Category: summer series of outdoor hour challenges

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A Nature Themed Book List for Easy Summer Learning

Over the years, our family has built a nature themed library of our favorite and most useful resources. There are picture books featuring the natural world, fiction with a nature theme, and non-fiction reference and activity filled books. Even now with my children all grown and on their own, I use this nature library for my own benefit and enjoyment.

This nature themed book list includes beautiful and engaging options for all ages. Perfect for summer learning!

Photo by Amy Law

This entry is not intended to be an exhaustive list of nature books you could have in your home. Rather, it’s filled with possible selections and ideas you can adapt to your own personal tastes and habitat.

Cultivate the Habit of Reading Nature Books

“Nature themed literature is a wonderful way to generate an interest in the natural world. These books can also be used to enhance an area of study by sharing information along with illustrations in a simple and non-threatening way. Children can usually sit still for a few minutes while you share a picture book and many times, they will later pick up the book again all on their own and really study it.”

This is a quote from a newsletter article I wrote and then shared on the blog. You can read the entire article here: Using the Public Library to Enhance Your Nature Study

Young Children – Create a Nature Book Basket

Gathering seasonal or themed nature study books into a basket takes a few minutes of preparation but it can provide hours of enjoyment for your family.

Three Ways a Book Basket Facilitates Learning

¨ Introduces and allows familiarity to nature study topics: Make sure to read or page through any picture books in the basket at the beginning of the month. Demonstrate how to use field guides (or learn how to use them together with your children).

¨ Reference: If you choose books that fit into your monthly nature study themes, you can refer to the books in the basket as needed to support or go more in-depth as you work through your weekly topics.

¨ Allows for independent learning: Leaving the basket out at a level accessible to your children will allow them to study the books on their own during their free time.

Recommendations for Your Nature Library

The list below shares some of my favorite books from our family’s nature library. Please use this list as a starting point and then build upon it with books that capture the interest and locality of your family.

Birds, Nests and Eggs – The book Birds, Nests, and Eggs is the perfect beginner’s book for homeschool nature study. It’s also a wonderful take along guide that features many of the common birds that we see in our yards and neighborhoods.

North American Wildlife: One of my all-time favorite books for nature study. This colorful edition will keep the interest of children of all ages.

Tracks, Scats, and Signs:  This is one of my favorite books for learning about signs of mammals. It is perfect for a winter mammal study! Look for printables available to Member’s in the Library.

Backyard Birds: This book is the basis for a whole series of bird nature study ideas. It’s a great beginner’s book on birds. Please note it is used extensively in my Learning About Birds ebook available to Members.

My Favorite Tree: You will love having this book as part of your nature library. Learn more about so many interesting trees and use the resources in this entry to take your study deeper.

Discover Nature at Sundown: Family Summer Nature Study: This is one in a series of books that takes you into more advanced nature study around a specific theme. This book focuses on things you can study at sundown.

One Small Square: Seashore: Are you getting ready for a trip to the beach? This book will give you plenty of nature study observation ideas to try. I also highly recommend this whole series of One Small Square books for your nature library.

Pond Life (Golden Series): We have used this book extensively in our own family’s pond studies. I hope you look for it at your library and enjoy its awesome illustrations and information. Members can download a pond habitat printable set from the Member’s Library.

America’s Prairies and Grasslands: This beautiful book is one in a series that I highly recommend.  Members can download a prairie habitat printable set from the Member’s Library.

Take Along Nature Guides: No, nature study is not something we take a break from during the summer.  So naturally, I’m always looking for appealing books to help us out in our nature study to help spark my kids’ interest in all things outdoors.  When I found my first “Take-Along Guide” at a used book store, I was interested so I purchased it.  But it was later when I began really reading it that I became really interested.

“These books are so perfect for any part of nature you are studying!” 

The Handbook of Nature Study

7 Top Tips for Using the Handbook of Nature Study in Your Homeschool – Have you ever wondered how to use The Handbook of Nature Study? Does one look at it have you feeling completely overwhelmed? Here are 7 top tips to help you use The Handbook Of Nature Study In Your Homeschool.

Handbook of Nature Study: Friend or Foe? There it is… The Handbook of Nature Study, sitting on your bookshelf. Now what? It can be intimidating to say the least. Is The Handbook Of Nature Study a friend or foe in your homeschool?

Nature Book Report and Nature Book Project Printables

Homeschool Nature Study members have access to two resources to complement your nature book fun! Members enjoy a Nature Book Report Printable which is a wonderful follow up to your reading. There is also a Nature Book Project list to help you purposefully add nature books to your homeschool learning.

More Summer Reading Resources for Your Homeschool

Summer Reading Inspiration for Your Homeschool – at The Curriculum Choice. Summer is fast approaching and while you may be taking a break from any formal homeschooling, summer is a great time to indulge in reading great books. Here I have collected a bunch of summer reading inspiration. Everything from reading lists, to fun book clubs, book related activities and more!

