winter series of outdoor hour challenges Archives

Posted on December 11, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Winter Tree Study – Our Ponderosa Pines!

“Of all pines, this one gives forth the finest music to the winds.” John Muir

Our local forest is populated with predominately two different pines: the lodge pole and the ponderosa. Of the two, the ponderosa is my favorite! When the forest is cleared, either by man or fire, the ponderosa pines are so beautifully placed just like in a park. They give each other enough room to grow and flourish. Their colorful bark is highlighted especially with snow on the ground. We decided it was about time we took a closer look at this special tree.

In the winter season, with a proper frosting of snow, the ponderosa pine is like the quintessential pine of your imagination. It grows with a beautifully colored straight trunk with limbs reaching out at just the right intervals. Plus the needles are long and bundled and the cones are just the right size for holding in the palm of your hand.

ponderosa pine cones at tahoe — Image from my archives – Fun day at Tahoe

I remember learning that little trick to identifying the cones….palm size = ponderosa.

So, using our field guide, we set out to learn some new facts about the ponderosa pine. What an incredibly important tree here in Oregon! Not just for lumber but also as a part of the habitat for many birds and animals.

La Pine State Park big tree — Big Ponderosa Pine at La Pine State Park, Oregon

We just happen to have the largest ponderosa pine in Oregon not far from our house and it’s a pleasant stroll out into the forest to see it.

I love the habitat of the ponderosa pine and the creatures that live there. Some of my favorite family times hiking have been under these amazing trees not just here in Oregon but in California, Utah, and Nevada.

You can read our ponderosa pine cone study here: Ponderosa Pine Cone. You can download the printable notebook page here: Winter Cone Study.

If you would like to complete your own winter tree study this year, you can click the button below for suggestions using the Handbook of Nature Study.

“At least one pine tree should be studied in the field. Any species will do, but the white pine is the most interesting.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 674

Do you have a pine to study this season?

Here are two books I own and love. Please note they are Amazon.com affiliate links.

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Winter Nature Study eBooks and Promotion

Winter Nature Study with the Outdoor Hour Challenge

I just finished editing all of the winter ebooks in the Ultimate Naturalist Library. I love that task because it reminds me of all the fantastic winter nature study ideas available in the four winter themed ebooks in the archives.

With forty challenges perfect for winter, your family could successfully add a study or two each week by using the suggestions in the Outdoor Hour Challenge and then follow up with a custom notebooking page. This can be a busy time of year so with the complete nature study lesson planned out for you in advance, you can pick a topic and easily fill in an afternoon with refreshing outdoor time. There are topics to fit every habitat and every interest.

Make a plan now to include some fun nature study activities during the winter months using the ideas in the Outdoor Hour Challenges and the Handbook of Nature Study!

If you’re new to the Outdoor Hour Challenge, you can find all four of the ebooks in the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. (See below for a discount code to use with your purchase!)

I’ll list the winter themed ebooks below and if you want to click over to see the specific topics covered, you can easily do that by clicking the book title.

Winter Nature Study Ebooks Available

1. Winter Nature Study ebook from 2010This is the winter ebook we are currently using each Friday here on the blog.
2. Winter Wednesday ebook
3. More Nature Study – Winter Wonder
4. Winter Nature Study Continues

For a complete list of winter season nature study topics, you can click the winter tab at the top of the website.

Use the discount code WINTERFUN for $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Code will expire on 12/10/18.

If you’d like to have access to all of the winter ebooks, you’ll find them in the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

In addition to the winter books, there are 16 additional nature study ebooks in this membership.

This year we’re going to cover the four series noted in the graphic above: Autumn 2009, Winter Series 2010, Garden Flowers and Plants, and More Nature Study – Summer. Click the graphic to read more about the year’s plan.

Posted on December 1, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

3 New Printables for December Nature Study

Now available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships:

Under a Rock * First Day of Winter Walk * Cloud Journal

Use these new printable notebooking pages with your family this month!

Under a Rock notebooking page: This was a special request from a family with young children and I thought it was a great addition to the printable library. Take an early winter walk and look for things still to be found under a rock!

First Day of Winter NatureWalk notebooking page: It’s hard to believe that this month we will have the official first day of winter but why not take advantage of the turn of the season to get outside and see what surprises you can find with your children? I am hoping to be recovered enough from my surgery to join you in a first day of winter nature walk on December 21st.

