Category: Nature Journal

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7 Fun Winter Nature Study Activities To Help Cure Cabin Fever

When it comes to winter, many people opt to stay indoors unless venturing out is necessary. However, nature has some pretty cool things to offer in winter, so it might be worth your time to go out and explore. Here are a few winter nature study activities that you can do with your kids on those days when you just need a break from cabin fever.

These winter nature activities are perfect for those days when you just need a break from cabin fever.

photo by Amy Law

Winter Nature Study Activities

Measure the Snow

If it snows during winter where you live, you and your kids could track how much snowfall your area gets during the season. All you would need is a ruler and notebook to record the measurements. You never know, it might become an annual tradition. It also might be interesting to be able to look back over the years to see which winters were the snowiest. Enjoy our Snow Homeschool Nature Study!

Make Snow Cones

When I was young, we would wait for the very first snowfall and as soon as there was a good pile of snow on the ground, we would go outside to collect some to make authentic snow cones. We weren’t fancy, so we would just pour a little fruit juice on top of scoops of freshly fallen snow, then devour it like it was the best treat in the world. Another option would be to make snow ice cream!

Study the Stars

Do your kids love watching the night sky? Bundle them up in some warm clothes, grab coats and blankets, load up on hot chocolate, and head outside to gaze at the stars. I personally think that winter is the best time to go star-gazing with kids. Why? Because it gets dark super early, so you can go out and watch the stars, but still have the kids in bed at their regular bedtime.

Look up at the nighttime sky and try to find the winter constellations, like Gemini, Orion, Taurus, Pegasus, and Cassiopeia. You can also look for bright stars like Betelgeuse, Polaris, and Rigel. Take it a step further by telling them the stories behind these celestial bodies. Enjoy our Spectacular Night Sky Nature Studies!

Here is how to make a snowman bird feeder in your own backyard. This is a fun winter idea for your homeschool nature study and feathered friends.

Bird-Watching

Although a lot of birds fly south for the winter, not all do. Try bird-watching to see which local birds stick it out in your area. Print out this Bird of the Day printable to keep track. Or, if you live in the South, see which ones come for an annual visit. You could even make homemade bird feeders to coax them into your yard, like this Snowman Bird Feeder!

Nature Journal

If you spend a lot of time outdoors, why not help your kids start a nature journal. They could draw pictures of things they see, scrapbooks some items, take pictures, or even just talk about the things that they experience during the winter months.


For younger students, we have a printable snowflake journal coming for you in the Preschool section of Homeschool Nature Study Membership. It’s easy to assemble and just their size.

Animal Tracks

Winter can be a great time to get an idea of the types of animals that live in your area. Especially when it snows. Walk around your backyard and neighborhood to see if you notice any animal footprints. Work with your kids to try to identify which animals they belong to. You might be surprised to learn about the various creatures that are all around you. Enjoy these winter nature study activities with Animal Tracks Nature Hunt: Mammals Homeschool Study!

Winter-Themed Books

And when it’s time to warm up back inside, having a book basket of winter-related books helps continue the conversation. Here are a few of our favorite winter books:

Snowflake Bentley: A Winter Snowflake Study – This winter homeschool snowflake study combines the beauty of winter with the fascinating life of Snowflake Bentley.

Stopping By The Woods on a Snowy Evening – we love this book and these tea time homeschool ideas!

And more wintry ideas here:

These winter nature activities are perfect for those days when you just need a break from cabin fever.

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!

Enjoy Even More Nature Studies in Homeschool Nature Study Membership!

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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Fall Nature Study Ideas for Preschoolers and Toddlers

A really great thing about fall is that it is a great time to get outdoors with the kids and explore nature. With that being said, here are some great fall nature study ideas for toddlers and preschoolers that I hope you (and your little ones) will enjoy.

A really great thing about fall is that it is a great time to get outdoors with the kids and explore nature. With that being said, here are some great fall nature study ideas for toddlers and preschoolers that I hope you (and your little ones) will enjoy.

Fall Nature Study Ideas for Preschoolers and Toddlers

I don’t know about you, but fall is one of my favorite seasons. I love the crisp, cool weather that is not too hot and not too cold. I love the radiant beauty associated with the changing of the leaves, when everything around you sports varying hues of golds, reds, yellows, and browns. I love the attire associated with the weather as well – cozy sweaters, sassy boots, and cute scarves. Everything about it is wonderful.

