Category: Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival

This is a very full carnival! Lots of new faces along with our carnival veterans….lovely to see how everyone is jumping in with the newsletter challenges but remaining flexible to follow interest and opportunities. I am overwhelmed with all the wonderful nature study that you have allowed time for in your busy lives…you will be blessed with children who are happier and healthier.

I am announcing two things before I share the carnival entries.

1. My new More Nature Study With The Outdoor Hour Challenge ebook will be ready for purchase on September 5, 2011. This ebook includes ten nature study challenges focusing on topics you may find this autumn season. In addition to the usual challenges, follow-up suggestions, and notebook pages, I have included “Advanced Follow-Up” activities and “Upper Level” notebook pages to take each challenge a little further for advanced or older students. Please checkout the sample HERE. All of the ten ebook challenges will be posted on the Handbook of Nature Study blog over the course of the autumn season starting Friday, September 9, 2011. More information to come.

I have also included a special discount link in the September 2011 Newsletter. Make sure to read the newsletter and find the link there to use for your discounted price of $6.95 for the month of September.

2. Starting with the October issue of the Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter, the newsletter link will only be available to those that subscribe to my blog. Please make sure to subscribe to the Handbook of Nature Study so you do not miss the October 2011 and future issues of the Newsletter.
Subscribe to Handbook of Nature Study by Email

Now for the carnival!

August Newsletter Topics

Dragonflies
Amy at Hope is the Word shares their entry: Pond Study – Cows and Dragonflies. She captured a beautiful dragonfly and their study ended with some very well-done journal pages. Their family shares another entry from their pond study with lots of great experiences to write about: Turtles, Geese, and Herons! She also shares why their nature study time is the highlight of their week. Awesome.

Phyllis writes about Nature Study of Water Habitats which shows their multifaceted nature study featuring many water creatures.This entry will inspire you to do some research about your local water habitat.

Don’t miss reading Erin’s entry for their Dragonfly Study.  She has some awesome images for you to enjoy!

Nicole (Journey to Excellence) seized the newsletter topic and they have started an ongoing pond study. Here in Pond Study #1 she shares their observations and journal entries using the suggestion from the August Newsletter. How about her follow-up entry? Here is Pond Study #2.

Kirsty joins the carnival with their family’s Dragonflies Entry. They all did journal entries and share their outdoor time with carnival readers. They also submitted their pond dipping activity. I loved seeing their list of pond creatures they were able to observe with this project. Great job!

Leslie and her daughter had a chance to study some dragonflies at a local pond. You can read their entry here: Outdoor Hour Challenge – Dragonflies!

Jamie spent the day with her family on the river canoeing (not exactly a pond habitat but still on the water). They took the time encourage some water habitat nature study….their entry Canoeing the Chestatee shows a list of the things they observed  on their trip. Jamie has even started journaling about her experiences…great example Jamie. Would you like to read her daughter’s blog entry, you can read her view of the day HERE.
 

Frogs
Tricia shares their very unexpected nature study with Fabulous Find of the Frog Kind. Wonderful example for all of us to keep our eyes open and then let our schedule be flexible. Thanks for sharing! I am going to share another of their entries that shows more of their backyard tadpole habitat along with some other great nature study: Summer Nature Walks and Discoveries.

Jamie and her daughter are trying to start a year of nature study and they visited a near-by pond. They share their entry Pond Critters with carnival readers.

Ducks
Nicole from One Hook Wonder shares their duck observations at a near-by lake. They combined some family time, a bike ride, and a little nature study. Perfect!

Cattails
Nicole and her family did a great cattail investigation as part of the OHC this month. They not only observed and recorded their cattail study but they found other things to learn about as well. Read their entry: OHC – Cattails.
 
Tricia’s family had a day with their Creation Club at the pond. Guess what? They found cattails! Make sure to check out their wonderful pond study: Lily Pad Pond.

Jennifer joins the carnival with her entry: The Pond Outdoor Hour Study.  She shares their very successful pond nature study even with a toddler along for the ride. So glad they jumped in and gave it a try.

Amy from Hope is the Word writes about their second trip to the pond to view some cattails. Read all about it in her entry Pond Study: Cattails.  Don’t miss their very well done nature journals.She enjoyed her study so much that she wrote a recap entry here: Pond Flora and Fauna.

Potpourri

Kim shares their entry, Experiments in Flight: Lift, Thrust, and Drag. Their family did direct observations of their backyard hummingbirds and then learned more in the more formal science study. Great job!

