Posted on Leave a comment

May 2021 Nature Study Plans – Outdoor Hour Challenge

May 2021 Nature Study Plans – Outdoor Hour Challenge

Our sping bird nature study continues throughout the month of May. We just saw some magpies last weekend during a camping trip and it was super exciting to note their unique shape and sound. Use the challenges each week to prepare for possible sightings in the future!

Please note that all of the birds in this series are ones not found in the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock. Instead, the challenges will be providing field notes for each birds, as well as online links and videos. If you have access to the ebook, you will also have notebooking pages and coloring pages to print and use as desired.

Bird Set ebook cover image

5/7/2021 –Egret Nature Study

5/14/2021 – American Dipper Nature Study

5/21/2021 – Horned Lark Nature Study

5/28/2021 – Magpie Nature Study

Spring Nature Hunt notebook page

Wildflower Poetry notebook page

New Printables in the Members Library

Wildflower Poetry Notebook Page: Use this notebook page to follow up a wildflower walk in your neighborhood. The suggestions will help your child write a simple poem after making wildflower observations.

Spring Nature Hunt Notebook Page: Print this activity out and take it along on a spring nature walk. Use the prompts in the grid to challenge your family to see some signs of spring. Follow up with a sketch!

Printables for Members Button

Click the graphic above to view the complete list of printables available as part of an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

 

May 2021 nature planner page

Members also have access to the Nature Planner pages in their library. Print out this month’s page and use it to stimulate your weekly nature study time.

 

Join Us Ultimate Naturalist June 2020

If you would like to have access to the member’s printables and the newsletter archive, I invite you to join with an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Your membership will be valid for one year from the date of purchase. Click the graphic above to see the many benefits of an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on Leave a comment

Pond and Frog Nature Study: Includes Frog Life Cycle Activity Printable

Plan a fun pond and frog nature study with these frog life cycle activities, a lapbook download and suggestions for a homeschool pond nature walk!

Plan a fun pond and frog nature study with these frog life cycle activities, a lapbook download and suggestions for a homeschool pond nature walk!

Pond and Frog Nature Study

It’s getting to be that time of year when the tadpoles are swimming in our pond. It makes me feel as if spring is truly coming and we look forward to soon hearing frogs while out hiking at the river. The cycle of seasons and life bring me such joy!

With a pond and frog nature study in mind, I’ve had a special printable to share for your studies and outdoor hour challenge time. Members now have in their library a fun and informative Frog Life Cycle activity printable.

Frog Life Cycle

Frog Life Cycle Activity Printable Lapbook

Here’s what you get in this download:

In the frog life cycle activity printable and lapbook there are components for:

  • vocabulary
  • frog facts
  • bullfrog facts
  • frog noises
  • the frog life cycle

In the Frog Nature Study lapbook:

  • You can also mount your life cycle of a frog drawing (instructions for this drawing project are included).
  • There is also a set of copy work pages focusing on frog poetry.
  • There are two blank lined pages you can use for the copy work, as well as a page of frog poetry and suggestions for how to use them.
Pond and frog nature study in Homeschool Nature Study membership

Homeschool Nature Study Annual members can log into their account and go to the Pond course and find the two printables there to use any time.

Pond Nature Walk

Suggestions for a Homeschool Nature Walk at a Pond

To go along with a frog nature study, everyone can use these suggestions to follow up a nature walk at a pond, the river, or a lake.

Homeschool Nature Study Membership - Bring the Handbook of Nature Study to Life in Your Homeschool!

Homeschool Nature Study Membership Brings the Handbook of Nature Study to Life in Your Homeschool

We make it easy for you!

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.

With membership, you will have access to Outdoor Hour Challenges curriculum and resources to enrich your homeschool.

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Posted on Leave a comment

April Nature Study Plans and Printable

April Nature Study Plans – Outdoor Hour Challenge

This month we’ll be starting to use the new Outdoor Hour Challenge Bird Set #1 ebook available in the Ultimate Naturalist Library. I’m anxious to get started with this set of bird nature study challenges right alongside you and your family. I birdwatch just about every day but slowing down to take in information about one particular bird is very rewarding. Even if I’m not able to observe the bird in person, learning all about a bird ahead of time prepares me for the time when the opportunity does arise.