A really great thing about fall is that it is a great time to get outdoors with the kids and explore nature. With that being said, here are some great fall nature study ideas for toddlers and preschoolers that I hope you (and your little ones) will enjoy.

Go for Nature Walks

Fall is the perfect time to go for a walk around your community or even go for a hike in the woods. As you are walking around, teach your kids how to keep an eye (and ear) out for various aspects of nature. Tell them to listen to the birds chirping and the sound of gurgling streams. Take opportunities to point out squirrels collecting nuts and explain how they are preparing for hibernation. There is almost always something of interest going on around you – you just have to take the time to pay attention.

Check out Neighborhood Nature Walks With Young Children

Create a Nature Box or Scrapbook

If your child is the type to enjoy keeping mementos of their experiences, you could help them decorate a box or scrapbook for them to store and display the things that they find during your nature walks. Many kids love collecting things like nuts, uniquely shaped rocks, feathers, leaves, and flowers that they find. It would also be a great way for you to come home and do some research about each of the items to teach them more about their little treasures. Here’s a great video tutorial on making a paper bag nature journal for toddlers and preschoolers.

Get Your FREE Nature Journal Paper Bag Book Pages HERE!

Keep an Art Journal

If your child is more in the camp of ‘observing and not disturbing’, a great alternative to a nature box or scrapbook is an art journal. You can help them to create one by drawing pictures of what they observe (or even snapping a picture) and jotting down little notes about them. This enables them to have a keepsake of their own without actually taking bits and pieces of nature home with them.

A really great thing about fall is that it is a great time to get outdoors with the kids and explore nature. With that being said, here are some great fall nature study ideas for toddlers and preschoolers that I hope you (and your little ones) will enjoy.

Identify Trees and Leaves

Grab a tree guide and help your child learn about and identify the various types of trees that grow in your area. Talk about how some trees produce flowers, nuts, or fruit. Which trees are the tallest or oldest trees in your area? Are there any trees that are indigenous to your area? Point them out and discuss why those trees might only be found in your region (a great way to talk about habitats and climate.) As Fall progresses, and more leaves fall to the ground, you could even help them identify which trees the different leaves come from.

leaf rubbing

Do Leaf Rubbings

Another fun activity to do while you are out and about is to collect different types of leaves and then bring them home to do leaf rubbings. Not sure what this is? Check out Barb’s how to post and video plus this wonderful tutorial.

Go Bird-watching

Have a lot of birds in your area? Take some time to sit out in your yard and have fun observing and identifying the different types of birds that come to visit. You could even try to entice more birds to stop by with one of these DIY bird feeders. For even more bird-themed activities, check out our Bird Study for Different Learning Styles post.

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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The Ultimate Guide To Nature Journaling: Tips For Writing About Nature

We’ve gathered the best tips for writing about nature in this ultimate guide to nature journaling. What a wonderful, joyful way to expand your homeschool nature study!

We've gathered the best tips for writing about nature in this ultimate guide to nature journaling. What a wonderful, joyful way to expand your homeschool nature study!

As part of the Outdoor Hour Challenge I always suggest and encourage a nature journal entry to follow the outdoor time. I know from experience that this takes the nature study to a higher level and each person can personalize their study by slowing down to record a sketch or some narrative in their nature journal.

“We stifle the desire to write if we first lay down rules and formulas as to how to write. Let the child have a personal experience; then allow it to write. Did you ever have a pupil who could not write a composition, but who could write a letter that was full of originality and personality? Why could it write the one and not the other? Too often, I fear, we prevent children from writing by trying to make them write. Of what use is writing anyway, if it is not self-expressive? So let the child have something real and personal to write.Then when the child has written, throw away the blue pencil and suggest tactfully how the piece may be improved here and there. Do not hinder the child.”

The Nature Study Idea, Liberty Hyde Bailey

I have been reading a lot about nature journals this summer as part of research for a new project and I came across this quote by Liberty Hyde Bailey (contemporary of Anna Botsford Comstock). I have found in our family that what he says is very true. If our children have something they are excited about….they relish the idea of sharing it with someone. They can’t wait to talk about it or write about it.

Nature Journal Idea: Write a Letter About Your Nature Study

So enjoy a new idea (it was new to me). After you have your outdoor time and your child has a great experience, have them write a letter to someone about it. They can include sketches or just writing, telling the story of their adventure. Perhaps this will encourage them to dig a little deeper about their subject and since they have plenty to write about….it won’t seem like work.