The Schoolhouse On The Prairie is just starting out with the challenges…they share Outdoor Hour Challenge #1. I’m sure she would love to have you leave her an encouraging comment.

Amber is joining the carnival with Outdoor Hour Challenge #2….using their words.  Make sure to make Amber feel at home….let her know you read her entry. 🙂

Janet has submitted a great post on their Milkweed Adventures which also includes some other insect study as well. This is perfect as a warm up to next month’s up-coming challenge for milkweed (stay tuned for that one).

Phyllis writes about their millipede and has some great images of this big guy in their submission to the carnival: Nature Study-North American Millipede. Phyllis also shares their water lily study…complete with pastel artwork to put the finishing touches on a already great study: The Water Lily and Lotus. How about one more from this family? Check out their Queen Anne’s Lace study using the Handbook of Nature Study. Great job on all of these studies!

I have read about sunflower houses before and have always wanted to grow one. Amanda and her boys have one this year, complete with vining morning glories. Check out their entry on their blog: Our Sunflower House.  They also submit a very encouraging entry sharing their summer nature study in their own backyard: Gourd-eous.

Kristen shares their Leaf-cutter Bees using the Handbook of Nature Study. What a great example showing how to take advantage of the opportunities that come along in your own backyard. Their family also had a chance to study their Beetles and Cicadas..another great desert nature study. A trip to the ocean beach provided another opportunity to introduce some nature study objects for her young family: A Little Nature Study on Vacation.Thanks Kristen.

Julie is jumping into the Carnival this time with Outdoor Hour Challenge #1. She shares their walk on the coast of San Diego. Here comes Outdoor Hour Challenge #2 as well…great job with this one too. On to Outdoor Hour Challenge #3….they are most definitely on a roll. Welcome Julie!

Nicole (One Hook Wonder) has written and submitted their Outdoor Hour Challenge Squirrels entry showing how they have enjoyed observing a squirrel visitor. Fun!

Kim shares her entry from her blog, A Child’s Garden, in this carnival entry: Little Brown Birds.  What a wonderful entry showing how to pull so many resources together to tie your nature study up with other areas of learning. They also encountered a Hummingbird (Sphinx) moth which she writes about in another wonderful entry. Thanks Kim.

Amanda is back from her maternity/summer break to share her latest nature study with carnival readers….their family enjoyed observing, listening, and learning about crickets in this entry: A Cricket Cage.

That wraps up this edition of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. Make sure to check out the September Newsletter for a fresh batch of topics and ideas for your nature study. You can submit entries to the next carnival HERE.

August Newsletter Giveaway
After generating a random number, it was determined that Tricia (Hodgepodge Mom) is going to receive the August Newsletter Giveaway prize of the Dover Backyard Nature Coloring Book. Congratulations Tricia! Send me an email with your mailing address and I will get that mailed out to you ASAP.

Summer nature study is so much fun! There is never any shortage of great topics and this carnival reflects how each family is taking the OHC and making it their own. (If I missed your entry, please email me and let me know and I will add it. The Blog Carnival website had some issues again this month.)

Thanks so much for sharing your nature study.

Make sure to check back tomorrow for the August Newsletter post with fresh ideas for your summer nature study. I will also announce July’s giveaway winner in that post.

Tricia and her children share their sunflower study….their second summer taking a closer look. You can read their entry on their family Hodgepodge blog, Summer Sunflowers.
  
Mary Jo from Seeds of Peace contributes their Nature Study-Sunflowers entry for carnival readers. Her son did a great job with the details on his notebooking page.

Nicole and her daughter did a sunflower study complete with artwork and baking! Read on her blog, Journey to Excellence, their entry, Sunflowers.

Jenny from Grace in Loving Chaos joins the carnival with her entry: Nature Study Sunflowers.

Nicole from One Hook Wonder writes about their experience with Painted Lady butterflies as part of this challenge. My favorite part of the entry is when they release the butterfly and it goes straight to their garden flowers! Perfect ending to the story of the butterfly.

Brandy writes about their Creepy Crawly Critters on her blog Half-a-Hundred Acre Wood.

Tricia and her family had an bee/insect study in their own backyard. Read their entry, Bees and Buzzy Insects, to see how they learned so much about their bees and wasps.

Susan from Learning all the Time shares their July Nature Study: Honeybees entry with carnival readers.Make sure to see their very well done nature journal entries.

Tristan shares their surprise insect study on her blog Our Busy Homeschool: We Play in the Rain and Meet a Furry Friend. What a colorful critter they found…don’t miss seeing it!

Ann from Harvest Moon by Hand writes about their Bats/Outdoor Hour Challenge. They went on a bat hunt!