Cloud Journal notebooking page: Print this page at the beginning of any month and keep track of your clouds with simple sketches and words. I am really looking forward to this activity! This journal can be part of your winter weather nature study. Look for the official challenge on December 28, 2018.

Note: If you have any subjects you would like me to create nature notebook pages for, please let me know in a comment here on the blog or in an email: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com

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

Please note that members have access to the complete year’s plan in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships. Non-members can follow along by subscribing to this blog and each Friday the Outdoor Hour Challenge will come into your email inbox.

Posted on November 30, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge Winter Mammal Study – Looking for Signs and Tracks

Tracking mammals in the winter can be a fascinating nature study experience. If you have snow, ice, mud, or other conditions, it may make it easier to spot tracks. Look for and then follow any tracks you find. Examine them carefully, noting the size and shape of the tracks.

Read the original challenge here: Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Mammal Study.

Make sure to note the links and additional resources suggested for your mammal study. If you want to pick a particular mammal to study this week, there’s a link to a printable Mammal Notebook Page within the challenge.

Check the Handbook of Nature Study index for your mammal or use the mammal tab at the top of my website to see if there’s an archived Outdoor Hour Challenge for you to use in your study.

Please note this challenge is found in the Winter Series ebook found in the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Log into your membership and scroll down to the ebook download link. Included in the ebook, there’s a custom notebook page for this challenge.

You can find the complete plan for this school year in all levels of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study. Also, if you have an Ultimate or Journey level membership, there’s a file in your library that has all of this year’s notebook pages in one file.

Posted on August 6, 2018 by Barb — 34 Comments

Outdoor Hour Challenge 2018-2019 Plans

Outdoor Hour Challenge

September 2018 through August 2019

Plans and Instructions

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!

Winter Nature Study Series

Garden Flowers and Plants

Summer Nature Study Continues

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 the free 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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted on February 9, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Insect Hunt

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Winter Insect Hunt

From the Archives and the Winter Wednesday ebook

The first time we completed this challenge we lived in California where there was no snow, ice, or frozen ground. Now, in our new Central Oregon habitat it will be interesting to see what we discover using the ideas in the challenge linked above for an insect study in the middle of winter.

Use the ideas from the challenge if possible, but always take your fifteen minutes outside to be refreshed and look for something to observe whether it’s the topic of the week or not! If all else fails, get your insect field guide out and enjoy paging through to find an insect to learn more about in anticipation of a future sighting. You can find all of the insect nature study challenges on this page: Outdoor Hour Challenges – Insects.

If you’re interested in seeing how our family completed this challenge way back in time, here’s a blog entry from the archives: Our Winter Insect Study.

If you have access to the Winter Wednesday ebook in the Ultimate Naturalist Library, there’s a custom notebook page available to use as a follow up to your nature study.

Join us for the Winter Wednesday series of challenges here every FRIDAY. You can find them under the winter tab on the blog or if you have an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership, you can find the ebook there for downloading.

For the month of February, I am offering a $5 off coupon for every level of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study. Take a look at all of the benefits of having a membership!

Discount Code: $5 off any membership on the Handbook of Nature Study by using the code FEB5 during the month of February 2018.

Join us in our weekly nature study using the Outdoor Hour Challenge: October 2017 through August 2018 Plans.

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Wonderful Winter Weeds

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Wonderful Winter Weeds

From the Archives and the Winter Wednesday ebook

We’re in the winter weed season here in Central Oregon. We walk pretty much every day to the river behind our house and the weeds are all in various stages of decline. Some are flat to the ground from the rain and snow but there are surprisingly quite a few “weeds” or grasses still upright. I even noticed some still have their seeds clinging on even in the wintry weather.

Take a walk in your neighborhood and use the link to the archive challenge above for lots of specific ideas for a winter weed study this week with your family. Enjoy a few minutes outside and then create a nature journal of your experiences.

If you’re interested in seeing how our family completed this challenge, here’s a blog entry from the archives: Winter Weeds-More Lovely Than I Imagined and Winter Weeds-Our Continuing Story.

If you have access to the Winter Wednesday ebook in the Ultimate Naturalist Library, there’s a custom notebook page available to use as a follow-up to your nature study.