Nature Journaling as Part of Your Nature Study

For more nature journaling inspiration, enjoy these ideas!

how to make easy preschool nature journals

Enjoy FREE printable pages for a Preschool Nature Journal, along with a how to video. Fun for your youngest ones!

Writing About Nature: A Creative Writing Book for Your Homeschool

The Writing About Nature book will help a wide range of writers who find their passion for nature moves them to document in words the creatures, plants, rhythms and cycles experienced in the great outdoors.

We've gathered the best tips for writing about nature in this ultimate guide to nature journaling. What a wonderful, joyful way to expand your homeschool nature study!

Writing About Nature – Book Review

Writing About Nature by John A. Murray (affiliate link to Amazon.com) was a book that came highly recommended on Amazon.com as a book to help to those that are aspiring to write about nature or their nature experiences. In my case, I don’t intend for everything I write to be published, quite the contrary. I write mostly for my own enjoyment and to keep a record of those things I find the most interesting as I make observations both in my own yard and as I travel.

From the Preface of Writing About Nature: “To give those who can not or will not attend schools the means to learn about the subject on their own, at whatever pace they choose. To provide teachers from high school on up with fifteen lessons to be completed in a semester, written by someone who has taught the subject enough to know what works and what does not work.”

The book is organized by topics: journals, essays, the writing process, opening and closing, word pictures, figurative language, character and dialogue, story-telling, fiction and poetry, revision, and research.

My favorite chapter was on the journal. I have gleaned more out of this part than any other because my aim is not to write magazine articles or essays to publish, but to satisfy my desire to record my time in the natural world in a way that is not only an accurate record but enjoyable to read. After reading this chapter, I completed the practice exercise that suggested writing a journal that covers one season of the year….writing each day through the whole quarter, noting the changes that occur as nature moves through a circle of time. I did the spring season from March to June earlier this year. What a wonderful journal to look back upon!

Learning About the Writing Process

My second favorite chapter in this book was on the writing process. It outlined and explained how different writers have successfully used methods of writing that fit different objectives. There are quotes and portions of writing from famous writers like Thoreau, Abbey, and Mark Twain.

I was able to glean some tips for experimenting with ways to write about nature like keeping random field notes and then writing from those or using a quick write method which makes for a more conversational style of writing. Playing with words and ideas is something that is enjoyable for me so this chapter gave me fresh ways of creating a more polished piece of nature writing.

Each chapter has practice exercises. These suggestions can sometimes be done rather quickly but there are some exercises that take more time that you will need to plan for if you are doing this as part of a writing course.

Writing About Nature: Creative Writing for Homeschooling High School

Teaching high school students? This book would be a wonderful supplement to a high school writing course, a creative writing course, or as an extension of an advanced nature study course.

  • This book is not meant to be read cover to cover and then be put up on the shelf. It is meant to stimulate your writing skills and techniques over time.
  • Contains a complete anthology, index, and list of creative writing programs to investigate.
  • 15 chapters that can be complete writing units taking a week or longer to complete.

I am going to be pulling this off my reference shelf whenever I feel I need to freshen up my nature writing.

Last Child in the Woods review

More Nature Study Books and Reviews

We've gathered the best tips for writing about nature in this ultimate guide to nature journaling. What a wonderful, joyful way to expand your homeschool nature study!

Homeschool Nature Study Membership

Join us for even more homeschool nature studies for all the seasons! With a nature study plan for each week, you will have joyful learning leading all the way through the homeschool year for all your ages!

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Handbook of Nature Study for your homeschool

by Barb McCoy, founder of the Outdoor Hour Challenges

Happy writing!

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Homeschool Nature Study Printables for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Enjoy these preschool printables alongside our Delightful Preschool Homeschool Nature Study Curriculum!

Enjoy these homeschool nature study preschool printables alongside our Delightful Preschool Homeschool Nature Study Curriculum!

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!

Nature Study Printables For Toddlers And Preschoolers: An Overview

Nature Study Printables for Toddlers and Preschoolers is a 60+ page eBook containing all of our toddler and preschool nature study printables plus 20 exclusive pages available only in this book! Use these tools to help informally introduce young children to the natural world around them.