Summer Ideas: A Chalkboard List – simple prompts to keep creativity going!

This nature themed book list includes beautiful and engaging options for all ages. Perfect for summer learning!

The Outdoor Hour Challenges Bring The Handbook of Nature Study to Life in Your Homeschool!

For even more homeschool nature study ideas for all seasons, join us in Homeschool Nature Study membership! You’ll receive new ideas each and every week that require little or no prep – all bringing the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool!

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Nature Book Project started by Barb McCoy, founder of the Outdoor Hour Challenges. Updated by Tricia.

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July Activities: Summer Nature Study In Your Homeschool

What a joyous time to enjoy the outdoors at a slow and delightful pace! These July activities for summer nature study are packed full of fun ideas for your family. Don’t miss the July nature craft and the Outdoor Mom for members!

Discover Nature at Sundown for summer nature study

What Do You Need for Summer Nature Study?

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Grab you free Getting Started in Homeschool Nature Study Guide.

Use the Handbook of Nature Study for reference.

Spend about 15 minutes or more outside with our weekly Outdoor Hour Challenges!

What a joyous time to enjoy the outdoors at a slow and delightful pace! These July activities for summer nature study are packed full of fun ideas for your family.

Summer Nature Study Homeschool Curriculum

Our homeschool nature study curriculum for summer is inspired by the wonderful nature book, Discover Nature at Sundown. Find out more about this lovely resource and enjoy a free Sunset Nature Walk printable!

More Summer Nature Study Activities

If it is too hot and humid for outdoor study, try these helpful tips! Too many mosquitoes? (We are learning about mosquitoes too!) Our Homeschool Nature Study members have a monthly Nature Study Calendar at their fingertips. Each day has a new nature study prompt! Learn and have fun while it is hot outside.

FUN Summer Nature Study Photo Challenge! Enjoy a fun summer nature study photo challenge plus first day of summer ideas! I don’t know about you but I’m so very ready for the summer season! The most noticeable change is the amount of daylight. The sun is up early and it lingers in the evenings.

Take an Early Morning Hike – enjoy these tips and inspiration for getting outside in the cool of the day!

Study Nature as You Travel This Summer – If you are planning a trip to a natural area to enjoy the outdoors, you may want to include nature study for your summer travel plans. Implement some of the ideas below to enhance your outdoor time.

Last Child in the Woods – Encouragement for Homeschool Parents – A book can transform your thinking completely or it can validate what you have experienced in your own life.  Some books do both, like Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. This is a must read book for all homeschool families who are endeavoring to expose their children to the natural world on a regular basis.

A Spectacular Night Sky Nature Study for Your Summer Homeschool

Take some time this next week to get outside at night and enjoy a beautiful night sky homeschool nature study. Allow plenty of time for your eyes to adjust to the darkness and just enjoy gazing up at the heavens. Use some of these suggestions to get started with some simple night sky observations. Get your free Night Observations Printable HERE!

July Flower Craft Activity for Kids

Victoria shares, “Summer is in full swing with our gardens bursting with colour, so these flower tapestries are a brilliant way to celebrate the new blooms. With only a hand full of supplies you can capture summers bounty in a unique and artful way; using these tapestries to decorate your home or flowerpots outside.”

The Outdoor Mom in July

The Outdoor Mom Encouragement and Nature Study Prompts

Shirley shares, “For children summer seems to last forever. The days are long, lessons are over until the fall and there is so much to do and enjoy. One could be forgiven for thinking that we have endless time to enjoy these long, hot days. However, as adults we know that this is not the case. In fact, time seems to rush by the older one gets!

In this post I hope to encourage you to make the most of July and to take every opportunity to live each of its days with joy, peace and purpose.”

Enjoy ideas for the creative outdoor mom using lavender and making gifts, visiting a pick your own fruit farm, lovely recipes for your picked fruit, July nature journal and outdoor prompts and more!

Enjoy an Outdoor Homeschool This Year!

The Joy of Nature Study for Your Homeschool Year – We are excited to announce several fun resources that will make is easy for you to add the joy of nature study for your homeschool year! “Make this a time to learn a little something new about your world. Finding time for these challenges will help this season be one that your child will not only learn something new but make special memories for a lifetime.” – Barbara McCoy (founder of The Outdoor Hour Challenges)

Learn More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership With a NEW Nature Study Each Week!

Find Nature Study Activities for each month of the year!

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

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The Ultimate Guide To Camping Activities for Kids

This guide has everything you need for camping activities for kids. Includes ideas for preschool through high school.

This guide has everything you need for camping activities for kids. Includes ideas for preschool through high school.

Family Camping Activities for All Ages

You might want to start with the super simple ideas in our Backyard Camping: Fun for the Whole Family! If you have been reluctant to try camping, this is an easy way to test it out with your family closer to home. You may just end up liking it! Who knows where you will take your tent next? Make memories together that will last a lifetime.

S’mores are another natural start to family camping activities. Roasting marshmallows around the campfire is an experience we all need to check off our summer bucket list. Find an easy s’mores recipe here.

