For families that are not following along with the Outdoor Hour Challenges, you may wish to still complete some autumn season observations. These activities take a few minutes, usually include a lesson in the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock, and create an opportunity to learn a little bit about your habitat in a simple and relaxed way.
Here is a list of ideas to get you started with a year-long study in a variety of topics.
Maybe you just want a quick autumn nature study idea this week to use with your children. Why not try the Signs of Autumn nature study activity?
You can download the notebooking page and read the suggested activity here in this entry from my archives: Signs of Autumn.
Most of my readers that responded to my question about their favorite season for nature study, responded that autumn was the best time for them to be outdoors. I would love to help you with your nature study plans with the long list of Outdoor Hour Challenges found in any of my autumn ebooks. You can read more about those topics by clicking over and reading this entry: Autumn Nature Study Ebooks
Our family loves going on a good mushroom hunt! You can read in the Handbook of Nature Study about this fascinating nature study topic and then set off on your own fungi hunt. Remember to create a sense of adventure as you set out to look for mushrooms, building anticipation for finding even just one mushroom to observe.
Did you know, mushrooms are grown in all 50 states? The majority of commercial mushroom growers are located in Pennsylvania. 63% of all white mushrooms are grown in Pennsylvania. Mushrooms require less water than other crops which makes them “energy efficient”.
Tip for Finding Mushrooms
My original mushroom challenge suggested that you let your friends and family know that you are looking for mushrooms and they can let you know if they come across any in their travels. Some of our best mushroom studies came from tips I got from my dad who found several interesting species of mushrooms on his property.
Archive Outdoor Hour Challenge – Click the link above to see the mushroom study suggestions in the original challenge.
“Fungi, as a whole, are a great boon to the world. Without them our forests would be choked out with dead wood. Decay is simply the process by which fungi and other organisms break down dead material, so that the major part of it returns to the air in gaseous form, and the remainder, now mostly humus, mingles with the soil.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 715
More Facts About Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a good source of Vitamin E as well as protein.
Most children recognize the red cap mushroom with white spots in Super Mario, the Fly agaric. However this mushroom is not safe to eat. It is highly toxic.
Cook with Mushrooms
Bring the Autumn Mushroom Nature Study into your kitchen for a fun night of cooking! Try out different mushrooms from your farmer’s market or local grocery store. Mushrooms are great in spaghetti sauce, soups, scrambled eggs, and stir fry. Try adding them on hamburgers and pizza! This Whole Foods graphic is helpful if you’re not familiar with cooking mushrooms.
Watercolor Mushrooms
“Since mushrooms are especially good subjects for watercolor and pencil studies, it would add much to the interest of the work if each pupil, or the school as a whole, should make a portfolio of sketches of all the species found. With each drawing there should be made on a supplementary sheet a spore print of the species.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 718
Homeschool Nature Study Members can print the Mushroom Coloring Page from their dashboard.
The theme of the link-up for August is Water – River, Stream, Pond. I decided to share one of the books that we used for our study of local ponds. This compact book is a terrific source of information for all ages. It’s detailed enough for an older student to use as a reference and it has colorful illustrations that will capture the interest of younger students.
You can look for it at your public library or it’s available from Amazon (note that I’m an Amazon affiliate and there are affiliate links in this entry).
You can use this as a reference book or field guide during your pond study. Or, read a few pages a week over a longer period and learn about pond life in preparation for a future pond study. There are sections for plant life and animal life in this book, including birds, reptiles, fish, and mammals. In addition, there are simple illustrations for really small things you might collect in pond water, looking at them up close with a magnifying lens or microscope.
We have owned and read this book several times during our homeschool studies. I’ve kept it in our nature library even now as a quick way to learn more about things we see in our own pond/stream.
“Almost any of the fishes found in a brook or pond may be kept in an aquarium for a few days of observation in the schoolroom. A large water pail or a bucket does very well if there is no glass aquarium. ” Handbook of Nature Study, page 145
Seasonal Pond Study with Printables
Use this notebook page to record your pond study observations and then revisit your pond in each season to compare plants, insects, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Printable Seasonal Pond Study Notebook Page
Make sure to subscribe to my blog to follow along with our weekly nature study activities.
Note: This post is part of a monthly series of posts I’m writing as part of a fantastic group of nature loving women who I’m linking up with on the 20th of each month. There’s a topic of the month and we’ll all share a book and activity that goes along with that theme. Use the linky tool below to share your own nature walk related links this month too.
Check out these other links for more nature walk ideas from Nature Book Club Co-Hosts!
As we start another year of nature study together, I want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to see the year’s plans all in one place. This plan was made with Handbook of Nature Study members in mind but it will also be very accessible to non-members who would like to join us.
Outdoor Hour Challenge September 2018 – August 2019 for Members
Get the Year Plan in a PDF: Subscribe to the Ultimate Naturalist Library, Journey, or Discovery level membership: This membership will give you access to a detailed schedule for the entire year. You’ll have a printable plan that shows dates and specific topics that will be considered every Friday. This makes your planning super easy!
Download the Ebooks: Ultimate Naturalist Members will have access to the three ebooks needed for the year’s nature study plans.
Click the covers below to go to more information for each ebook. Check your files to see if you own these ebooks already!
Note: There is no separate ebook for the autumn season. We’ll be using thefree notebook page bundle from 2009 that is available to everyone under the Autumn tab on the blog.
Download the Notebook Page Bundle: In addition to receiving the year’s plan in a pdf to download, Ultimate and Journey level members will also have access to a new Notebook Page Bundle printable that includes EVERY notebooking page needed for the entire year’s plan. This 78 page bundle can be printed for each student in your family. The Parent’s edition of the Notebook Page Bundle includes an index of challenges AND chart that shows the nature topics and corresponding pages in the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock.