Table of Contents:

Nature Printables for Preschoolers

*Debunking Preschool Science Myths
*Neighborhood Nature Walks with Young Children
*10 Tips for Studying Nature with Toddlers and Preschoolers
*Printable I Spy Cards

  • Animal Edition
  • Spring Edition
  • Garden Edition
  • Fall Edition
  • Winter Edition

*Printable Nature Booklets

  • Ants
  • Butterflies
  • Fish
  • Worms
  • Nature
  • Frogs
  • Ladybugs

F.A.Q.’s About Nature Study Printables For Toddlers And Preschoolers

Is this a preschool science curriculum?

No. This eBook provides printables to use alongside Homeschool Nature Study’s Preschool Curriculum on nature walks and nature studies.

What tools will I need to use these printables?

Copypaper and cardstock. Basic supplies such as binoculars and a magnifying glass are fun tools to have on hand but are not necessary. If you don’t have frogs, butterflies, ants, worms, or ladybugs on hand to observe there are kits available for purchase.

How do you make the preschool nature journals?

How to make easy preschool science nature journals.

Fun Preschool Learning in Homeschool Nature Study Membership

These wonderful preschool printables are included in our Delightful Preschool Homeschool Nature Study Plans in Homeschool Nature Study membership!

Don’t miss the free sample of preschool curriculum in this post!

Delightful Homeschool Nature Study Preschool Curriculum

Enjoy relaxed preschool nature study plans for your homeschool with nature table suggestions, simple nature study activities, field trip ideas, images to print, coloring pages, and so much more. What a privilege to introduce children to the glorious world God created!

Have children eager to be outside? You can think of the earliest years outdoors with your children as the way to grow a love and curiosity about the natural world. This habit develops gradually over their childhood. The earlier you start building a habit of nature study in your family, the easier it will be to encourage children to be engaged in nature study.

Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Access to ALL of The Preschool + MORE!

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

Enjoy these homeschool nature study preschool printables alongside our Delightful Preschool Homeschool Nature Study Curriculum!
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Homeschool Garden Activities for May Nature Studies

These homeschool garden activities are perfect for your May nature studies. Includes outdoor activities and gardening tips for kids.

These homeschool garden activities are perfect for your May nature studies. Includes outdoor activities and gardening tips for kids.
Image by Amy Law

Nature Study Encouragement for Your Outdoor Hour Family Time

Before you begin homeschool garden activities, enjoy these ideas for getting outdoors with your family.

Nature Study in Ripples: Simple Ways to Study Nature

Simple Ways to Study Nature – Here are some simple ways to study nature in your homeschool. Start in your own yard then let your discoveries grow out like ripples in a pond.

“Nature study is, despite all discussions and perversions, a study of nature; it consists of simple, truthful observations that may, like beads on a string, finally be threaded upon the understanding and thus held together as a logical and harmonious whole.”

Handbook of Nature Study, page 1

99 Homeschool Nature Study Ideas to Get Your Family Outside

Be inspired with 99 homeschool nature study ideas and outdoors sorts of things! Make a list of your own and get outdoors!

Homeschool Garden Activities Perfect for May Nature Studies

“A child who makes a garden, and then becomes intimate with the plants he cultivates, and comes to understand the interrelation of the various forms of life which he finds in his garden, has progressed far in the fundamental knowledge of nature’s ways as well as in a practical knowledge of agriculture.”

Handbook of Nature Study, page 20 in the section “Gardening and nature Study”

Here are some great nature study ideas for your May homeschool!

Garden and Wildflower Nature Studies with the Outdoor Hour Challenges

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!

Make a Wagon Garden

For this particular garden, I have a rusty old Red Flyer wagon that has wheels that no longer turn…How to Make a Wagon Garden.

These homeschool garden activities are perfect for your May nature studies. Includes outdoor activities and gardening tips for kids.

World Turtle Day Nature Activities

Turtle Nature Study for Your Homeschool – Learn about pond life, pondweed and a pond habitat with this fun turtle nature study for your homeschool. Includes activities for learning about tortoises and microscopic pond life too.

Mammals: Goat Nature Study

This goat homeschool nature study is packed with fun from fainting goats to advanced mammal studies! Bring the Handbook of Nature Study to Life in your homeschool! Here’s a peek at what you can expect to enjoy in this Outdoor Hour Challenge for Homeschool Nature Study members.

earthworm nature study

Earthworms Invertebrates Nature Study

This earthworm homeschool nature study is packed with great learning for all ages and even includes advanced invertebrate studies!