One fun family camping activity for kids is to plan a picnic! Even a snack in your backyard will make for a fun time together outdoors. You will be surprised at all you notice while you are outside.

Keeping your running Calendar of Firsts updated – mark the first campfire of the season and any other camping discoveries in your nature journal.

last days of summer printable

If you are camping towards the end of summer, you might enjoy this fun Last Days of Summer printable and have fun checking off the items!

Of course, camping in the backyard is fun but here are some ideas for nature study while you travel for your camping adventures.

Discover Nature at Sundown is a great resource for summer nature study and nature studies after dark.

Study the Spectacular Summer Night Sky with this study (and free printable)!

You might want to take along the book, Last Child in the Woods, to read while you are camping!

And if you’d like to skip the mosquitoes all together, consider Online Summer Art Camp with our sister site, You ARE an ARTiST, for some really fun activities including a treasure map, a camp song, your own backyard tent site and campfire.

The Curriculum Choice also has a great round up of summer camp fun for your family.

Enjoy a family homeschool river study finding crawdads and crayfish!

Have a creek near by? What a great way to make memories together. This study is part of Homeschool Nature Study membership and is so much fun!

Camping Activities For Kids: Toddlers and Preschoolers

This summer, many families will be joining the Great American Backyard Campout. In honor of that event, I thought I’d share some toddler and preschool camping activities you can do camping at a camp ground or in your own backyard.  Here are five toddler and preschool camping activities to keep your kids exploring and entertained:

nature walks and treasure hunts are fun camping activities for kids

Even my 19mo. old was able to join in our treasure quest. She was quite proud of all the rocks she found.

1. Nature Walks and Nature Treasure Hunts

Sometimes we use our printable Nature I Spy cards when on our hikes, or we have a certain object that is the “treasure” of the walk that we must find. On this particular walk we were looking for rock and sea shell treasures (Be sure to know the rules of the campground and whether or not you can remove items found in nature.) Find printable Nature I Spy cards in Homeschool Nature Study membership.

My 3yr. old was thrilled whenever she found a shell. It’s not every day that we find shells in the Midwest.

2. Nature Crafts: Create Nature Sculptures

Now I had a specific purpose in mind when we went on our various treasure hunts. We were going to use these nature treasure to make nature sculptures.

nature craft: how to make nature sculptures

I made a batch of lavender playdough ahead of time and brought it with. The girls used this to make various sculptures and imprints of the objects they had collected on our nature walks. For the lavender playdough recipe, check out Sun Hats & Wellies post on making natural nature playdough.

3. Outdoor Games For Kids: Rock Memory Game

My 19mo. old was so good at collecting rocks that we had enough to make our own rock memory game!

Outdoor Games for Kids: how to make a rock memory game

I just used a Sharpie marker to make simple designs on the rocks and flipped them over for an easy game of memory!

4. Bandana Bingo

I found these Bandana Bingo games a few years ago and love how easy they are to carry along on a hike or camping. We own Bug Bingo, but there are other boards available. This is fun to play in teams and see who can find the most items on the grid.

Bandana Bingo outdoor game for kids

5. Camping Clipboards

Each of my children have their own clipboard (afflink) that stores paper and pencils. I fill these clipboards with blank paper, some printed activities such as the nocturnal animals sort, and a couple of pencils. Sometimes they draw their nature treasures, do tree bark rubbings, or just doodle.  They love their clipboards and I’m thankful for a quiet sitting activity that they can do.

Camping Activities for Older Children

Homeschool Nature Study Printables for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Homeschool Nature Study Printables for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Do you like the idea of involving young children in nature study but not sure how to start? Do you need a little help being intentional with your nature studies? Nature Study Printables is full of printable tools for you to use to get young children observing and talking about nature!

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

This guide has everything you need for camping activities for kids. Includes ideas for preschool through high school.

Homeschool Nature Study Membership

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

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Do you have any family camping or camping with toddlers and preschoolers tips? Will you be doing a backyard campout this year?

By Maureen Spell, a long-time contributor to the Outdoor Hour Challenges. Maureen helps Christian mompreneurs operate their business from a place of joy, purpose, and excellence because they are clear on how their business is serving their family and others. As a homeschool mom, she believes success at home AND business without the mom-guilt, stress and burn-out is possible! Outside of work, she loves having good conversations over a hot chai or GT Gingerberry kombucha and spending time with her husband and seven children. Visit her at MaureenSpell.com

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The Ultimate Guide To Nighttime Summer Nature Study Activities

Try an Outdoor Hour Challenge at night! With the warmer evening temperatures and longer twilight hours of summer, your family can enjoy a few nighttime nature study activities. The list below is just a taste of the opportunities you can create for learning about the natural world right in your own backyard.

With the warmer evening temperatures and longer twilight hours of summer, your family can enjoy a few nighttime nature study activities.