Nicole from One Hook Wonder shares their Night Critters post…complete with a sound recording of their subject.

Tricia shares their Summer Weather entry on her HodgePodge blog. They share one day of cloud observations and end with an art project!

Heather from the Tully Telegraph shares their OHC #3 Green Anoles.  Don’t miss reading their entry and seeing the nature journals. I love that each one captures a different aspect of their study. Great example!

Ann and her daughters share their Clover Study on her blog Harvest Moon By Hand. What an interesting entry covering so many aspects of this everyday plant. She’s included some recipes again and some wonderful images. Ann also shares their Summer Cattail Study and their One Small Square Study with carnival readers. One last entry from Anne and her girls shows their wonderful Summer Tree Study, updating from their spring study.

Kristin from Broom and Crown shares a wonderful preschool nature study with carnival readers this time. Check out their entry: What’s Under the Dirt.

Kim writes on A Child’s Garden about their Dandelions: A Bilingual Lesson on Plant Study. She used the ideas from the Spring Dandelion Challenge and then added some great activities. Thanks for the great ideas.

Beachcombing- Shark Teeth is another entry from Kim and her blog, A Child’s Garden. She shows us how they studied shark’s teeth using resources other than the Handbook of Nature Study….I love to see how families take the ideas from the HNS and apply them to their own subjects. Great job.

Serena from Casting Pearls shares their Nesting Robins with carnival readers. She has some beautiful images of the eggs and wonder nature journal examples. Don’t miss the update to this entry where they make a positive identification of their nesting bird.

Kim also shares a great bird entry in their post Summer Bird Study: Blue Jays. She shows how their family pulled together a number of resources, including the Handbook of Nature Study, to make their bird study complete.

That completes this edition of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. I look forward to reading your August entries and seeing how nature study is accomplished in your part of the world.

There seems to have been a malfunction with the Blog Carnival website this month. I know some of your had trouble submitting your entries and I know I didn’t receive notice for many of the entries. PLEASE let me know if I somehow missed your entry and you would like to be included in the carnival.

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION: There were four suggested topics in the newsletter but I don’t want to limit any of you to just those topics. There is a section at the bottom of the carnival that I titled “Potpourri” and I have included the entries that don’t fall into the suggested four topics there. I think this really gives the carnival a great flavor and I truly enjoyed reading each and every entry.

I would like for the entries to include some element of an Outdoor Hour Challenge – reading in the Handbook of Nature Study, outdoor time exploring as a family, and following up with discussion, research, and an opportunity for a nature journal entry. One thing I would like to ask of you in return is to include in your entries a link back to the Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletter or the Handbook of Nature Study blog. I want as many people as possible to learn about our activities and jump in and participate. If you want to use the Outdoor Hour Challenge logo in your entries that is encouraged too but not required.

• Angie and her sons have voted their woodpecker bird study their Favorite Nature Study ever! Now that says a lot because they have done a lot of nature study. Take a look at their entry and their journals: Hairy
  Woodpecker.
• Serena from Casting Pearls has captured their June Nature Study in her entry to the carnival. They started out going to an apple orchard but they found it filled with a flock of Cedar Waxwings. She has the most gorgeous images of the birds in the apple blossoms! Don’t miss seeing their family’s entry.
•  Heather posted their Killdeer Nature Study on their family’s blog, Kingdom Arrows. I love that they were able to incorporate the Bird Study Grid from the June newsletter and take advantage of the notebook page. Thanks Heather.
• Ann from Harvest Moon by Hand always shows how much you can pack into one nature study topic. This Spring Bird Study entry is no exception and you will enjoy reading about their bird song study. She writes, “One of the things Olivia mentioned was that she heard so many birds singing all at the same time.  One would start and then another and another.  ‘I couldn’t tell the old birds from the new birds.’  It did sound like – a constant symphony of birds singing and calling to one another.” Click over to see her whole entry.
• Zonnah shares their Dove Study on her blog this month. Check out their nature journal entries and it looks like they used the Bird List from the June Newsletter too!
• Kristin and her girls looked for Backyard Desert Birds in the very hot desert temperatures! They made a quick outdoor study and even found some feathers to observe. Make sure to see the gilded flicker images. Wonderful!
• What a treat of an entry Tricia and her children put together for the carnival! Check out Bird Watching on their Hodgepodge Homeschool blog. They used the Bird Study Grid and the Bird List from the Newsletter. Don’t miss all the wonderful images and their journal entries
• Alex from Canadian Home Learning submits to the carnival their Unplanned Nature Study of ducks and a Mudpuppy. Don’t know what that is? Click over and read all about it and don’t miss the adorable duckling photos.
• Susan from Learning All The Time writes about their June bird study as outlined in the June Newsletter. I really enjoyed seeing their bird list and their journals. Thanks for sharing with the carnival.
• Holli from Settled In My Home shares their bird study: Surprised By Barn Swallows. I love that they took the opportunity when it arose to study these beautiful and interesting birds with the HNS.
• Nicole’s boys each picked a bird to study as part of the June Newsletter suggestion. Read about their OHC on One Hook Wonder.