Butterfly Nature Study: How to Make a Butterfly Puddle

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. Learn How to Make a Butterfly Puddle!

great sunflower project

Homeschool Garden Activities: The Great Sunflower Project

What is the Great Sunflower Project? This is a citizen science activity that you can participate in with your children. If you can grow a sunflower (or selected other flowers), you can join the project with just a few minutes invested later this summer.

Beautiful Queen Anne’s Lace Wildflower Nature Study

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

These homeschool garden activities are perfect for your May nature studies. Includes outdoor activities and gardening tips for kids.

Charlotte Mason Nature Study: Simple Ideas for Wildflowers

These timeless Charlotte Mason nature study ideas are as relevant today as when they were written and I’m forever grateful for the encouragement these gave me when I was a new homeschooler.

Gathering Things for Your Nature Table

Unsure of what a nature table is exactly? Here is a simple definition with some ideas and tips. These will help you begin the habit of gathering things for your homeschool nature table during your Outdoor Hour Challenge time.

plan an outdoor picnic for your homeschool

Plan a Picnic

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.

These homeschool garden activities are perfect for your May nature studies. Includes outdoor activities and gardening tips for kids.

The Ultimate Guide to National Parks Nature Study

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

More Homeschool Garden Learning

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. 

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.

Mother’s Day Garden activities – Paint some garden flowers for a lovely Mother’s Day gift!

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!

Out of School and Into Nature

More Nature Study Ideas for Your May Homeschool

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.

3 Tips for Nature Journaling When You Think You Can’t Sketch – Here is some encouragement for you with 3 tips for nature journaling when you think you can’t sketch. My personal nature journal is a source of great joy and it gives me such pleasure to create pages that record my observations and memories of a particular day, excursion, or season.

How Nature Study Enriches Your High School Biology in Your Homeschool – Just how to include homeschool nature study as part of high school biology? Here you will find a break down of nature study suggestions and accompanying resources for each module of your homeschool biology lessons. I really think it depends on the family and how much nature study you have time to fit in with your high school age children.

You might also like to explore some May Homeschool Celebrations.

Homeschool Nature Study membership calendar activities
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:

  • 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
Homeschool Nature Study May Nature Craft - Nature Coronation Crown. 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, just in time for the crowning of King Charles II."

Coronation Crown Nature Craft for Annual 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, just in time for the crowning of King Charles II.”

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!

The Outdoor Mom in May

Outdoor Mom Encouragement for Annual Homeschool Nature Study Members

The Outdoor Mom in May Helps Us Refocus

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to attend your own business and work with your hands –

1 Thessalonians 4:11

It reminds me to re-focus my goals and ambitions so that they align with God’s will rather than my own, often more worldly, ambitions.

This verse grounds me. When I put this verse into action in practical ways in my everyday life I find that life slows down and I have enough head space to allow my thoughts to centre on what is important.

The May Outdoor Mom includes:

  • Choosing a journaling spot
  • 10 (!) May nature prompts for outdoors, for journaling and for either the seashore or mountains
  • Ideas for working with your hands
  • Six ideas for making the ordinary extraordinary – including planting a kitchen garden!
Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

These homeschool garden activities are perfect for your May nature studies. Includes outdoor activities and gardening tips for kids.

Tricia and her family fell in love with the Handbook of Nature Study and the accompanying Outdoor Hour Challenges early in their homeschooling. The simplicity and ease of the weekly outdoor hour challenges brought joy to their homeschool and opened their eyes to the world right out their own back door! She shares the art and heart of homeschooling at You ARE an ARTiST and Your Best Homeschool plus her favorite curricula at The Curriculum Choice.

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January Nature Studies Perfect for Winter Homeschooling

Enjoy January nature studies perfect for winter homeschooling! 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.

Enjoy January nature studies perfect for winter homeschooling! 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.
Photo by Amy Law

January Nature Studies Perfect for Winter Homeschooling

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. 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. Take a walk and listen to the crunch of the snow. Breathe the air and enjoy the day.

Go On a Winter Nature Walk

Getting outside for a walk in winter may be one of the most refreshing activities you could do with your children. Simple and fun!

snow experiments for your January homeschool
Melting snow nature study activity

Learn About Snow in January

In this homeschool snow study there is so much to discover! Included is a field guide to snow, experiments like filtering, guidance from the Handbook of Nature Study and more!

Enjoy January nature studies perfect for winter homeschooling! 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.