Just last week we spotted four killdeer in our back pasture. I easily identified this pretty bird from the details I had read in a field guide and online.

Spotting a new bird is always a thrill!

Please note that all of the birds in this series are ones not found in the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock. Instead, the challenges will be providing field notes for each bird, as well as online links and videos. If you have access to the ebook, you’ll also have notebooking pages and coloring pages to print and use as desired.

Bird Set ebook cover image

4/2/2021 – Pelican Nature Study

4/9/2021 – Swan Nature Study

4/16/2021 – Snipe Nature Study

4/23/2021 – Sandhill Crane Nature Study

4/30/2021 – Clark’s Nutcracker Nature Study

Bird Egg Nature Study notebook page.pub

New Printables in the Members Library

Bird’s Egg Study notebook page: One aspect of learning about birds is to learn that each bird has a unique egg. Learning the size, color, and other distinguishing features of a bird’s egg can be followed up with this notebook page.

Printables for Members Button

Click the graphic above to view the complete list of printables available as part of an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

 

April 2021 nature planner page

Members also have access to the Nature Planner pages in their library. Print out this month’s page and use it to stimulate your weekly nature study time.

 

Join us graphic

If you’d like to have access to the member’s printables and the newsletter archive, I invite you to join with an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Your membership will be valid for one year from the date of purchase. Click the graphic above to see the many benefits of an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

 

Bird Set ebook cover image

I highly recommend using the ebook for these challenges. I’ll be sharing just a small portion of the challenge each week here on the blog but members will have access to all of the resources for each bird.

 

Join Us Ultimate Naturalist June 2020

 

Please note that you can opt to use the Learning About Birds ebook with your family if you feel it’s more practical. I realize not everyone will have access to the birds we study each week and the Learning About Birds ebook could supplement your bird study with information from the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock.

Learning About Birds 3D cover

 

 

 

 

Posted on Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge: Early Spring Grid

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Early Spring Grid – Printable from the March 2012 Newsletter

Look in the Newsletter Archives for this Outdoor Hour Challenge.

No matter where you live and what early spring looks like in your world, it should be a perfect time to start getting back outdoors regularly each week as part of the Outdoor Hour Challenge. Members here on the Handbook of Nature Study have always said that spring is their favorite time to do nature study with their children.

Join us this week for an easy nature study idea!

March 2012 Newsletter Cover

The activities in the Early Spring Grid (March 2012 Newsletter) are simple enough for most of us to complete without a lot of extra planning or work.

March Early Spring Grid Nature Study printable

Print this page out and cut out the grid to adhere in your nature journal. As you finish each suggested activity, cross off the box (or shade it in with colored pencils).

Nature Study Newsletter grid example pages (7)
Here is an example of how to include the grid in your nature journal.

 

Another suggestion is to post the Early Spring Grid on your refrigerator with a magnet. This will be a reminder to do a few spring related nature activities as you go through the month of March.

Newsletter Index download

The newsletter archive is available to all members.

To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, click on over to the Join Us page at any time. You can use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Posted on Leave a comment

March Nature Study – New Printables, Plan, and Planning Page

March Nature Study Plans – Outdoor Hour Challenge

I cannot tell you how excited I am that we’re continuing with our early spring wildflower studies! Although we don’t have any wildflowers blooming yet in Central Oregon, I know that making a pre-study of any topic makes it more likely I’ll recognize that subject in the future when we do see it on our travels.

Don’t forget to use the Plant Family notebooking pages that are in the Member’s Library to enhance study of any wildflower you encounter.

violet nature journal page

Note: Violets are in the violet plant family and bleeding hearts, Dutchman’s breeches, and squirrel corn are in the poppy family).