• Tricia from Hodgepodge Homeschool shares their Backyard Bunnies nature study to the carnival. Adorable, sweet bunnies! They did a great job using the Handbook of Nature Study to learn more and they used the notebook page from the June Newsletter for their nature journal.
• As the Garden Grows is Jessy’s entry to the carnival. They are giving us an update on their square foot garden which includes one big black spider!
• Kattie from 2 Ladybugs and  Lizard submits their Plant and Flower Study….she has pulled everything together nicely in this entry….make sure to see their very well done nature journals.
• Kristin writes about her adventures in the desert with preschoolers and garden critters in her blog entry Garden Critters (aka Running and Screaming).
• Spittle Bugs! Read the entry on the Urban Cottage Homeschool to see their Garden Critter entry featuring this interesting insect. You might want to see their beautiful garden images too.
• Susan from Learning All The Time! has put together a wonderful entry for the Tiger Swallowtail Study.  The images and nature journal entries are worth a click over to see…such careful work in the sketches. I really enjoyed this entry.

• Tricia has given us a treat of an entry in their Crop Plant Study of Squash. Not only does she pack it with interesting images and facts, we get a recipe too! I am anxious to do a squash study with my boys soon.

Tree Study

• Zonnah gives us a great example to follow when our children are not as excited as we would like them to be about nature study. She allows some flexibility and they have a wonderful entry to share: Oaks.
• Crape Myrtle Tree Study – Heather and her family chose to study their own crape myrtle trees as part of the Outdoor Hour Challenge. Make sure to view their nature journals since they are very good examples of how simple sketches and captions still make a wonder record of your nature study.

• Nicole from Journey to Excellence writes about their First Day of Summer and shares their notebook page. Thanks for sharing your day!
• Jenny Anne from Royal Little Lambs also completed their First Day of Summer activities with a notebook page. She also shares some glimpses into their garden. So pretty!
• This entry really could go into several categories but I will put it here: Tricia from Hodgepodge Homeschool submits this wonderful entry about her Daddy’s garden….and a visit they had last week.  I appreciate how much their family supports their nature study. Thanks Tricia and family!
• Another family marked the First Day of Summer with some nature study and a notebook page. Thanks Susan and family for sharing your day.!

Potpourri

• Wildflowers – Tricia (Hodgepodge Mom) and  her family were able to do a wonderful observation and nature study of their Queen Anne’s Lace Abundance. They had their patch but now they see it everywhere. Great journal examples for you all to see in this entry as well.
• Wildflowers – Nicole shares their family’s experience with keeping track of all the wildflowers they saw from March to May. Read her entry on her blog, One Hook Wonder.
• Elk and Prairie Dogs – While on vacation, Nicole and her family were able to make some up-close observations of elk. They followed up with questions to be answered and here is there entry on One Hook Wonder.  The also had the opportunity to study up close some prairie dogs and their colony. See their entry Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs.
• Box Turtle – Heather’s family completed their very first Outdoor Hour Challenge. They observed, read about, and then journaled a box turtle they found at their home. Here is their Box Turtle Entry – Excellent job!
• Tricia has had another little creature visit their backyard. First they had a bunny and now a Baby Squirrel or Is It? What a great entry….don’t miss the backyard rainbow.
• Ann shares two wonderful entries that show their summer nature study activities, Strawberries and Outdoor Picnic. Great job!
• Kim’s son shares their family’s experience with a bat. I love hearing his version of the event. You can read all about it in their entry: Nature Study: Bats (Much to the Dismay of My Husband).

I randomly drew numbers and Nicole from Journey to Excellence will receive the birdfeeder. Congratulations Nicole and family! Thank you for your entry into the carnival this month.

In fact, thank you to everyone who entered into Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival this month. I will be posting the July Newsletter tomorrow so make sure to download and save the June Newsletter before it is gone. I am seriously loving the new format for the Outdoor Hour Challenge and I have heard from many of you too that you like the flexibility and the added resources. I hope you spread the word about the Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletters to all your readers!