Study Insects In Your January Homeschool

We are focusing on winter insects in our homeschool nature study outdoor hour challenges. We are using the Winter Wednesday course and Handbook of Nature Study curriculum with our members. You can join our membership at any time. You will find a button at the end of this post that will take you to the signup page.

When Winter Weather Drives Your Homeschool Nature Studies Indoors

Taking your winter nature studies indoors when the weather outdoors is proving to be a challenge may be just the thing you need every once in a while. We have a lovely post from the archives to inspire your homeschool nature studies indoors for those days that you can’t face getting outdoors.

Are you ready? Enjoy these Great Backyard Bird Count Homeschool Resources as you watch birds in your backyard this February!

January Homeschool Bird Study

Winter Bird Study for Your Homeschool – Even when the landscape is covered in snow or ice or mud, there are always birds that will come to visit if you create a little bird-friendly habitat with some seeds, suet, and freshwater. You can observe birds right from your window if the weather isn’t friendly. Or, if you have the right conditions, take a bird walk in a nearby wood. Winter is an amazing time to stroll your neighborhood looking for resident or visiting birds.

Winter Homeschool Nature Study with Art and Music Appreciation

This winter homeschool nature study curriculum contains all the nature study Outdoor Hour Challenges, custom notebook pages for nature study as well as art and music appreciation, and three months’ worth of art and music appreciation.

Writing this winter homeschool nature study curriculum has helped us appreciate the winter season more than we ever have before. Part of our enthusiasm has come from spending more time outdoors bundled up with our families exploring the winter landscape.

Enjoy all kinds of January nature studies perfect for winter homeschooling! Get outside for a brisk nature walk and follow up with a nature journal page.
Outdoor Hour Challenge Winter Tree Silhouettes
Enjoy all kinds of January nature studies perfect for winter homeschooling! Get outside for a brisk nature walk and follow up with a nature journal page.
Enjoy all kinds of January nature studies perfect for winter homeschooling! Get outside for a brisk nature walk and follow up with a nature journal page.

More Winter Homeschool Nature Study Resources

Here are even more winter nature studies for you to enjoy together:

Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership For a NEW Outdoor Hour Challenge Each Week!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Enjoy all kinds of January nature studies perfect for winter homeschooling! Get outside for a brisk nature walk and follow up with a nature journal page.

Tricia and her family fell in love with the Handbook of Nature Study and the accompanying Outdoor Hour Challenges early in their homeschooling. The simplicity and ease of the weekly outdoor hour challenges brought joy to their homeschool and opened their eyes to the world right out their own back door! She shares the art and heart of homeschooling at You ARE an ARTiST and Your Best Homeschool plus her favorite curricula at The Curriculum Choice.

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Creating a Nature Journal Supply Kit for Your Homeschool

Here are some tips for creating a nature journal supply kit for your homeschool. It is simple, inexpensive and is easy to do!

Creating a nature journal with your children is an experience you all can enjoy. I always told my children (and myself) that there’s really no right or wrong way to create a page, except if you never gave it a try. Over the years, I had to create a routine for nature journaling or we would procrastinate or forget it altogether.

One way to give us a better chance of creating a nature journal was to take our journal and our supplies along on our nature walk so we could create a page right at the moment. But, this meant I needed to be a little prepared before we left the house.

So, we created a nature journal supply kit.

Nature Journal supplies basic. Here are some tips for creating a nature journal supply kit for your homeschool. It is simple, inexpensive and is easy to do!

Creating a Nature Journal Supply Kit for Your Homeschool

What did we take along with us?

When the children were younger they exclusively used spiral bound journals because they were easier to take along with us when we did our sketching. We used No. 2 pencils and colored pencils pretty much for all the entries.

Nature Journal supplies pouch with pens pencils

For variety and as they grew older, we started to use colored pencils and thin markers to create our nature entries. Watercolors often gave a wonderful result but they required a bit more effort because you needed to bring along a water source, the brushes, and a paper towel or cloth in addition to the journal.

Nature Journal Kit in ziploc

I found that keeping our supplies all together in one spot and storing them in an easy to find place, made it more likely that we would actually complete a page while we were taking our Outdoor Hour.

I suggest you find a container like a plastic crate, a tote bag, or a backpack to use as a storage container for your journal supplies. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Don’t use anything too large or too heavy or you won’t want to lug it around on your nature walks.

Nature Journal supplies watercolors

I have a plastic container that I purchased at the Dollar Tree store many years ago that has held up nicely, but I’m sure you have something sitting around your house that you could start off using for now.

