garage for those last minute excursions to the park for a picnic. Make sure to bring your nature journal and some pencils so you can create a nature journal page if the opportunity arises during or after your picnic.
Outdoor Hour Challenge Picnic
1. The challenge is to have a picnic. No need to go far or to even have a picnic table. Food always tastes better outside and if you don’t want to commit to a whole lunch, why not just a snack?
After you eat, sit and listen to the sounds of the spring.
“Given the power of nature to calm and soothe us in our hurried lives, it also would be interesting to study how a family’s connection to nature influences the general quality of family relationships. Speaking from personal experience, my own family’s relationships have been nourished over the years through shared experiences in nature-from sharing our toddler’s wonder upon turning over a rock and discovering a magnificent bug the size of a mouse, to paddling our old canoe down a nearby creek during the children’s school years, to hiking the mountains.”
2. After your picnic, spend 10-15 minutes observing your surroundings. Add anything new to your list of items observed in your focus area that you are keeping in your nature journal. Make note of any additional research that needs to be done for things your child is interested in. Make a journal entry if you wish.
This challenge is found in the Getting Started ebook which is included in Homeschool Nature Study membership. The ebook provides the challenge as shown above as well as custom notebook pages for your follow up nature journal if desired.
Homeschool Nature Study MembersHave Great Resources at Your Fingertips
Consider working through the first three Outdoor Hour Challenges in the Getting Started ebook. These three challenges can help build your nature study habit. I highly recommend following the suggestions for reading in the Handbook of Nature Study that go along with those challenges. The words expressed in those readings include timeless advice to parents about the value of regular nature study close to home. Make sure to have the printable nature journal pages bookmarked in case your child is ready to create a record of their Outdoor Hour Challenge.
#1 Let’s Get Started #2 Using Your Words #3 Now Is The Time To Draw
Look for the Outdoor Hour Challenge Planning Pages printable in the Planning Resources course. Use these pages to make a rough plan for your nature study.
If you’re not a member here at Homeschool Nature Study yet, please consider joining to gain the benefit of having a nature study library at your fingertips. There are numerous resources available for you to help create the habit of nature study within your family.