Nighttime Nature Study: A Perfect Summer Activity

Each of the following nature studies are included in the continuing Summer series of Homeschool Nature Study membership:

bat nature study for your homeschool
  • Bats (and more at this link)
  • Fireflies
  • Stars and Moon (winter study you can adapt)
  • Sounds
  • Night Blooming Flowers
  • Big Dipper Nature Study 
  • Moon and Crater Nature Study
Amy and her family enjoyed a night sky study!

Learn About Your Backyard at Night

More than anything else, be aware of your surroundings and use all your senses. When you can’t rely on your vision…listen, feel, and smell the nighttime in your backyard. Try to spend a few minutes just sitting quietly in the dark if your children are able and see what you notice. Even a few seconds of quiet is good for younger children.

Homeschool Nature Study Members: Download and complete the My Backyard at Night Notebook Page after your nighttime nature study.

Discover Nature at Sundown: Great Resource for Summer Nature Study

Wondering about the summer nature study book, Discover Nature at Sundown? This helpful review includes a fantastic idea (and free printable!) for families to take a nature walk in the evenings. Find out more about Discover Nature at Sundown.

night sky nighttime nature study activities

A Spectacular Night Sky Nature Study for Your Summer Homeschool

Take some time this next week to get outside at night and enjoy a beautiful night sky homeschool nature study. Allow plenty of time for your eyes to adjust to the darkness and just enjoy gazing up at the heavens. Use some of these suggestions to get started with some simple night sky observations. Get your free Night Observations Printable HERE!

More Fun Summer Learning for Your Family

Summer is a perfect opportunity to mix up learning opportunities. Enjoy these summer nature studies as well:

With the warmer evening temperatures and longer twilight hours of summer, your family can enjoy a few nighttime nature study activities.

Year Round Nature Based Homeschooling


We invite you to check out membership here at Homeschool Nature Study and Bring the Handbook of Nature Study to Life in Your Homeschool. The benefits of a membership are numerous including 26+ courses, printable curriculum and dozens of printable nature journal pages and activities.

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership Now!
Handbook of Nature Study for your homeschool

by Barb McCoy, founder of the Outdoor Hour Challenges

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Discover Nature at Sundown: Family Summer Nature Study

Wondering about the summer nature study book, Discover Nature at Sundown? This helpful review includes a fantastic idea (and free printable!) for families to take a nature walk in the evenings.

Find fun summer nature study ideas with Discover Nature at Sundown. Includes a free printable for families to take a fantastic nature walk in the evenings.

Discover Nature at Sundown: Family Summer Nature Study

Discover Nature at Sundown by Elizabeth P. Lawlor is a book that our family has used for many years. When my children were younger, we would pull it off the shelf every summer to use as a reference and as a source of nature study ideas.

Our Summer Nature Study Curriculum features Discover Nature at Sundown and its topics, which you can find referenced below (Summer Series of Outdoor Hour Challenges).

owl nature study

Main Topics in Discover Nature at Sundown

Here are some of the many topics you can enjoy in your summer nature study:

  • owls
  • frogs
  • moths
  • fireflies
  • bats
  • opossums
  • raccoons
  • and skunks

There’s a little something for everyone’s taste! Dissect an owl pellet, try to entice moths to your nature hike, chase a firefly, listen for crickets, or hunt for traces of raccoons and opossums. My strategy was always to complete an entire in-depth study from this book each summer. Over time, your family will have covered a lot of interesting topics in a relaxed and enjoyable way.

Find fun summer nature study ideas with Discover Nature at Sundown. Includes a free printable for families to take a fantastic nature walk in the evenings.

Great Ideas for Summer Nature Journaling

For those of you that keep nature journals, you’ll be happy to note that the illustrations and charts are all very well done and our family would often copy them into our nature journals for future reference. The black and white line drawings are simple enough to inspire even the most reluctant nature journaler.

summer nature journaling ideas for homeschool

The ideas in this book will help you use your senses during your nature study to learn more about each of the topics. These skills are so useful in all scientific study but especially so for nature study. Plus, using all your senses is lots of fun! The book will help you with ideas for honing these skills and explain how we can enhance our natural senses.

Find your copy of Discover Nature at Sundown

Take a Sunset Nature Walk – A Fun Way to Work on Using Our Senses

Summer evenings are a cooler time of day for getting outside with your children. The after dinner hours are still light enough that taking a nature walk is a possibility.

You could go on a dinner picnic at a lake and then take a long walk in the evening air. There will still be plenty of things to observe, including a delightful sunset, the chirping of crickets, the song of the robin, the breeze in the treetops, and the buzz of mosquitoes.

Your nature walk doesn’t need to be a long one and you can adjust the time of day and length to fit your particular family. For a first outing, plan on 15-20 minutes and then see how it goes. If you can encourage your children to walk silently, even for just a minute, they are going to get more out of the experience. As your children are able, try to spend longer periods of silence as you listen for any signs of life during your outdoor time.