Our very first Newsletter Edition of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival is full of great nature study and encouragement from families around the country. I love the community feel of the Outdoor Hour Challenge and how this new format is going to help us spend more time actually outside observing our own backyards and neighborhoods looking for things that catch our interest.

I know that I gave four areas or topics for you as suggestions for nature study and you will find those listed below but I wanted to mention that if you end up focusing on something other than the suggested topics, please feel free to submit those entries as well. One thing I would like to ask of you in return is to include in your entries a link back to the Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletter or the Handbook of Nature Study blog. I want as many people as possible to learn about our activities and jump in and participate. If you want to use the Outdoor Hour Challenge logo in your entries that is encouraged too but not required.

Don’t forget that tomorrow I will be posting the new Outdoor Hour Challenge June Newsletter! You are going to love all the new features and special activities contained in the second issue of the newsletter. Make sure to subscribe to my blog so you will never miss an entry.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival
May Newsletter Edition

Wildflower Study

• Heather at Blog She Wrote has some wildflowers to share with carnival readers in her entry, Vernal Pools and Bogs.
• You are going to love this dandelion study! Ann at Harvest Moon by Hand gives us loads of great ideas in her entry to the carnival.
• Kelsey from Mud Puddles shares their Spring Hike with loads of big beautiful images of wildflowers.
• Susan from Learning All The Time has submitted their backyard nature study featuring wildflowers! Don’t miss their very well done nature notebook pages from the May Newsletter.
• Phyllis and her family took a trip to the strawberry patch and they found some pineapple weed! Check out their entry, Unschool Monday: The Strawberry Patch and Nature Study.

Garden Flower Study

• Tricia from HodgePodge Homeschool gives us a glimpse at their Heavenly Hydrangeas.
• Amanda from Homegrown and Beeyoutiful shares their garden flower/rose study with carnival readers.
• Zonnah writes about their May Lilac study on her blog Zonnah’s Addictions.

Bird Study

• Kristin from Broom and Crown has some great images from their May bird study,  Desert Birds at the Botanical Garden.
• Kelsey from Mud Puddles and her children learned about the Luzuli bunting, a new bird that visits their feeder.
• Susan from Learning All The Time shares their new birdhouses in her entry Nature Study-Our Backyard.
• Jamie from See Jamie Blog has a robin’s nest to observe! Don’t miss her up-close photos of her resident bird.
• Tricia from HodgePodge Homeschool has a guest poster…her son! He shares their Beautiful Birds.
• Angie (Pebblekeeper) from Petra School shares their May Bird in the entry Warbler Tree.
• Angie from Petra School also captured their neighborhood Osprey and Eagle fighting it out for a trout! You can read their May Bird List entry as well….very impressive.

Mammal Study

• Kelsey from Mud Puddles submitted their study of backyard mammals….check out their nature journals using the notebook page from the May Newsletter.

More General Nature Study

• Cara from Brooktopia shares their nature walk in their entry titled The Return of Good Weather=Nature Hikes.
• Amanda from A Thousand Words gives us a glimpse into their nature walk in their entry Going to the Green.
• Serena from Casting Pearls submitted an entry for their nature walk and their May nature study

• Nicole from One Hook Wonder submitted their Spring Tree Study (tulip tree) and an Ant Study
• Kattie from 2 Ladybugs and a Lizard writes about their Spring Tree Study for their crab apple tree. Her daughter made some wonderful notebook pages.

• Phyllis and her family had an Unexpected Nature Study at the beach….snake!
• Angie (Pebblekeeper) from Petra School submits their Tadpole Nature Journal entry for carnival readers. They used the Fill-In-The-Circles idea from the May Newsletter for their journals.
• Brandy from Half a Hundred Acre Wood gives beginners some wonderful ideas and resources for nature study. Don’t miss seeing her butterfly example!

• Tricia presents Winter Insects in One Small Square posted at Hodgepodge.
• Phyllis presents All Things Beautiful: Winter Wednesday: Insects in Winter posted at All Things Beautiful.
• Heather presents Winter Outdoor Hour Challenge, #8 posted at Kingdom Arrows.
• Monica presents Winter Wednesday: Winter Insects posted at Discover Their Gifts.
• Amy presents Nature Study – Tracing The Brook and Square Foot Investigation posted at The Teachable Heart.

