winter wednesday series ebook Archives

Posted on December 10, 2021December 11, 2021 by Barb — 3 Comments

Winter Homeschool Nature Study: Green And Red Challenge

We decided to repeat last year’s Winter Challenge on a recent hike. This homeschool nature study is perfect for the season.

Our Winter Homeschool Nature Study

We had planned on leaving in the early afternoon but it actually started to rain so we postponed it for a few hours. The rain stopped eventually and it was amazing how beautiful everything was as we hiked along the trail.

The colors were vivid and we noticed a few outstanding things to share.

Green And Red In Nature

We found some beautiful green moss covering stones and trees. Isn’t so vibrant and bright? It stands out from the winter grey making it hard to pass by. If you come across some moss be sure to encourage your children to take a closer look through a magnifying glass.

Bright red berries on bushes along the way. Red berries add a splash of color to stark and frosty scenes when most of the trees have lost their leaves. They are a vital food source for animals and birds during these ‘hungry’ months. All the berries you see on your walk have grown and developed in autumn.

Interestingly, studies have shown that birds choose the order they eat the berries carefully to ensure that they have as much food as possible to last the winter.

Finally, we found some Manzanita wood. Isn’t it just so vividly red after it gets wet?

Finding green and red in our homeschool nature study was a wonderful way to blend learning with a celebration of the holiday season!

You Are Invited to Join Us!

Here was last year’s entry for Winter Wednesday #1: Color Walk.
Ready to get started? Grab your FREE Getting Started in Homeschool Nature Study Guide with 10 free Outdoor Hour Challenges.

Join Us For All New Outdoor Hour Challenges in Homeschool Nature Study Membership!

Posted on December 8, 2021December 11, 2021 by Barb — 23 Comments

The World of Winter Homeschool Nature Study

It’s our Winter Wednesday challenge once again and time to bring the world of winter into your homeschool nature study.

Winter Wednesday – Week 1 The World of Winter in your Homeschool Nature Study

1. Read chapter one Discover Nature in Winter. While you are reading you can highlight any portions that you would like to share with your children. I also like to write in the margins any topics and ideas that come to me as I read.

2. Our family is going to complete the winter color activity on page 14 and illustrated on page 17. Please feel free to complete any of the suggested activities in chapter one of the book and then share your experiences in a blog entry.

If you do not have the book and you would like to follow along with the activity, here are some basic instructions.

Finding The Colors Of Winter In Your Nature Study

The bareness of the trees and the appearance of a white snowy landscape help to sharpen the other colors of winter. Find a few minutes this week to notice the colors you can observe in your own backyard, even if it is from your window.

Some Ideas to Get You Started In Your Homeschool Study This Winter:

Red berries on a holly bush
Greens and yellows of lichen
Bright blue of a blue jay or the sharp reds of the cardinal
Yellows and oranges of the sunrise or sunset
Blue sky and white clouds

Keep track of the colors you observe this week in your nature journal.

Ready to get started? Grab your FREE Getting Started in Homeschool Nature Study Guide with 10 free Outdoor Hour Challenges.

Join Us For All New Outdoor Hour Challenges in Homeshool Nature Study Membership!

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Barb — Leave a comment

Winter Nature Study Ebooks – Discount Code!

Winter Nature Study with the Outdoor Hour Challenge

The first day of winter is coming upon us quickly! As I look out my window at the snowy landscape and the snow softly falling in my yard, it looks like winter here in Central Oregon.

The Ultimate Naturalist Library has four winter themed ebooks with forty Outdoor Hour Challenges for your family to use for winter nature study inspiration. Most of the challenges can be adapted to fit your circumstances and many of the topics are covered in the Handbook of Nature Study. The ebooks have simple follow up activities and nature journal ideas to complement the winter nature study ideas.

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

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.

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 19 additional nature study ebooks in this membership.

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Signs of Winter Mammals

Please note this is the very last Winter Wednesday challenge from the ebook and next week we’ll be moving on to the Learning About Birds with the Outdoor Hour Challenge ebook. You can get a copy with your Ultimate Naturalist Membership. Use the discount code NATURE5 to receive $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Membership.

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Signs of Winter Mammals

From the Archives and the Winter Wednesday ebook

I’m really looking forward to the nature challenge this week! I’ve spent a lot of time this winter following and photographing animal tracks in the mud and snow, and now I want to slow down and really try to identify who is making these tracks.

You’ll find a fantastic online resource in the archive link to a website to use along with your field guide. I would love to hear which animals you’ve found tracks for this winter.

