Category: winter series of outdoor hour challenges

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Winter Nature Study 2016 – January Plans and Ideas

Many people have asked if there is going to be a new nature study ebook posted for the first quarter of 2016. The answer is no…but there will be fresh ideas each Friday posted here on the blog for you to use with your family. I will be sharing those specific topics in this month’s newsletter and providing specific direction on how to complete the week’s nature study challenge as well as informing you which ebook from the archives the challenge is taken from.

This means if you are an Ultimate Naturalist member here on the blog or you have the ebooks from past year’s purchases, you will be able to pull those up on your computer and print the notebooking pages that go along with each week’s challenge.

 Outdoor Hour Challenges Nature Study January 2016 Plans @handbookofnaturestudy

January 2016 Challenges:

The four challenges are found here on the Handbook of Nature Study, three from the archives and one new one. I am pulling information and ideas from the Handbook of Nature Study book by Anna Botsford Comstock as well as the book, Discover Nature Close to Home by Elizabeth Lawlor. ISBN 9780811730778.

  • Pine Trees and Pine Cones
  • Winter Seeds
  • Squirrels
  • Starlings

Make sure you are subscribed here and you will get the January 2016 newsletter on the first of the month with a planning page to print and to use with the new challenge format.

This is going to be a lot of fun to revisit many of the old topics that so many new participants have never had a chance to use. Stay tuned for the first Friday in January and you will see how it is going to work!

 

 

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Year Long Nature Study Reminders – Winter


Seasonal Topics Reminders – Winter

Here are some ideas from year-long nature study topics we have done in the past:

Make sure to add your year-long study to your January or February nature study plans so you don’t forget!!!

 

Outdoor Hour Challenge Winter Nature Study Continues ebook

If you are a member of the Ultimate or Journey levels here on the Handbook of Nature Study, you will find this ebook listed in your library after you log into your account. The ebook version available to members includes all of the notebook pages, coloring pages, and color images. I highly recommend purchasing a membership for all the added benefits for each and every challenge.

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Library

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Nature Study Continues – Winter Nature Study Ebook

Outdoor Hour Challenge Winter Nature Study Continues ebook

Included in the Outdoor Hour Challenge Winter Nature Study Continues Ebook:
  • 11 new challenges centered on the Handbook of Nature Study 
  • 29+ notebook pages (regular and advanced options) and 13 coloring pages
  • Ten Charlotte Mason style exam questions
  • Full color images for 10 challenges in the ebook (separate pages so you can choose whether to print them or not)
  • Complete instructions for each challenge included additional links, videos, and resources
  • Nature journal suggestions
  • Complete list of supplies needed
  • 72 pages in the ebook!
  • Download and view a sample her: OHC Nature Study Continues Winter Sample

Here is a list of the specific challenges included in this ebook:

  • Rock Study – Feldspar
  • Star Study – Orion
  • Crystals
  • Fungi Study – Scarlet Cup (Saucer)
  • Bird Study – Flicker
  • Mammal Study – Cattle/Deer
  • Wildflower Study – Bloodroot
  • Garden Flower – Violets
  • Wildflower Study – Hepatica
  • Wildflower Study – Dutchman’s Breeches and Squirrel Corn
  • Garden Flowers – Bleeding Hearts

I am happy to announce the release of the long awaited Outdoor Hour Challenge Winter Nature Study Continues ebook! You are going to love the fresh new challenges to try in your family as you work your way through the weekly topics. I have been eager to start them as I put them together, gathering lots of fun videos and supporting resources to use along with the Handbook of Nature Study lessons.

Which edition of the Handbook of Nature Study do I need?

You will need to have a copy of the Handbook of Nature Study to use with the suggestions in the ebook. You can purchase a copy from Amazon.com or you can use an online version. The version of the Handbook of Nature Study I use is ISBN 0801493846.

Each week I will be sharing one of the challenges here on the blog which means you can follow along without a membership if you subscribe to my blog. You can subscribe by entering your email address in the subscription box at the top right of my website. After you enter your name, you will need to confirm your subscription by responding to the email that will come to your inbox.

Where Can I Get The New Ebook?

This ebook will not be sold separately but will be added to the Ultimate and Journey levels of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

If you are a member of the Ultimate or Journey levels here on the Handbook of Nature Study, you will find the ebook listed in your library after you log into your account. The ebook version available to members includes all of the notebook pages, coloring pages, and color images. I highly recommend purchasing a membership for all the added benefits for each and every challenge.

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Library

 

 

 

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Nature Study Continues-Winter Nature Study Topics

Outdoor Hour Challenge Winter Nature Study Continues ebook
Get ready for the soon to be released Winter Nature Study Continues ebook!

Want a sneak peek at the topcis? These are all completely new topics and will help your family with your winter nature study activities.

  • Rock Study – Feldspar
  • Star Study – Orion
  • Crystals
  • Fungi Study – Scarlet Cup (Saucer)
  • Bird Study – Flicker
  • Mammal Study – Cattle/Deer
  • Wildflower Study – Bloodroot
  • Garden Flower – Violets
  • Wildflower Study – Hepatica
  • Wildflower Study – Dutchman’s Breeches and Squirrel Corn
  • Garden Flowers – Bleeding Hearts

This new ebook will be loaded into the Ultimate Naturalist and Journey level memberships soon!