• Angie presents Rainy Afternoons–Spent in Nature Study? | Petra School posted at Pebblekeeper~Angie.
• Ann presents Outdoor Hour Challenge Winter Series #9 Mammals and #45 Squirrels and their Outdoor Hour Challenge #4 – It’s Coming Into Focus posted at Harvest Moon by Hand.
• Tricia presents A Glorious Morning posted at Hodgepodge.
• Heather presents Winter Outdoor Hour Challenge, #9 posted at Kingdom Arrows.
• Phyllis presents All Things Beautiful: Winter Wednesday: Mammals in Winter posted at All Things Beautiful.

• Makita presents Flower Bulbs :: Nature Study and Narcissus :: Spring Nature StudyAcademia Celestia. posted at
• Phyllis presents Early Spring Flowers: Daffodils and Tulips posted at All Things Beautiful.
• Heather presents Winter Outdoor Hour Challenge, #10 posted at Kingdom Arrows.
  
• Angie presents Winter Series #10 Early Spring Flowers Flickr Sets | Petra School Pebblekeeper~Angie.
• Tricia Hodges presents Early Spring Flowers posted at Hodgepodge.

• Casey presents Springing posted at Bumpin’ Along the Road Less Traveled.
• Dorina presents Friday Nature Walk: Signs of Spring posted at out side blue
• Tricia presents Signs of Spring and a Spring Visitor posted at Hodgepodge.
• Jessy presents Snapshot Summary: Signs of Spring posted at Our Side of the Mountain.
• Amy presents Nature Study- Signs of Spring posted at The Teachable Heart.
• Heather presents Spring Outdoor Challenge, Sweet Gum posted at Kingdom Arrows.

Spring Cattail Observations

• Heather shares their Spring Outdoor Challenge, Cattails posted at Kingdom Arrows.

Schedule for Spring 2011

• March 18, 2011: Signs of Spring (Bonus challenge with notebook page.)
• March 25, 2011: Spring Cattail Observations
• April 1, 2011: Spring Queen Anne’s Lace Observations (This will be a new challenge, including a notebook page.)
• April 8, 2011: Spring Weather Observations
• April 15, 2011: Spring Tree Observations
• April 22, 2011: Spring Bird Study
• April 29, 2011: Spring Wildflower/Dandelion Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Spring 2011 Plans

For all of you who have emailed me asking about what the plan is for our spring nature, I finally came to some concrete decisions. I decided I did not have time in my schedule to create a new set of challenges so we will be completing some of the challenges from last year along with our spring observations of our Queen Anne’s Lace.

If you purchased my Spring Series ebook in 2010, you are all set to go. If you would like to work from the challenges on the blog, they are on the tab at the top. If you would like to have all the challenges and the notebook pages on hand, you can purchase the ebook from this LINK.

Schedule for Spring 2011

• March 18, 2011: Signs of Spring (Bonus challenge with notebook page.)
• March 25, 2011: Spring Cattail Observations
• April 1, 2011: Spring Queen Anne’s Lace Observations (This will be a new challenge, including a notebook page.)
• April 8, 2011: Spring Weather Observations
• April 15, 2011: Spring Tree Observations
• April 22, 2011: Spring Bird Study
• April 29, 2011: Spring Wildflower/Dandelion Study

Please note that there are five more studies (apple tree, cats, snakes, earthworms, ants) included in the ebook that we will not be completing as part of the 2011 Spring Series. You are free to complete those challenges and post a link in the original challenge listed on the Spring tab at the top of my blog.

I apologize for the simplicity of the links this time around. I hope you take the time to check the entries out and leave behind some nice supportive comments. 🙂

Winter Bird Study- Great Backyard Bird Count

• Tricia – Hodgepodge Mom
• Anne – Harvest Moon by Hand
• Casey – Bumpin’ Along The Road Less Traveled
• Angie – Petra School
• Dorina –Out Side Blue
• Heather – Kingdom Arrows
• Phyllis – All Thing Beautiful

Winter Evergreens, Conifers, and Tree Study

• Tricia – Hodgepodge Mom
• Anne – Harvest Moon by Hand
• Angie – Petra School
• Heather – Kingdom Arrows
• Jessy – Our Side of the Mountain
• Dorina –Out Side Blue

Winter Cattails, Weeds, and Queen Anne’s Lace

• Heather – Kingdom Arrows
• Tricia – Hodgepodge Mom
• Angie – Petra School Cattails and Weeds
• Shirley Anne – Bugs, Beetles, and Barefoot Days

Salt Study

• Anne – Harvest Moon by Hand
• Heather – Kingdom Arrows

Winter Insects

• Kattie – 2 Ladybugs and a Lizard

Winter Weather, Sky, and Snow

• Tricia – Hodgepodge Mom Sky and Weather
• Heather – Kingdom Arrows
• Anne – About a Bug
• Shirley Anne – Bugs, Beetles, and Barefoot Days

Getting Started Challenges 

• Anne at Harvest Moon by Hand – #1, #2, and #3 

Thank you for all your participation. It has been an excellent month of nature study!