I just posted a review and activity here on my blog to go along with the book Tracks, Scat, and Signs and I would love for you to read it. It’s part of the Nature Book Club link-up for February and if you click over to read that entry, you’ll find even more resources for studying small mammals from a fantastic group of bloggers from all over the world. Don’t miss the chance to receive a Kid’s Spring Ecojournal!

If you’re interested in seeing how our family completed this challenge way back in time, here’s a blog entry from the archives: Another Glorious Winter Walk Searching For Mammals.

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.

Another resource that I love and use all the time is the North American Wildlife book from Reader’s Digest. I wrote a review of this book in 2015 that shows how beneficial it is as a supplement to the Handbook of Nature Study.

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Bird Study 2018

First, a quick reminder that the Great Backyard Bird Count is February 16-19, 2018. This is a perfect way to learn more about your winter birds!

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Winter Bird Study 2018

From the Archives and the Winter Wednesday ebook

You can use the link above to look at the winter bird study activity in my archives. Your family may be interested in learning more about feeding your own backyard birds in the winter. To help you do this, I put together a page that explains how to keep Birdfeeders in Winter.

In winter, birds still need the basics: food, water and shelter.

Plus you may be interested in taking a look at my Learning About Birds With the Outdoor Hour Challenge ebook for a more in-depth study of backyard birds. For the month of February, I’m offering a $5 off coupon for every level of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study. This ebook is in both the Ultimate and Journey levels of membership. 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.

If you have access to the Winter Wednesday ebook in the Ultimate Naturalist Library, there is 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.
You may be interested in following my Bird Nature Study Pinterest board for lots of bird nature study ideas.

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.

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 January 19, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Sky Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Winter Sky

From the Archives and the Winter Wednesday ebook

We are very much looking forward to completing this challenge here in Oregon. We happen to live near a small observatory and we have plans to view the night sky through their telescopes. Make some plans of your own to get outside one night soon with your children to use the ideas in the challenge linked above. Keep it simple and dress appropriately and you’ll be sure to have success!

“After the polar constellations are learned, we are then ready for further study in the still earlier evenings of winter, when the clear atmosphere makes the stars seem more alive, more sparkling, and more beautiful than at any other period of the year.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 823

If you’re interested in seeing how our family completed this challenge, here’s a blog entry from the archives: Our Winter Sky Studies.

If you have access to the Winter Wednesday ebook in the Ultimate Naturalist Library, there’s a custom notebook page and a printable sheet for using with the constellations.

Posted on January 12, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Snow Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Winter Snow – January 2018

From the Archives and the Winter Wednesday ebook

We’re going to be completing the snow activities in this challenge as a way to learn more about our new Oregon habitat and weather. Use the link above to find specific ideas for making some snow observations of your own and then follow up with a nature journal entry.

The link above includes a free downloadable winter nature walk printable!

If you have access to the Winter Wednesday ebook in the Ultimate Naturalist Library, there is a custom notebook page, images of snowflakes, paper for creating a paper snowflake and a snowflake coloring page.

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

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter World of Colors

Outdoor Hour Challenge

World of Winter and Winter Colors– January 2018

From the Archives and the Winter Wednesday ebook

Use the ideas and suggestions in the challenge linked above to make some winter color observations with your children. If you have access to the Winter Wednesday ebook, you’ll have a notebook page to complete after your outdoor time.

Additional Ideas from the ebook:

If you have snow, bring a few cupfuls inside and let it melt. Use the water to watercolor a winter scene for your nature journal.
For older children, think of some similes to write in your nature journal that relate to winter. For instance: The snow was like crystals in the sunshine. Here is a pdf to get you started: Snow Similes.

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Barb — Leave a comment

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.

Category: winter wednesday series ebook

Winter Homeschool Nature Study: Green And Red Challenge

Our Winter Homeschool Nature Study

Green And Red In Nature

You Are Invited to Join Us!

The World of Winter Homeschool Nature Study

Winter Wednesday – Week 1 The World of Winter in your Homeschool Nature Study

Finding The Colors Of Winter In Your Nature Study

Some Ideas to Get You Started In Your Homeschool Study This Winter:

Winter Nature Study Ebooks – Discount Code!

Winter Nature Study with the Outdoor Hour Challenge

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.

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Signs of Winter Mammals

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Bird Study 2018

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Insect Hunt

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Sky Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Snow Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter World of Colors

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Mammals

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!