3/5/2021 – Violet Nature Study

3/12/2021 – Bleeding Hearts Nature Study

3/19/2021 – Dutchman’s Breeches and Squirrel Corn Nature Study

3/26/2021 – Early Spring Grid Nature Study

March Quick Observations nb page image

Drawing Leaves observation veins notebook page

New Printables in the Members Library

Leaf Veins Observation and Drawing notebook page: Once the spring leaves start to emerge, collect a few to draw on this notebook page. Research the vein patterns to help your children go a little deeper in their study of leaves and plants.

March Quick Observations notebook page: You still may be experiencing colder temperatures so a quick walk may be a great start to your spring nature study. Use this new notebook page to make simple and quick observations of 1 plant, 1 tree, 1 bird, and 1 unusual or extraordinary thing you discover on your weekly nature walks. I created two versions of the page for you to choose from depending on your family’s interests and ages.

Printables for Members Button

Click the graphic above to view the complete list of printables available as part of an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

 

March 2021 nature planner page

Members also have access to the Nature Planner pages in their library. Print out this month’s page and use it to stimulate your weekly nature study time.

 

Join Us Ultimate Naturalist June 2020

If you’d like to have access to the member’s printables and the newsletter archive, I invite you to join with an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Your membership will be valid for one year from the date of purchase. Click the graphic above to see the many benefits of an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

 

Outdoor Hour Challenge Winter Nature Study Continues ebook

The Outdoor Hour Challenges this month are from the Winter Nature Study Continues ebook.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on Leave a comment

January Nature Study – New Printables, Plan, and Planning Page

February Nature Study Plans – Outdoor Hour Challenge

I’m starting to get anxious for wildflower season! In honor of that enthusiasm, I’ve created a new set of notebook pages for you to use to enhance your plant family studies. If you have the Botany in a Day book (link at the end of this entry) on your bookshelf, pull it down and get ready to use it alongside these notebook pages for your nature journal.

There are two wildflower nature studies planned for late February, so I invite you to use those flowers to get started with your plant family studies. (Bloodroot is in the poppy plant family and hepatica is in the buttercup family.)

02/05/2021 – Flicker Bird Study

02/12/2021 – Scarlet Saucer Fungi Study

02/19/2021 – Bloodroot Nature Study

02/26/2021 – Hepatica Nature Study

Plant Family NB page set image

New Printables in the Members Library

Plant Family Notebook Page Set: This nine-page set includes pages for recording notes and lists of the more common plant families. You’ll find pages for the mint, mustard, pea, lily, aster, mallow, rose, and parsley families. There is also a generic page for you to use with any of the other plant families you might study with your children.

Printables for Members Button

Click the graphic above to view the complete list of printables available as part of an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

 

February 2021 nature planner page

Members also have access to the Nature Planner pages in their library. Print out this month’s page and use it to stimulate your weekly nature study time.

 

Join Us Ultimate Naturalist June 2020

If you’d like to have access to the member’s printables and the newsletter archive, I invite you to join with an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Your membership will be valid for one year and will include the benefits shown below.

 

This is my affiliate link to the Botany in a Day book that I highly recommend to go along with a study of wildflowers.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Winter Nature Study Continues ebook

All of the Outdoor Hour Challenges this month are from the Winter Nature Study Continues ebook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on Leave a comment

January Nature Study – New Printables, Plan, and Planner Page

I don’t know about you but I’m so ready for a fresh start this month. December has been a busy month and the only formal nature study lesson I completed was the first day of winter activity. We took a very long walk in the woods even with snowy trails and it reminded me that I need to be more intentional about getting outside every week with a focus. (You can read my entry on Focus and Consistency from the archives for a little inspiration if you need it.)

So, making a fresh start in January will be easier with a little pre-planning. If you’re a member, you have a schedule and a planning page in your printables library. For everyone else, the January plan is printed below. We’ll mostly be working in the Winter Nature Study Continues ebook over the next couple of months.