Jamie joins the carnival this edition with their Cattails in Winter entry. What a treat to have an entry from their family because she always takes such beautiful photos!

Amy and her children share their Winter Cattail Entry. She writes, “It was a bit snowy and chilly this morning, but that did not hinder us from diving right into today’s winter challenge.” I love this attitude!

Heather submitted their family’s Winter Study of Cattails.  They are really excited about starting this year-long study….great job finding some cattails to observe even in the snow.

Tricia contributes this entry for the carnival: Winter World of Color. I love the blue berries!

Monica from Discover Their Gifts writes about their Winter Wednesday Color Walk. She has a clever idea to add to the color activity and don’t miss their journal entry.

Karen and her children write about their Winter Wednesday Color Walk. Even thought she says they didn’t find many colors, I think they had a great time trying!

Angie from Petra School (Pebblekeeper) shares their family’s Winter Color Scavenger Hunt.  If you want some winter color, check out their dazzling entry.

Makita shares their Winter Nature Scavenger Hunt with carnival readers. You may be able to adapt her idea to your local area.

Amy from The Teachable Heart writes about their Winter Night Sky and she includes ten things her children found interesting. If you have preschoolers, Amy always shares some great ideas for adapting the challenges to younger children.

Angie from Petra School shares their Winter Wednesday January Recap post with many of their activities. I want you to make sure to see her sky photos and see how she took some images through her telescope. Great entry Angie.

Nicole submits a beautiful entry, God was in the mood to brag.  I am glad her eyes were open to the opportunity!

Angie in GA shares their Tree Silhouettes entry for the carnival. Her boys found some extra treasures to observe during their hike.

DorinaLouise from Out Side Blue shares their very special birch tree study as part of this challenge. Please note that they live in a big city and they are finding opportunities for nature study. 

Jessy from Our Side of the Mountain submits their Winter Wednesday-Conifers entry for you all to read. They did an excellent study and she shares some great resources that might help you in your pine tree studies.

Heather shares on her blog Kingdom Arrows about their Winter Tree Study. They picked one of my favorite trees to start their year-long tree study. 

Lorus and her kids completed the snow observations and they share their great photos and story on Because of Our Children.

Amy from The Teachable Heart shows their family’s experiences with Winter Snow . Another wonderful, resourceful entry from their family.

Snow in Georgia! Tricia and her entire family got out to some Winter Nature Study: Snow!

Amy and her family were able to take a snow day walk and she shares their wonderful experiences on her blog Hope is the Word. Here girls saw lots of colors too!

More Georgia snow in Angie’s entry: Outdoor Hour Nature Close to Home: Snow.  Wonderful snow activity images and I think they had fun and learned something too!

Quinn’s Family has an on-going study of Moths. They share their entry, Outdoor Hour Moths Part 2. From the expressions on her children’s faces, I think they are really enjoying their study!

Outdoor Hour Challenge #5 Focus Study – Nicole from Journey to Excellence shares one of their series of entries on their focus area of birds. I linked to their owl study and if you are looking for some ideas for your own bird study, I recommend that you take a look.

Bethany from Little Homeschool Blessings submitted their delightful Winter Squirrel Study.  She includes a some extra resources and ideas.

That completes this edition of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. I wanted to mention that if you would like to be on the OHC Blog Carnival email reminder list, I will add your name if you send me an email to let me know you wish to be reminded near the end of the month to send in your carnival submissions. I have been keeping a running list of those that are participating but if you would like me to add your name, just send an email to harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com.

Thank you to all who participated in the challenges in January and a special thank you to those that then sent in entries for the carnival.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

You can submit an entry to the next carnival here:

We had a whole month of December World entries that prove that there is a wonderful world of nature study even as the season changes and shows its cold winter face.

As always, I enjoy every entry to the carnival and I hope you do too. A special thank you this month to all the participants who took the time to send in entries…they are greatly appreciated.

My December World entries are Flaming Tree, Fragrance, Colors, Raging River, and Texture. Click over and read any that you might have missed this past month. I so enjoyed documenting our nature experiences this month…it kept us balanced.

Melissa from Bugs, Knights, and Turkeys in The Yard writes about their December World and is inspired to write a some verses of poetry. Thanks Melissa for inspiring all of us with your words and photos. 