Gather your supplies and remember to keep it simple. A few No. 2 pencils with erasers, a small set of colored pencils, a small set of watercolors and a brush, some tape, a pair of scissors, a water container, and a pencil sharpener can form the foundation of your supply kit.

Over time, your family will find favorite supplies to have when journaling on the road. The most important part of journaling is to have experiences to document on the journal pages. Start there. Create the opportunity for a good nature study and then follow up with a little time to work in your nature journal.

“It was time for new nature notebooks for sure. We purchased these smaller versions of our old notebooks at a Michael’s, and I think they’ll be just perfect. We’ve tried them out, and we are finding the smaller size to be super convenient. I love all the fun colors!” – Amy Law

The habit of nature journaling is something that will benefit your child long after they have grown up. It teaches important observation and documenting skills that will benefit other areas of study and real life.

Handbook of Nature Study: an Outdoor Hour Homeschool Curriculum - Nature Journaling

More Nature Journal Encouragement For The Entire Family

Here are some more ideas and encouragement on nature journaling for you and your children:

Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Nature Journal Tips Every Week!

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Homeschool Nature Study Resource: Keeping a Nature Journal – Review

Keeping a Nature Journal is a great homeschool nature study resource and contains a wealth of ideas that you can pick and choose to use as inspiration. This book is a tool like so many other tools we use in our family’s nature study.

This book is a great homeschool nature study resource and contains a wealth of ideas that you can pick and choose to use as inspiration. Keeping a Nature Journal, is a tool like so many other tools we use in our family's nature study.
Photos by Amy Law

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

Homeschool Nature Study Resource

This is a book that many of us own and is sitting on our shelf. It may also be a book that you have looked at online, have seen others using, or actually paged through at a bookstore. It is a familiar book that I have a love/hate relationship because of the perceived expectation that it creates for journalers.

Many of us struggle with perfection. We think that a nature journal should be a place of beauty and value…which I agree with wholeheartedly. But, it also can be a place that we experiment and mess up from time to time. A smear here or a misspelled word or funky drawing we don’t like can also appear on a nature journal page. Those “mess ups” shouldn’t keep us from striving to create pages on a regular basis.

Don’t let the great page examples overwhelm or discourage but allow them to create a reservoir of ideas to use over the years as you fill your journal.

A review of Keeping a Nature Journal Homeschool Nature Study Resource

Quick Thoughts About the Book

Note: page numbers are from the first edition

  • This is a book for all ages to use as they learn to keep a nature journal.
  • You will find ideas for using a nature journal in all curriculum areas on page 165 (A Curriculum Web for Nature Journaling).
  • The “Getting Started with Drawing” section (pages 139-153) would be a wonderful basis for an art course using nature as your subject.
  • I found the section titled, “Subjects to Observe, Draw, Record throughout the Seasons“, to be a wonderful inspiration and I intend to refer to it for my own use. Each season is listed in the chart along with ideas for drawing birds, animals, plants and trees, weather and sky, and seasonal celebrations.
  • ***I see the second edition of this book has an expanded section showing more of Claire’s actual journal pages.

Keeping a Nature Journal by Claire Walker Leslie and Charles E. Roth gives this long term nature journal mom some fresh ideas that I can’t wait to use in the upcoming summer season.

Find this great resource HERE.

More Homeschool Reviews

Are you making your nature journal your sidekick this summer?

Previous Month’s Books and Reviews and More Nature Journaling Homeschool Resources

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

To get each Friday’s homeschool nature study Outdoor Hour Challenge and for access to a continuing series of new nature studies, join us in Homeschool Nature Study Membership. With homeschool nature study membership, you will have everything you need to bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool.

Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

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Monthly Nature Journal Activities For Your Homeschool

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

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

The Value Of Nature Journaling In Your Homeschool

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

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

Monthly Projects For Nature Journaling

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

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

Homeschool Nature Journal Supplies Needed?

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

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

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

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

Nature Journals

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

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

Art Supplies for Writing and Sketching

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

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

Other Journaling Supplies

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

More Encouragement

Handbook of Nature Study nature journaling

Nature Journal Series Overview By Month

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

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

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

More nature journal activities coming for members each month!

Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

Monthly Nature Journal Activities For Your Homeschool

Share Your Nature Journals!

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

Browse examples by others on this Nature Journal Pinterest board.