If you aren’t a member yet, you still have time to join and have immediate access as soon as it publishes.

Handbook of Nature Study Ultimate Naturalist Membership

Outdoor Hour Challenge Winter Nature Study continues Coming Soon

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Mammals

 

Outdoor Hour Challenge:
We are at our last winter themed challenge for the season. Try some of these challenges or pick a mammal that lives in your neighborhood and look it up in the Handbook of Nature Study. 

Winter Mammals – Hibernation: Winter Wednesday ideas
Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Mammals: Look for tracks.   

Printable Notebook Page
My Mammal List: You can use this printable page instead of the running list notebook page if you wish to keep your mammal list by season. Reprint this page for every season and then compare your lists.

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #1. Take a walk looking for signs of mammals and find two things to investigate further. Complete the notebook page from the ebook after you return home. 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Birds

Outdoor Hour Challenge:
This week take some time to observe your neighborhood birds and document in your nature journal a bird you have noticed during the winter at your birdfeeder or in your yard. This is such an enjoyable nature study topic for the whole family. View from your window if you need to and use some of the ideas in the following challenges:

Winter Bird Study from Winter Wednesday – see this post for ideas to use without the Discover Nature in Winter book.
Winter Bird Challenge-focus some of your time on learning about bird migration using a field guide with migration maps
Bird Nature Journal Ideas – use some of these ideas to record your birds in your nature journal
 

Bird Themed Nature Table Ideas:
Use some of the ideas in this printable to find items for your children to have access to on your family’s nature table. 

Bird Themed Nature Table Printable

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #5. Use the ideas in this challenge to start or continue your family’s list of birds observed. If you have the ebook, there is a printable notebook page in the back to keep track of your Running List.

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Insect Nature Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge:
This could be the most challenging of all winter nature study topics…winter insects. Don’t give up before reading the challenges and some suggested activities.

Winter Wednesday – Winter Insects
Gall Dwelling Insects

You may wish to see one of our winter insect studies: Winter Insects.

Special Activity:Insect Study Notebook Page
 

I am reposting the Insect Notebook Page for you to use with any insect your observe or research as part of this Outdoor Hour Challenge.
Insect Study Notebook Page Printable

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #7. Use the ideas in this challenge to start your own personalized field guide to your backyard and neighborhood. Keep it simple and start with a common insect to your area.    

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Winter Weed Gallery – Our Weed Study

When you spend a lot of time outdoors during the winter months, you are bound to notice the various shapes and sizes of winter weeds. Maybe it the lack of other nature study subjects or the more subdued color palette of the winter landscape, but weeds are hard to miss.
These particular images were taken at Yosemite National Park during our last visit in January. The stalks are still standing tall and the fruits are still visible on many of the plants. I am pretty sure this is Common Cowparsnip.
What a lovely pattern found in the winter Cow Parsnip.
This set of images comes from our hike at Lake Tahoe last month. The winter weeds are clearly seen emerging from the snowy landscape.
This is a different plant and had far more seeds left attached to the stalks.
Rather pretty isn’t it? Focusing on winter weeds is one way to see the beauty even in the winter scene. I hope this encourages your own winter weed study…one that you can fit in while taking a short walk.

Have you looked for some winter weeds to study?

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Tree Cone Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge
Tree Cone Study 

This week we are going to look at tree cones. Such a simple nature study that children love! Use the challenges listed below for ideas on getting started with your family’s cone study.

There are a couple challenges you can use for this nature study:
Winter Wednesday – Tree Cones from 2009
Pine Cones – Autumn #9 from 2010

You may also be interested in reading this entry from The Teachable Heart:
Autumn Series #9 – Pine Cones

Printable Notebook Page – My Tree Cone Observations
Here is a simple notebook page to use with your challenge this week. Have some fun observing a tree cone and help your children make a record of their thoughts for their nature journal. I left the box large enough that you can adhere a photo of your cone if you don’t want to sketch.


My Tree Cone – printable notebook page

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, completeOutdoor Hour Challenge #6. Start a cone collection this week and complete the notebook page provided in the ebook if you desire. See this Pinterest board for display ideas: Nature Display. 

Outdoor Hour Challenge Getting Started Ebook @handbookofnaturestudy

Ultimate Ebook Library @handbookofnaturestudy

 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Snow Study


The Winter Snow challenge from the Winter Wednesday ebook is a fun one to have on hand whenever you get some snow. I wish you all a great week of nature study!

Original Challenge: Snow
Use the suggestions in this challenge to complete a snow related experiment, recording the results on the accompanying notebook page or in your nature journal. There are also some additional ideas for non-snow related activities to substitute if you live where there is no snow. You can also use the Winter Nature Walk printable from Hearts and Trees.

Special Activity: Watercolor With Snow
Bring a cup or so of snow in and let it melt. Use the resulting water to watercolor a winter scene.

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #3.  Make sure to read the pages in the Handbook of Nature Study for this challenge. We all need reminders about how to encourage our children in their nature journals. This week you can record a winter scene in your journals or use the notebook page from the ebook to keep a record of your outdoor time.  

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OHC Blog Carnival
You are welcome to submit any of you blog Outdoor Hour Challenge blog entries to the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. Entries for the current month are due on 1/30/14.

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