Take a Nature Hike at Sundown Printable

This printable is also available to Homeschool Nature Study members in your Summer course. Please be sure to share photos of your sunset walk and tag us on Instagram @outdoorhourchallenge

Homeschool Nature Study's 5 Senses Walk at Sunset

More Summer Nature Study Ideas

You might also like:

Handbook of Nature Study Outdoor Hour Summer Curriculum for Homeschool

Summer Nature Study in Homeschool Nature Study Membership

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

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership HERE!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Find fun summer nature study ideas with Discover Nature at Sundown. Includes a free printable for families to take a fantastic sunset nature walk.
Handbook of Nature Study for your homeschool

by Barb McCoy, founder of the Outdoor Hour Challenges

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June Nature Study Activities for Summer Fun

These June nature study activities are a perfect way to kick off summer learning in your homeschool.

All quotes are from Charlotte Mason (modern English), volume 3

“One afternoon a week, the students in our ‘Practicing School’ [taught by the student teachers at Charlotte Mason’s teacher’s college] go for a ‘nature walk’ with their teacher. They notice things by themselves, and the teacher tells them the name or gives other information only if they ask for it.”

“The teachers are careful not to turn these nature walks into an opportunity to give science lessons, because they want the children’s attention to be focused on their own observations.”

“They’re allowed to notice things with very little direction from the teacher. By doing this, children accumulate a good collection of ‘common knowledge.’ ”

– Charlotte Mason

Nature Study In Your Homeschool

How to Use the Outdoor Hour Challenges for Your Homeschool Family Nature Study – Here are some things to consider for your homeschool family nature study. Every family is different so use these tips to get started with simple and joyful Outdoor Hour Challenges.

Homeschool Nature Study in Your Own Backyard – There is such freedom in homeschool nature study in your own backyard and in learning what is closest to home! In your own backyard, your children will learn to observe, to write about their experiences, to draw their treasures, to be patient, to imagine, and to explore. You don’t need a special textbook or kit to get started.

5 Getting Started in Nature Study Tips – What a delight nature study learning is and what joys you will discover outside your back door. We will help you with simple encouragement along the way.

June Nature Study Activities

Cicada Nature Study – This cicada homeschool nature study will be a lesson in learning to listen and distinguish the sound of the cicada. In the past we’ve listened in the evenings for other insects like the cricket. Now we’re going to learn about the cicada by listening and observing like investigators during the daylight.

Day Hikes Near Home – I realized over time that we didn’t need to travel far to find places to go on short notice or even for a half day’s hike. I loved being able to roll out of bed, decide to go on a hike, and be out the door in a short period of time. So, how did I overcome the dilemma of finding places to hike near our home?

Study Nature as You Travel This Summer – If you are planning a trip to a natural area to enjoy the outdoors, you may want to include nature study for your summer travel plans. Implement some of the ideas below to enhance your outdoor time.

FUN Summer Nature Study Photo Challenge! Enjoy a fun summer nature study photo challenge plus first day of summer ideas! I don’t know about you but I’m so very ready for the summer season! The most noticeable change is the amount of daylight. The sun is up early and it lingers in the evenings.

Beautiful Lupine Wildflower Nature Study – Enjoy a beautiful lupine wildflower nature study for your homeschool! Don’t miss the free lupine resource download and the free event!

Creating a Nature Journal Supply Kit for Your Homeschool – Here are some tips for creating a nature journal supply kit for your homeschool. It is simple, inexpensive and is easy to do!

Try a FREE Month of Preschool Homeschool Nature Study!

More Nature Study Resources for Summer Fun

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

Using the Public Library to Enhance Your Nature Study – You don’t need to spend lots of money building a library of nature literature. Using the public library as a source of books is easy and fun.

June Nature Study Activities in Membership

For even more homeschool nature study ideas, join us in Homeschool Nature Study membership! You’ll receive new ideas each and every week that require little or no prep – all bringing the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool!

Enjoy all of these and more in homeschool nature study membership:

  • Summer Senses
  • Mosquitoes
  • Summer Tree Observations
  • Summer Weather Observations
  • Bats
  • First Day of Summer Notebook Page
  • Fun Summer Photo Challenge
  • Monarch Butterfly Study
Nasturtiums! We went to our local garden store to search for them, and then worked in our nature journals at a nearby park. @amy.law

Have you subscribed to our Homeschool Nature Study YouTube channel?

  • Turtle and Pondweed Study
  • Mouse Study
  • Yellow Jacket and Mud Dauber
  • Owl
  • Mountain Laurel
  • Sunflower and other garden flowers
  • Raccoons and Skunks
  • Spectacular Night Sky Nature Study Ideas! (with a free printable)
  • and much more!

Plus a New June Outdoor Mom Post and a June Nature Craft!

These fun Outdoor Mom and Nature Craft activities are for our annual Homeschool Nature Study members! We invite you to join the family summer fun!