My Winter Weather Notebook Page

01/01/21 Winter Fun – Weather Study – 2 printables from the Member’s Library

01/08/21 Cattle and Deer Nature Study – Winter Nature Study Continues ebook

01/15/21 Feldspar Rock Nature Study – Winter Nature Study Continues ebook

01/22/21 Orion Constellation Study – Winter Nature Study Continues ebook

01/29/21 Crystals Nature Study – Winter Nature Study Continues ebook

Animal Tracks Notebook Page

Running LIst notebook pageNew Printables for Members

  1. Animal Tracks Notebook Page: This time of the year is a fantastic time to get outdoors to look for animal tracks. On a recent hike we spotted some large elk tracks in the snow and mud. We frequently have squirrel tracks, goose tracks, raccoon tracks, and dog tracks around our yard. Have you spotted some signs of animals in your neighborhood? Use this notebook page to make a sketch of the track. Older students may wish to try to make them actual size and then use a field guide to identify which animal made the tracks.

 

  1. Running List Notebook Page: We’ve often used the simple practice of list making to keep a record of our nature observations. This set of pages gives you a variety of styles to choose from to make lists of a particular subject like birds, trees, butterflies, etc. Or you can use a running list notebook page to record things you observe in a particular place. We often would make lists while on vacation. See the samples below.

Tracks Scats and Signs Nature Book ClubYou may be interested in viewing this post from my archives: Winter Mammal Study- Tracks, Scat, and Signs. This thorough post will give you plenty of ideas for using the Animal Tracks notebook page with your family.

Printables for Members Button

Click the graphic above to view the complete list of printables available as part of an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

 

January 2021 nature planner page

Members also have access to the Nature Planner pages in their library. Print out this month’s page and use it to stimulate your weekly nature study time.

 

Join Us Ultimate Naturalist June 2020

If you’d like to have access to the member’s printables and the newsletter archive, I invite you to join with an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Your membership will be valid for one year.

You can use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

 

 

 

 

Posted on Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge: December World Study Grid 2020

Outdoor Hour Challenge 

December World Study Grid 2020

Winter changes the view of our normal landscape. Where we live in Central Oregon amid the mostly evergreen pine forest, the willows lose their leaves, and we can see far past the river that they grow along.

oaks in winter

I can remember the winter emptiness of a deciduous woods near where we lived in California, how when winter came, we could distinguish the contours of the hills and gullies more clearly.

taylor creek winter snow color

How does your view change in the winter? Look for the colors of the winter landscape and you may be treated with some colorful berries, lichen, and fungi. Is your sky a more vivid blue on a sunny winter day or does it just seem that way?

December World Study Grid 12 2011 Newsletter

Members have a printable December World Study Grid in the December 2011 newsletter found in the Ultimate Naturalist Library. This activity is a perfect way to take a close look at your December World no matter where you live or what your current weather is this week.

December Words

Also, there is a December Words notebook page in the Member’s Library if you wish to complete that instead of or in addition to the December World notebook page.

Join Us Ultimate Naturalist June 2020

To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, click on over to the Join Us page at any time.

Winter Nature Study ebooks graphic and promo

Don’t forget there are Winter ebooks in the Member’s Library for you to use in your nature study. Feel free to use any of the winter Outdoor Hour Challenges during this season. You can pick and choose the topics that fit your family best.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Winter Nature Study Ideas Index @handbookofnaturestudy

You’ll find all of the winter themed nature study ideas by clicking the Winter tab at the top of the Handbook of Nature Study website. Everyone is welcome to use the ideas found there whether you have a membership or not.

Enjoy!

Posted on 2 Comments

Outdoor Hour Challenge: December World 2020

Outdoor Hour Challenge

December World 2020

snow landscape january 2020

“My whole impetus for starting this blog was to share how our family finally cracked the book open and started implementing the ideas that Anna Botsford Comstock wrote about so skillfully in this book. The entire Handbook of Nature Study is to help parents/teachers to be better nature study guides.”

The breath of fresh air, the moving about outside, the getting to know better our own backyard…these are the joys of the Outdoor Hour Challenge. The most successful families involved in the OHC are those that embrace the idea that getting outdoors as a family is important and worthy of our time. The OHC is the vehicle for getting us outside, hopefully giving us something interesting to learn about.”