For the month of February, I’m offering a $5 off coupon for every level of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study. Take a look at all of the benefits of having a membership!

Discount Code: $5 off any membership on the Handbook of Nature Study by using the code FEB5 during the month of February 2018.

Posted on January 15, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Subnivean Zone Study

Subnivean Zone-Here’s a link to learn more!

My quick definition: The subnivean zone is found in and under the snowpack. It’s the space that many creatures inhabit during the winter where the snow actually acts as an insulator from cold winter temperatures. Follow this link to view an image of the subnivean zone.

I’ve become very interested in this topic because the habitat behind my house shows signs of being a prime spot for investigating this zone, once the snow really starts to fall and stay around for awhile. So, this will end up being a long term learning project for my family.

You can do your own research and use the printable in the member’s library to record your interesting facts.

Are you familiar with the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership? If not, you can read about it on this page: Membership Information.

The Ultimate and Journey level memberships include access to the growing list of printable notebooking pages and activities. I add new things each month!

Click above to see a current list of printables available in addition to the 20 ebooks already included in the Ultimate Membership.

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Dec. 2017 Mini Challenge

Outdoor Hour Challenge

December Mini Challenge Revisited 2017

From the Archives

This week the Outdoor Hour Challenge couldn’t be simpler!

First, read some of the introductory pages in the Handbook of Nature Study as a refresher and reminder to you as the nature study guide in your family. Then, spend your outdoor time making observations about your December outdoor world. Lastly, print the December World notebook page found in this challenge and complete it with your children.

Keep it simple and enjoy a few minutes in the fresh air.

Find the download link in the original challenge: December Mini Challenge.

Starting in January 2018, we’ll be using the Winter Wednesday ebook from the Handbook of Nature Study archives. This ebook is available in the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership option. I’ll be posting the series here on the blog on Fridays but if you wish to have the compete series ahead of time and have access to the corresponding custom notebooking pages, you might think about purchasing a membership.

You can see all of the ebooks available by clicking the graphic above. This includes 20 ebooks, 76 archived newsletters, and over 75 other printable notebook pages and activities.

Use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership!

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Trees and Their Twigs

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Tree Study Twigs
From the Archives and found in the More Nature Study Winter Ebook

Don’t be fooled like I was about tree study in winter! There is so much to learn from a tree twig with a little help from this Outdoor Hour Challenge, the Handbook of Nature Study, and a little time spent collecting some tree twigs. Find an idea in this challenge that works for your family.

As a heads up for next month- Be on the lookout for a tree to use for a tree bark study. The February 2017 newsletter will be focusing on tree bark. There will also be a new printable in the member’s library soon that will help you keep track of 6 trees using photographs. This week’s challenge is going to get the ball rolling for your winter tree study.

If you are interested in purchasing an Ultimate Naturalist Membership at this time, you will gain access to the custom notebooking pages that go along with each of the challenges in the ebook.

Note: You do not need to purchase the ebook to participate but they are handy to have for planning and for the regular and advanced notebook pages included in each one. Click the graphic at above to go over to check out the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Spring Plans!

We will be working through a new series of wildflower challenges starting in April using a new ebook that will publish sometime in March. The new wildflower ebook will also be added to the Ultimate Naturalist Library so if you purchase a membership now, you will have the new ebook as soon as it is available. I will posting details about the new ebook soon.

Don’t miss this opportunity!

Please note I am an affiliate and recommend this product after using it with my family for many years.

Category: winter series of outdoor hour challenges

Winter Tree Study – Our Ponderosa Pines!

Winter Nature Study eBooks and Promotion

Winter Nature Study with the Outdoor Hour Challenge

Use the discount code WINTERFUN for $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Code will expire on 12/10/18.

3 New Printables for December Nature Study

Now available in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships:

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

Outdoor Hour Challenge Winter Mammal Study – Looking for Signs and Tracks

Read the original challenge here: Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Mammal Study.

Outdoor Hour Challenge 2018-2019 Plans

This can be your best year ever for nature study!

How would you like to enter a giveaway for an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership?

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Insect Hunt

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Wonderful Winter Weeds

Subnivean Zone Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Dec. 2017 Mini Challenge

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Trees and Their Twigs

Spring Plans!

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!