Nature Crafts for Kids: Boat

Victoria shares this really fun nature craft! “Summer is nearly upon us but the odd rain shower still hangs around, so now is the best time to make these little nature boats. Float them on a puddle after a summer rainfall, send them drifting across a pond or sailing down stream. these little nature boats will bring copious amounts of joy to a summers day.”

June Homeschool Outdoor Mom activities! So this summer I want to encourage you to take lots of walks. Eat lots of picnics outdoors. Take your shoes off and paddle in cool streams with your children and lie down in flower-filled meadows looking up at the blue skies and finding shapes in the clouds. Take time to plan a long, slow, purposeful summer with your families.

The Outdoor Homeschool Mom in June

This June, be encouraged by Shirley with all of her lovely Outdoor Mom prompts! Shirley shares, “So this summer I want to encourage you to take lots of walks. Eat lots of picnics outdoors. Take your shoes off and paddle in cool streams with your children. Lie down in flower-filled meadows looking up at the blue skies and find shapes in the clouds. Take time to plan a long, slow, purposeful summer with your families.”

Learn More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

These June nature study activities are a perfect way to kick off summer learning in your homeschool.

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

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How To Plan a Picnic for Your Homeschool Nature Study

You can plan a simple outdoor picnic with the benefit of homeschool nature study! Even a snack in your backyard will make for a fun time together outdoors. You will be surprised at all you notice while you are outside.

“..by beginning with the child in nature-study we take him to the laboratory of the wood or garden, the roadside or the field, and his materials are the wild flowers or the weeds, or the insects that visit the goldenrod or the bird that sings in the maple tree, or the woodchuck whistling in the pasture.”

Handbook of Nature Study, page 21
You can plan a simple outdoor picnic for your homeschool nature study! Even a snack in your backyard will make for a fun time together.
Image by Amy Law

Ideas for How to Plan an Outdoor Picnic

Picnics don’t need to be fancy. Wrap up a sandwich in a cloth napkin, grab a piece of fruit, and some water and you are set. Venture outside even if it is only to your own yard to sit on a blanket and enjoy your lunch. Afterwards you can make time for a short period of nature study.

I love eating outside with my family, especially in the summertime. This week’s Outdoor Hour Challenge encourages you to share a meal outside with your children. Keep it simple as far as food selections and location. Even if all you do is put a few things in a bag, grab a blanket, and then spread it all out on your own backyard lawn, I’m sure you and your children will enjoy the fresh air and the time spent outdoors sharing a meal.

Our family looks back fondly on the meals we shared outside in the summertime on our back deck. It made us slow down a bit and take notice of the things that happen outside like clouds floating by, birds chirping, and trees swaying in the breeze. We watched loads of sunsets and I remember a few times being sprinkled on by a passing late afternoon thunderstorm.

Our family eats dinner outside every night from June to September….longer if the weather allows. We have arranged our patio table under a canopy and the citronella candles are always kept nearby. We have a tree that the hummingbirds sip nectar from in the dusk hours and after our meal we sit and observe their dinnertime.

“…When the weather is warm, why not eat breakfast and lunch outside?…Besides the benefit of an added hour or two of fresh air, meals eaten outside are often delightful, and there’s nothing like happiness to convert food and drink into healthy blood and bodies.“

Charlotte Mason, Outdoor Life pg 43

Summer Nature Study Tip

Purchase some inexpensive, unbreakable dinnerware and reusable utensils. Make sure you have a small ice chest and some cooler packs to pop into your freezer. Gather a blanket or camping chairs to leave in your garage for those last minute excursions to the park for a picnic. Make sure to bring your nature journal and some pencils so you can create a nature journal page if the opportunity arises during or after your picnic.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Picnic

1. The challenge is to have a picnic. No need to go far or to even have a picnic table. Food always tastes better outside and if you don’t want to commit to a whole lunch, why not just a snack?

After you eat, sit and listen to the sounds of the spring.

“Given the power of nature to calm and soothe us in our hurried lives, it also would be interesting to study how a family’s connection to nature influences the general quality of family relationships. Speaking from personal experience, my own family’s relationships have been nourished over the years through shared experiences in nature-from sharing our toddler’s wonder upon turning over a rock and discovering a magnificent bug the size of a mouse, to paddling our old canoe down a nearby creek during the children’s school years, to hiking the mountains.”

Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv

2. After your picnic, spend 10-15 minutes observing your surroundings. Add anything new to your list of items observed in your focus area that you are keeping in your nature journal. Make note of any additional research that needs to be done for things your child is interested in. Make a journal entry if you wish.

This challenge is found in the Getting Started ebook which is included in Homeschool Nature Study membership. The ebook provides the challenge as shown above as well as custom notebook pages for your follow up nature journal if desired.

Homeschool Nature Study Members Have Great Resources at Your Fingertips

Consider working through the first three Outdoor Hour Challenges in the Getting Started ebook. These three challenges can help build your nature study habit. I highly recommend following the suggestions for reading in the Handbook of Nature Study that go along with those challenges. The words expressed in those readings include timeless advice to parents about the value of regular nature study close to home. Make sure to have the printable nature journal pages bookmarked in case your child is ready to create a record of their Outdoor Hour Challenge.