Angie from The One Thing writes about their December World in Georgia which includes snow!  Here are her words that sum up here thoughts, “I have found such joy, contentment, peace, have been completely amazed and in awe since I found the Charlotte Mason home school method about five years.” I couldn’t agree more.

Monica from Discover Their Gifts shares their December World which also involves snow. She finds joy in the things right outside in their own backyard and what they can see from their windows…the moon, clouds, the trees. Don’t miss her photo of the moon during the day…gorgeous.

Angie from Petra School has written three entries as part of the December World Mini-Challenge to reread parts of the Handbook of Nature Study: December Mini Challenges,  Mini Challenge #2 The Teacher’s Role, and  Mini Challenge #3 Language and Drawing. I loved the insights she had as part of the #2 reading about questions and answers. Thanks Angie for sharing your thoughts as you work through the Handbook of Nature Study pages.

Kelsey from Mud Puddles has an entry for the December World challenge as well. She gave herself a personal challenge as they headed outdoors into their snowy world, “Usually I am (partially) directing our explorations to focus on the current challenge we are learning more about. However, during this visit I really challenged myself to keep my mouth closed and let the kids guide me.” I think we all need to do this more and Kelsey shares some wonderful photos of their time outdoors. Thanks Kelsey.

Paula who writes from Belgium shares her Feed Your Garden Birds entry as part of the December Outdoor Hour Challenge Carnival.  It looks like winter has come to her part of the world as well. Thanks Paula.

Amy from The Teachable Heart shares two entries with the carnival: Bees and Honeycomb and Seed Hunt.   I do so love to see how Amy and her children adapt the OHC to younger children. Thanks for sharing your entries with us Amy.

Makita from Academia Celestia shares a photo journal of their December butterfly study, including their journal entries.

Tricia (HodgePodge Mom) shares their December World and they did a little added challenge, look for greens and reds while they were outdoors.  This is always a great way to keep your nature study focused but still let the children lead they way. She also shares her insights as part of the parent’s part of the  December World Mini Challenge to read the Handbook of Nature Study. Thanks for the reminders Tricia.

There you go! I think this Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival turned out great after all. I was a little worried last week when I didn’t have any entries but you all stepped up and helped make this a memorable December. Well, the whole year has been a joy…. I look forward to the coming months and all of our winter and spring activities.

Those of us who made it outdoors during November were treated to a variety of nature study experiences. For our family we enjoyed the push to learn more about salmon and to spend some time looking for interesting things in our autumn season. I am sending a big thank you to all the families that supported the carnival this month….shorter than usual but just as enjoyable. I look forward to seeing your December nature study as we work through some informal challenges over the next few weeks.

Autumn Series # 6 Queen Anne’s Lace
Kelsey catches up with her Queen Anne’s Lace entry on her blog Mud Puddles.

Autumn Series #8 Weather
Tricia shares their weather study on her blog. She writes, “Flip-flops or jackets? This is the November question.”

Autumn Series #7 Trout and Salmon
Kelsey and her family had a really great idea for studying some fish up close. Check out their entry on Mud Puddles.

Tricia and her family completed a wonderful study of fish as part of the Trout and Salmon challenge. Check out their notebook pages!

Autumn Series #9 Pine Cones
Tricia says there is no shortage of pine cones to study in her area. Don’t miss reading about their nature study for this challenge.

Autumn Series #10 November World
Amy shares their November World on her blog The Teachable Heart. I think Amy has done a wonderful job adapting all the Autumn Series challenges to her preschoolers.

Tricia finishes off her Autumn Series challenges with a look at a familiar spot as part of her November World post.

Phyllis and her children treat us to a glimpse into their November World. Noticing Nature in November and November World Nature Walk will make you smile.

Misc Outdoor Hour Challenges Entries
Amy from Hope is the Word shares their Outdoor Hour Challenge #3 on her blog. You can see their November World!

Shirley Ann from South Africa contributed two entries to the carnival: Look Closely, Pay Attention and October Nature Club. Remember they are experiencing different seasons than we are in the Southern Hemisphere….a little snorkeling would be welcome around our neck of the woods.

Quinn shares their Mammal/Coyote entry on her blog On Just A Couple Acres. Don’t miss this interesting nature study that happened right in their own backyard.

Also, as part of the November World Challenge I announced a giveaway to all that entered a link in Mr. Linky. We did a random drawing and the two winners are:

For the $10 NotebookingPages.com gift certificate: Phyllis from All Things Beautiful

Congratulations!

Barb-Harmony Art Mom