I’m super excited about this new Notebook Page Bundle! This has been a much requested item and I’m happy to make this a part of the Ultimate and Journey level memberships. Note: These are not new notebook pages, but for convenience they’re the pages from the ebooks gathered into one file for you to print and use with your family. This saves you time and energy as you plan and then complete your nature study!
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 and other resources you will need an Ultimate Naturalist Membership.
Download the ebooks.
Download the Notebook Page Bundle (both a student version and a parent’s version are available).
Download the September 2018 through August 2019 plan.
Subscribe to the Handbook of Nature Study blog for reminders each Friday.
This can be your best year ever for nature study!
Click Below to Get Started!
Use the discount code: Nature4U for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Code Expires 8/18/18.
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.
We’re so proud to have been chosen as a top Elementary Science curriculum by readers at Practical Homeschooling. I hope you’ll think about using our nature study ideas in your family with the confidence that families from around the world are happy with their results!
How would you like to enter a giveaway for an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership?
You can enter below! I will be giving away three memberships!
Giveaway ends on Friday, August 10, 2018 at 11 PM.
In addition, I’ve created three new printables for you to use this month as well.
Seashore Observations: This is an exciting new printable activity that you can take with you to the beach. It helps your family through making some observations and then a scavenger hunt!
Rattlesnake Notebook Pages: This set of three notebooking pages will give you a spot in your nature journal to record what you learn and/or observe with rattlesnakes.
Eagle Notebook Page: Here’s another page in our on-going bird series for the eagle. We’ve seen so many eagles this summer that it just has to be featured on one of my nature journal pages. I invite you to do the research and then look for eagles soon!
Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.
The month of July is typically hot, sometimes too hot for a lengthy nature study session during the afternoon hours. But, using the ideas linked on the planner page, you may find a perfect summer time routine that includes fifteen minutes of nature study using the Outdoor Hour Challenges. Keep it simple and carve out the time to be with your children as you explore your yard and neighborhood during July.
In addition, I’ve created a few new printables for you to use this month as well. These are available to Ultimate and Journey level members.
Tree Study Notebook Pages: These beautiful pages are perfect for using after your study of the sequoia, aspen, birch, and spruce trees.
Note: I will be creating more tree pages in the future. If you have a particular tree you would like featured on a notebooking page, let me know in an email or comment and I will add it to my “to do list”.
Nut Study Notebook Page: This is a simple and fun way to pull some nature study into your daily life. Take the time to research your favorite nuts and then make a record of it for your nature journal.
Summer and Queen Anne’s Lace just seem to go hand in hand. Although to most of us this is a common roadside wildflower, it has such charm and beauty that I look forward to its appearance each year. I haven’t spotted any on my property yet, but you know I have my eye out for it so we can enjoy it here in Oregon just as much as we did in California.
During this summer challenge, as linked in the archive post above, you’ll be using your senses of sight, smell, and touch to learn more about Queen Anne’s Lace (or wild carrot). Since this plant is not a true native plant to most of us, your family can decide whether you consider it a weed or a wildflower. Some states list it as a noxious weed.
Advanced Study: You can read an interesting article here about the topic of wildflower versus noxious weed: Problem Plants.
Here’s a free printable notebook page for you to use after your summer study!
This ebook is found in the Ultimate level membership for you to download and use with your family. If you would like to gain access to this ebook, you can purchase a membership now and have instant access.
What an exciting month of nature study we all have ahead of us! This is the perfect time to be outdoors and to share these experiences with our children. The ideas are mostly suggested for evening nature study times but you can easily adapt them to fit your schedule.
When I lived in California, it was hot during the middle part of the day. In fact, many days were just too hot to even attempt to get the kids outdoors. But, we found the perfect time was in the evening after dinner, when it was still light out but cooling off. Many insects and animals feel the same way and will only be found out at sundown.
I invite you to use this month’s planning sheet to remind you to give these nature study ideas a try.
Please note there are additional nature study ideas listed on the planning page for you to use if you have access to the newsletter library. (Right now use the discount code OHC10 for $5 off any membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study.)
In addition, I’ve created a few new printables for members to use this month as well.
Shore Birds Notebook Pages: This set of notebook pages features 7 birds for you to learn about and look for during your summer travels.
Tide Pool Habitat Notebook Page: Are you visiting a tide pool this month? Use this page to record your observations
5 Senses at Sunset Notebook Page: This is such a great page for everyone to use after your evening nature outings. There are places for writing, drawing, and for recording your observations using your senses.
Print a complete list of printables available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships by clicking the button above.
To become a member, click on the Join Us linkat the top of the website.
This is an exciting nature study challenge! Use the suggestions in the archived post above to get started with your own moth study.
This is a nature study idea that’s as easy as turning on an outside light in the evening! The moths will come to you!
Moths are so much like butterflies in their variety and beauty. Don’t miss this special opportunity to be prepared for your next moth experience that will happen over the next season.
Use the free downloadable notebook pages for insects found in this entry: Ant Nature Study.
This ebook is found in the Ultimate level membership for you to download and use with your family. If you would like to gain access to this ebook, you can purchase a membership now and have instant access.
This month we are beginning with a new series of Outdoor Hour Challenges from the Summer Nature Study ebook. These challenges incorporate using your senses alongside observing nature in your neighborhood. All children should develop the ability to use all their senses when making careful observations. Focusing on these skills during nature study is a natural way to take their learning to a new level in a fun way.
New May Printable: This month there’s a fun new printable Farmers Market activity in the Members Library. Look for it in the “garden” section of your membership!
Please note there are additional nature study ideas listed on the planning page for you to use if you have access to the newsletter library. (Right now use the discount code OHC10 for $5 off any membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study.)