#1 Let’s Get Started
#2 Using Your Words
#3 Now Is The Time To Draw

Get your FREE Getting Started: Nature Study Close to Home (includes these challenges!)

Look for the Outdoor Hour Challenge Planning Pages printable in the Planning Resources course. Use these pages to make a rough plan for your nature study.

If you’re not a member here at Homeschool Nature Study yet, please consider joining to gain the benefit of having a nature study library at your fingertips. There are numerous resources available for you to help create the habit of nature study within your family.

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

by Barbara McCoy, Outdoor Hour Challenges founder

You can plan a simple outdoor picnic for your homeschool nature study! Even a snack in your backyard will make for a fun time together.
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Mouse Homeschool Nature Study For Kids

Enjoy these simple mouse homeschool nature studies learning about these small mammals. Includes mouse stories to read, studies to enjoy indoors, outdoor time and nature journaling suggestions.

Outdoor Hour Challenge hostess, Shirley Vels, shares, “These little creatures, love them or hate them, are entertaining to watch. Personally, I have a soft spot for mice probably borne of having my early childhood views molded by the likes of Brambly Hedge and Beatrix Potter tales.”

Remember: You are always successful in your homeschool nature studies with the Outdoor Hour Challenges if you take time to be outside with your children for a few minutes each week. You can use your outdoor time this week to sit on a blanket in the shade, read about mice, and then make a few notes in your nature journal. Snacks are always welcome during the Outdoor Hour Challenge as well.

Mouse Homeschool Nature Studies for Kids

Your Indoor Homeschool Nature Study Preparation

Your Mouse Outdoor Hour Time:

  • This is one of those challenges that is hard to plan ahead of time for direct observation of the topic. If you have access to a real mouse to observe, use the suggestions for the lesson in the Handbook of Nature Study.
  • If you don’t have access to a mouse, use your outdoor time to observe any mammal and compare it using information you know about a mouse: teeth, feet, tail, color, size, behavior, diet.

Mouse Follow-Up Nature Study Activities:

  • Complete a nature journal entry with any information you learned from your mouse study. You can sketch any signs of mice that you observed in your yard like tracks, scat, or a mouse hole. You can also click this link, click and print the image of the house mouse to include in your notebook: Nature.CA—House Mouse or members can color the page for the Whitefooted Mouse in the summer course.
  • If you observed any other mammal and would like to follow-up with more nature study, you can check the list of previous mammal Outdoor Hour Challenges for more information using the Handbook of Nature Study. You may wish to use the free Mammal Notebook Page available on my blog.
  • Advanced Study: Research the Rodentia order and the Muridae family. Record your results in your nature journal.

Mouse Mammal Study with Owl Pellet Dissection

Additional Links:

More Mouse Learning for Your Homeschool – Free Mammal Journal Page

Get Your Mammal Nature Study Journal Page!

Subscribe to get your free mammal journal page.

    We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

    If You Give a Mouse a Cookie or If You Take a Mouse to the Movies: Hands on Homeschool Activities – We love this sweet tale of a little mouse who is easily distracted from one thing to the next. If this isn’t a picture of all parents everywhere with their toddlers and preschoolers, then I don’t know what is. 

    A Delightful Study of Famous Artist Beatrix Potter (with podcast) – Come on, let’s go visit Hill Top Farm and meet all of her favorite animals!

    homeschool nature study membership
    Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership HERE!

    All the summer challenges are included in the continuing summer course in Homeschool Nature Study membership. If you want to follow along with notebook pages and coloring pages, click over and learn more about membership.

    by Barbara McCoy, founder of The Outdoor Hour Challenges

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    Summer Nature Study: Learn And Have Fun When It’s Hot Outside

    Here are some tips for enjoying summer nature study when it’s hot outside. I live where it gets really hot outside in the summer. We have had just a taste of the heat so far this year but it has been enough to remind me just how hot it can be in the sun in the afternoon.

    I want to encourage those that have emailed me lately telling me that it is too hot to participate in the Outdoor Hour Challenges right now in their part of the world. I sat and thought about how we can accomplish the Outdoor Hour even when the temperatures and humidity get up to the point where staying outdoors is unpleasant and potentially dangerous.

    Homeschool Family Tips for Enjoying Summer Nature Study

    Here are homeschool family tips for enjoying summer nature study (what we do in our family).

    We try to get outside early in the day when there is still a little shade. We take a few minutes first thing to take a walk around the garden to pull a few weeds, make sure the watering system is working, harvest any goodies that are ripe, and enjoy the progress of the garden.

    This gives us an opportunity to watch birds, look for worms, see butterflies, look at spider’s webs, watch ants, pick up some acorns, feel the cool breeze, look at signs of nocturnal visitors, and so many other everyday sorts of nature study.