I wrote those words just about ten years ago. They were heartfelt then and I still feel as passionate now about the importance of spending time outdoors with your children. What a gift you can give your children with a little effort and the suggestions found each week with the Outdoor Hour Challenge.

December World Nature Walk Outdoor Hour Challenge @handbookofnaturestudy

The original December World Mini-Challenge included the suggestion that moms read a few pages in the Handbook of Nature Study to refresh their memories about some of the key principles that Anna Botsford Comstock shared in the introductory pages of her renowned nature study guide.

Here are the pages I suggested reading:

Handbook of Nature Study Reading Suggestions
Challenge 1: Pages 1-8
Challenge 2: Pages 23-24
Challenge 3: 16-17
Challenge 4: 10-11 and 13-15

I broke the readings into four smaller sections that you can schedule to read a little each week this month. Use this time to energize your desire to include nature study as a regular part of your family’s weekly routine.

December+World+Notebook+Page.jpg

I created a printable for you to use as part of your December World Outdoor Hour Challenge. Simply take a walk outside with your children, either in your own yard or at a nearby park. Take the printable along and complete it as you go or use it as a follow up activity once you get back home.

Download a copy of the notebook page here: December World.

I have always encouraged parents to learn right alongside their children; so why not complete a page of your own? Talk a little about what you observed outside this week. Did you bring a nature treasure home with you? You can use that as the basis for your nature journal page if you wish. Keep it simple and enjoy your time together.

December Words

Also, there is a December Words notebook page in the Member’s Library if you wish to complete that instead of or in addition to the December World notebook page.

To purchase an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, click on over to the Join Us page at any time.

Join Us Ultimate Naturalist June 2020

PS: I know that many of us are experiencing wintry weather already. I hope you’ll consider bundling up and taking a walk even if you’re thinking it’s too cold. I know for myself that once I get outside, I can manage the cold just fine, especially if I know I can go back inside and get warmed up by the woodstove and drink a hot cup of coffee. I challenge you to give it a try!

Posted on 1 Comment

New Printables and December Nature Study Plans

December Nature Study Plans – Outdoor Hour Challenge

We’ll be taking a break from our normal Outdoor Hour Challenges during the month of December. This will be a more relaxed month of nature study using ideas found in the archives. I invite you to join us for four simple nature study ideas that will feature a winter theme.

December+World+Notebook+Page.jpg

12/4/2020 – December World (follow up with a free printable)

12/11/2020 – December World Study Grid from the 12/2011 Newsletter

12/16/2020 – Winter Berry Hunt from the Autumn Nature Study Continues Ebook

12/18/2020 – First Day of Winter Nature Walk from the Members Library

Frozen Lake River and Pond notebook page

New Printables in the Members Library

1. Frozen Lake, Pond, and River Notebook Page: I was inspired to create this page on my last nature walk. We have a frozen pond and an icy river to explore. At first, it looks as if nothing is going on there but when you observe closely, you see lots of signs of activity. Use this page to follow up a visit to a local, frozen landscape.

2. Mammal Lapbook printable: You’re going to love this complete set of mammal themed printables for your nature journal or use them to create a separate lapbook project. Included in this printable are vocabulary cards, black line drawings of a variety of mammals, mammal trivia in a mini book, and another mini book that answers the question, “What is a mammal?” This lapbook was originally created by my daughter and shared on her Hearts and Trees blog many years ago. I hope you have some fun with it as part of a mammal nature study with your family.

Printables for Members Button

Click the graphic above to view the complete list of printables available as part of an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

December 2020 nature planner page

Members also have access to the Nature Planner pages in their library. Print out this month’s page and use it to stimulate your weekly nature study time.

 

Join Us Ultimate Naturalist June 2020

If you would like to have access to the member’s printables and the newsletter archive, I invite you to join with an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Your membership will be valid for one year and will include the benefits shown below.

Benefits by Level graphic  26 ebooks

There are lots of new things planned for the next year and you’ll have access to any new items added during your membership.

2020 to 2021 plan graphic with ebook covers2

You can join us anytime for the current series of nature study topics. Click the graphic above to see what we have planned.