printable Archives

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Barb — 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.

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

New Printables for Members

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.

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.

You 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.

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

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.

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 December 4, 2020 by Barb — 2 Comments

Outdoor Hour Challenge: December World 2020

Outdoor Hour Challenge

December World 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 December 1, 2020 by Barb — 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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

Posted on November 6, 2020March 28, 2023 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge -Hedgehog Fungi Nature Study

Going on a fungus hunt is one of my favorite things to do! As I was planning this entry, I was so enthusiastic about it that I dropped everything and convinced my husband to go wandering in the woods with me to look for mushrooms. It had snowed a bit a few days before and it was cold as we hiked along, but we were rewarded with finding several different kinds of fungus to look at and take photos of for my nature journal.

If your family is new to mushroom hunts, you might want to give a little instruction ahead of time about whether you should touch or pick the mushrooms you find. As a rule, I don’t pick mushrooms but get down on my knees to look at them closely. I take a few photos and let them stay where they are as part of the habitat.

You can use this Outdoor Hour Challenge as a means of learning the different shapes of mushrooms. See this post from the archives that focuses on mushroom cap shapes: Mushroom Nature Study with Cap Printable.

Also, there is a new Fungi Photo Hunt printable activity in the Member’s Library if you’re interested in using that idea during your outdoor time this week.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Hedgehog Fungi @handbookofnaturestudy

View the original challenge here: Outdoor Hour Challenge – Hedgehog Fungi. Visit our Outdoor Hour Challenge hosts OHC Fungi post on her blog Building A Household of Faith.

If you have access to the ebook, there are two notebook pages to choose from for your nature journal.

Newsletter Resources: Members also have access to the two newsletters in the archives that feature fungus/mushroom studies: March 2013 and November 2016.

Alternate study: Within the lesson is the suggestion to read Lesson #198 in the Handbook of Nature Study on mushrooms. I would suggest using the lesson ideas from Lesson #198 to observe any fungi you find for this challenge.

Handbook of Nature Study Autumn Nature Study 2015 Cover Image

Sample to view: Outdoor Hour Challenge Autumn Nature Study 2015 Sample Pages

If you don’t have a membership yet, click the graphic above and join today for immediate access to the 26 ebooks and so much more! Remember that all levels, even the Discovery level membership, include access to all of the archived newsletters!

Topics in this ebook include:

Swallows and swifts
Catfish
Jewelweed
Prickly lettuce
Cockroach
Field horsetail
Catbird
Calcite, limestone, marble
Chicken
Turkey
Hedgehog fungi
Sapsucker
Brooks

Posted on November 2, 2020 by Barb — 2 Comments

New Member’s Printables Available- Fungi Photo Hunt and Autumn Changes

Now available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships:

1. Fungi Photo Hunt: Download and print this activity for your family to use as part of a fungi hunt. The suggestions on the printable will help guide your family on a fascinating and fun nature study featuring fungi of all kinds. Our family recently took a fungi hike and we found five different kinds to take photos of and we are anxious to go again soon!

2. Autumn Changes Notebook Page: Autumn is a perfect time for your family to get outside and note the changes you see and then follow up with a nature journal page. Autumn provides plenty of colorful and interesting things to observe and sketch for this notebook page.

(See the end of this post for more information on how you can become a member.)

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

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.

Posted on October 1, 2020 by Barb — Leave a comment

New Member’s Printable-Autumn Weeds and Pond Study

Now available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships:

1. Autumn Weed Notebook Page: This notebook page is a complement to any autumn weed or wildflower nature study. During the month of October, we will be studying jewelweed and prickly lettuce. If you don’t have either of those plants to study in real life, you can use this notebook page along with any weed or wildflower you want to focus on. You can get some autumn weed nature study ideas here: Autumn Weed Study.

2. Pond Nature Study Set-18 pages of notebooking pages included: As part of your family’s autumn nature study, you can start a year long pond study. Use the notebook pages in this set to follow up your pond time with a few of the more common subjects you may encounter. Topics include: dragonfly, damselfly, ducks, freshwater clams, mayfly, nutria, reeds, smartweed, water boatman, water snails, water spiders, water strider, whirligig beetles, aquatic insects, aquatic plants, pond fish, pond mammals, and tracks in the mud.

If you would like some pond study ideas, you can click over to see this study from my archives: Pond Study.

(See the end of this post for more information on how you can become a member.)

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

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.

These are Amazon affiliate links to two books I have purchased and used with my family’s pond study.

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Barb — Leave a comment

New Printables for Members: First Day of Autumn and Full Moon

Now available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships:

1. First Day of Autumn Grid Study and Nature Journal Toppers printable: I think we are all ready for a little change in the season! Using these printables in your nature journal will help jump start your nature journaling year.

2. Full Moon Planner 2020 notebook page: I have so enjoyed gazing at the full moons this summer. But, I seem to lack enthusiasm as soon as the evenings turn chilly. I wanted a way to remind myself to get outside and look at the moon in all the seasons so I created the planner page to help encourage our family to take note of each of the full moons over the next year. Please join me and I hope the helps you create a record of your moon observations.

(See the end of this post for more information on how you can become a member.)

Full Corn Moon is September 2, 2020!

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

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.

It’s time to pull out this autumn favorite!

Posted on August 17, 2020 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Study Plan for 2020-2021 – Outdoor Hour Challenge

Outdoor Hour Challenge 2020-2021

Get Ready for Autumn!

I am reposting the information about the upcoming school year’s plan for the Outdoor Hour Challenge.

I’m getting excited to start a new school year of nature study alongside all of you! The plan this year is packed with a variety of awesome topics that will appeal to a wide range of children and those who live around the world. My friends are all geared up to start on September 4, 2020 with the Autumn Nature Study ebook. I, on the other hand, am having trouble imagining I’ll be ready for “autumn” nature study in just a few weeks from now. But, I’m sure that by the time it arrives, September is going to be a rich month of nature time before the weather turns too cold or wet.