    Other than working in the garden, we many times take a short walk just around the perimeter of our property just looking for anything interesting. Ten or fifteen minutes is usually all that takes. Do we sometimes get hot? Yes we do but then we come inside and get something to drink and take a little time looking up anything we found interesting online or in a book while it is fresh in our minds. It might be a feather we found or an interesting rock. It could be a new flower blooming or a spider we don’t know the name of. Here is a quote from a newer participant in the Outdoor Hour and what she wrote on her blog.

    “I have noticed in our studies that if we wait, nature will come to us.”

    Paula, from Wakefield Academy

    I love that and it is so true. It is the little things that come your way during your everyday business and travels that enrich your nature study.

    It really isn’t about the big field trips or the nature study classes, it is the day to day, ho-hum stuff that is fascinating. The house fly that you look at with the hand lens, the ants crawling on your front step, the bird gathering twigs for a nest outside your window, the things we so many times fail to notice.

    Nature Study When It’s Hot Outside

    Here are some simple tips for summer nature study:

    Have a Focus for Your Nature Study

    I think in the heat of summer you just need to plan and have a focus for your nature study. You may want to focus your Outdoor Hour Challenges on garden flowers. Each challenge can literally be completed by taking a ten to fifteen minute period of time outside. You do not need to travel to a nature study area or spend a half-day or a whole day outside. For instance, challenge #17 was to look at leaves. My son and I went out and found about ten different leaves to look at and we were only outside about five minutes. We brought the leaves inside and we looked at them and then he drew them in his nature journal in the comfort of the cool indoors. You really only needed to find one leaf and bring it in to look at….tops outdoor time would be five minutes and that is still doable in hot weather.

    Involve Water in Your Nature Study

    I find that if I involve water in some aspect of our outdoor time the children and I enjoy it more. Watering the grass or watering with a watering can can provide just the touch of coolness to our time even if the temperatures are soaring. How about a squirt bottle to cool off with as you take a few minutes in your yard or neighborhood exploring?

    Have a Cool Snack

    The promise of a cool snack at the end of a short period outside is always a great way to keep spirits up as you have your outdoor time. We keep popsicles and Go-Gurts in the freezer for a refreshing snack in the shade after we have made our observations.

    Remember That Your Children Are Developing Their Senses

    The other aspect of nature study is that we are really training our children to see the differences in their world in each season. So many children today are raised in houses heated and cooled to a comfortable temperature year round. Our cars and the grocery stores are temperature controlled as well. Our kids need to feel the hot air of summer and the cold air of winter. It is part of growing up and experiencing our world and developing their senses.

    I think that until we recognize that our children need outdoor time in nature close to their own homes, we do not make it a priority or think that it is worth while. Richard Louv in his book, Last Child in The Woods has a chapter titled “A Life of Senses: Nature vs. the Know-It-All State of Mind”. He makes some excellent points. Here is just one quote.

    “Children need nature for the healthy development of their senses, and, therefore,
    for learning and creativity.”

    More Ideas for Your Summer Homeschool

    You might also like these fun ways to enjoy summer homeschool nature study:

    Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership for New Outdoor Hour Challenges Each Week!

    Do you think this will help those that are hesitant to have nature study in the summer? I hope everyone that has a willingness to try will now not use the heat (or cold) as a reason to procrastinate nature study and participating in the Outdoor Hour Challenges any longer.

    The best tips for enjoying summer nature study, even when it's hot outside.

    By Outdoor Hour Challenges founder, Barbara McCoy

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    Homeschool Nature Study: Free Notebook Page For The Last Days of Summer

    Enjoy a last days of summer homeschool nature study free notebook page. Let’s soak up these last sunny and glorious days, have fun and make memories together as a family.

    Backyard Garden Retreat
    I am still working in the garden…picking beans and watering.

    Many of you have gone back to school already but we need to remember that it is still officially summer until September 23. There is still time to get outside and do a few more summer activities, making some family memories.

    I made up a notebook page for you to download to remember to have some fun while the summer weather is still around.

    Summer Lake Fun
    The boys have convinced us to go to the lake a few more times to wakeboard.

    I am not ready to give up on summer yet! My boys are ready to hit the lake a few more times and we are going camping and hiking too.

    Last Days of Summer Homeschool Nature Study Free Notebook Page

    Homeschool Nature Study members already have this page in your Summer Outdoor Hour Curriculum course. Not yet a member? You can download the notebook page, below and sample the Outdoor Hour Challenges:

    Get Your Last Days of Summer Notebook Page!

    Subscribe to get your free Last Days of Summer Notebook page.

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      Have fun!

      More Family-Style Summer Homeschool Nature Study

      You might also like these fun ways to enjoy summer homeschool nature study:

      As we also look forward to autumn nature study and all the joys of nature study for your homeschool year.

      For even more homeschool nature study ideas for all seasons, join us in Homeschool Nature Study membership! You’ll receive new ideas each and every week that require little or no prep – all bringing the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool!

      Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

      Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

      First shared by Barb August 2011 and updated by Tricia August 2022

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