Tricia and her family fell in love with the Handbook of Nature Study and the accompanying Outdoor Hour Challenges early in their homeschooling. The simplicity and ease of the weekly outdoor hour challenges brought joy to their homeschool and opened their eyes to the world right out their own back door! She shares the art and heart of homeschooling at You ARE an ARTiST and Your Best Homeschool plus her favorite curricula at The Curriculum Choice.

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The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling for Your Homeschool

I have seen many books on nature journaling but the Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling is definitely the most thorough and potentially helpful of any book I’ve ever found for our homeschool. <<<<< This book is going to help me in my journaling and drawing skills immensely.

have seen many books on nature journaling but the Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling is definitely the most thorough and potentially helpful of any book I’ve ever found for our homeschool.

This review includes Amazon.com affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling – Review

I finally received The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling by John Muir Laws from our public library and it has taken a few weeks to get through an initial read through of this detailed and thorough book. My first reaction was one of happy surprise.

I would have been happy with this book just being a helpful “how to” sort of book with suggestions and hints for getting started with drawing in my nature journal. It was much more than I expected! The sections at the beginning of the book were a delight as they unfolded many ideas and insightful help in the philosophy and methodology behind nature journaling. Laws reminds us that careful and thoughtful observations should be the backbone of our nature study.

“Copying the journaling approaches of others will not reduce your own creativity or make you a clone of another person. You will incorporate what you find useful into your own style and discard what does not work for you.” John Muir Laws (page 63)

The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling is full of inspiring illustrations that are not just in the book to be pretty. He breaks his example pages down to show how we can use the ideas and patterns in our own journals.

have seen many books on nature journaling but the Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling is definitely the most thorough and potentially helpful of any book I’ve ever found for our homeschool.

 

There are many, many specific drawing tutorials for everyday subjects you may encounter in your nature travels like frogs, flowers, trees, birds, and so much more. This section of the book could be the basis for a complete course in nature journaling. If my children were still homeschooling, my brain would be organizing the material so we could work through it methodically.

“Before you pick up your journal again, reform your intentions; let go of the goal of making a pretty picture. You don’t have to be good at drawing to discover amazing things through the process of journaling. John Muir Laws (page 86)

One of my favorite sections in this book is the two page spread that is titled, “A Road Map from Wishes to Practice”. On these two pages, John Muir Laws puts into words so much of what I try to encourage my blog readers to remember about journaling – everyone can draw with practice!

Take Your Nature Journaling Skills to the Next Level

If you are new to drawing or feel you don’t have a gift for drawing, this book is going to be a perfect bridge for you to get from where you are to the next level. It has specific step by step tutorials that will give you the confidence to start a practice of journaling. The author gives us all encouragement that we can take our skills to the next level with lots of practice and we will only fail if we give up or don’t try!

I highly recommend The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling. I am going to be purchasing it to help me in my nature goal for 2017 to create a nature journal page each week. It will be a very beloved and well used book that I will keep in my personal nature reference library. I may be purchasing a few as gifts to share with some young friends I know that love nature and drawing.

have seen many books on nature journaling but the Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling is definitely the most thorough and potentially helpful of any book I’ve ever found for our homeschool.

The Laws Guide To Nature Drawing And Journaling: An Overview

  • If you read this book, don’t miss the first 17 pages. There are some fundamental ideas found there that I truly think will shape my thinking about science and nature study for a long time to come. He has gathered some important ideas on these pages and I would hate to think you are going to skip them to get to the drawing tutorials.
  • He suggests using the prompts I notice, I wonder, and It reminds me of to help us go a little deeper in our nature journaling.
  • There are project ideas that help you get started as you face a blank page. Check out pages 20 and 21.
  • Although this book is written by someone who lives on the west coast of the United States, the ideas and tutorials are applicable to anyone no matter where you live.
  • There is a comprehensive supplies list with specific suggestions that I found extremely helpful. I am a firm believer that having quality materials and a variety of media to choose from makes all the difference in your results.
  • Not only does he have a list of supplies, he has pages dedicated to showing you exactly how to use the pencils, pens, colored pencils, gouche, watercolors, and watercolor pencils in your nature journal, including some common mistakes beginners make using the materials. Helpful!
  • If you have never checked out the author’s website, you NEED to: John Muir Laws.

Look for this book at your public library or put it on your Amazon wishlist!

The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling is definitely the most thorough and potentially helpful of any book I’ve ever found for our homeschool.

first published 2017