Join us if you have a membership by reading the instructions below and then getting your nature journals ready. Don’t forget to print out the nature planner pages for the autumn season for even more ideas in addition to the Outdoor Hour Challenge topics.

There’s something for everyone in an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership!

Here are the five ebooks that will be planned out from September 2020 to August 2021.

Autumn – Final Ebook: swallows and swifts, catbirds, cockroaches, field horsetail, sapsucker, brook study, catfish, jewelweed, prickly lettuce, hedgehog fungi, calcite, limestone, marble, chickens, and turkeys.

Winter Nature Study Continues Ebook: cattle, deer, feldspar, Orion star study, crystals, flickers, scarlet saucer, bloodroot, hepatica, violets, bleeding hearts, Dutchman’s breeches, and squirrel corn.

Bird Set #1 Ebook: pelican, swan, snipe, egret, sandhill crane, American dipper, horned lark, magpie, and Clark’s nutcracker.

Wildflowers Ebook #3: fireweed, salsify, paintbrush, forget-me-nots, and silverweed.

Herbs Ebook: cilantro, basil, bee balm, oregano, dill, thyme, sage, and mint. This ebook will be added to the Ultimate and Journey level memberships in June 2020.

Outdoor Hour Challenge September 2020 – August 2021 for Members

Get the Year Plan in a PDF: Subscribe to the Ultimate Naturalist Library, Journey, or Discovery level membership: Your membership will give you access to a detailed schedule for the entire year. You will have a printable plan that shows dates and specific topics that will be considered every Friday. This makes your planning super easy!

As there were last year, I’ve created monthly planning pages with lots of additional nature study ideas that you can use to enrich your nature study. These are similar to the planning pages I created for the newsletters in the past. If you’re a member at any level, you’ll receive all 12 months of planning pages in one pdf to download and print!

View a sample planning page above. These pages will be added to the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by the end of July 2020. Print the sample: September 2020 Handbook of Nature Study planner page.

Do You Want to Join Us? Here’s what you need to do!

Purchase a membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study. Remember that if you want access to all the ebooks, you’ll need an Ultimate Naturalist or Journey Level Membership. If you purchase a membership now, you’ll have access to all of the new ebooks as they become available. A membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study starts the date of purchase and is valid for one year.
Download the ebooks as they become available.
Download the September 2020 through August 2021 plan.
Subscribe to the Handbook of Nature Study blog for reminders each Friday.

If you can’t purchase a membership at this time, you can still follow along by subscribing to the blog and each week’s Outdoor Hour Challenge will come right to your email inbox.

Click Below to Get Started!

Use the discount code NEWSTART for $10 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Code expires 9/1/2020.

Posted on August 3, 2020 by Barb — Leave a comment

Insect Photo Hunt Printable Activity

I’m excited to start a new month of nature study using the Outdoor Hour Challenges! This is really going to be a month of looking at and learning about insects using the topics in the Creepy Things ebook.

To supplement the regular activities in the scheduled challenges, I’ve wanted to do a little photo hunt idea featuring insects. So, I created a brand new printable activity for all of us to use.

This Insect Photo Hunt printable activity will be available to download for the rest of August to anyone who would like to use it for their own family. I’ll also add it to the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership printables page for members to use even after August. (See your membership page for the download link.)

Download the printable here:Insect Photo Hunt printable activity

Complete instructions are on the printable.

I hope you enjoy getting your children out to look for insects of all kinds. This time of year is perfect for finding so many interesting and beautiful insects to view up close.

I’ll be posting my insect photos on Instagram using the hashtag #OHCinsects. Please feel free to use the hashtag too so I can see all your insect captures.

You can view the complete list of Member’s printables available by clicking the graphic above.

You can find all of the Outdoor Hour Challenges for insects by clicking the graphic above or by clicking the “Insects” tab found at the top of the Handbook of Nature Study website.

Category: printable

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

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

Outdoor Hour Challenge: December World 2020

New Printables and December Nature Study Plans

Outdoor Hour Challenge -Hedgehog Fungi Nature Study

New Member’s Printables Available- Fungi Photo Hunt and Autumn Changes

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

New Member’s Printable-Autumn Weeds and Pond Study

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

New Printables for Members: First Day of Autumn and Full Moon

Full Corn Moon is September 2, 2020!

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

Nature Study Plan for 2020-2021 – Outdoor Hour Challenge

Outdoor Hour Challenge 2020-2021

Get Ready for Autumn!

Use the discount code NEWSTART for $10 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Code expires 9/1/2020.

Insect Photo Hunt Printable Activity

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!

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

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-23010" alt="Autumn Changes Know Your Own Backyard Notebook Page" src="https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Autumn-Changes-Know-Your-Own-Backyard-Notebook-Page-231x300.jpg" width="231" height="300" />

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-23018" alt="November 2020 Planner Page image" src="https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/November-2020-Planner-Page-image-231x300.jpg" width="231" height="300" />

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-22834" alt="Autumn Study - Weeds Notebook Page" src="https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Autumn-Study-Weeds-Notebook-Page-231x300.jpg" width="231" height="300" />

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-22833" alt="October 2020 nature planner page" src="https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/October-2020-nature-planner-page1-231x300.jpg" width="231" height="300" />

Full Corn Moon is September 2, 2020!

Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-22726" alt="September 2020 nature planner page" src="https://naturestudyhomeschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/September-2020-nature-planner-page-231x300.jpg" width="231" height="300" />

Outdoor Hour Challenge 2020-2021

Get Ready for Autumn!

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!