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So how has your month gone with the Outdoor Hour Challenge focus on insects using the newsletter and weekly ideas? Our family has enjoyed the easy way we can incorporate nature study into a very busy high school week. I love having a month long focus.

Would you like an example of how one family used the Insect Study Grid, the Insect Study notebook page, and the small square study this month? Get ready to see how simple it was and how successful they were in their efforts!
Sarah from Granwood Explorers shares their entry: Outdoor Hour-Focusing on Insects. What an excellent month they had and what a great example for the rest of us!

Get ready for one fully loaded blog carnival! What a great month of nature study from all over the world!

Ant Study

Andrea from The Loopy Homeschooler shared their ant study using the insect printable from my blog.

Andrea at the Loopy Homeschooler shares their ant study with the carnival. They were actually able to identify their ants and her daughter created an awesome nature journal entry using the Insect Study notebook page from the ant challenge. Read all about it: Outdoor Hour Challenge #3.

Leah from The Making of a Mom has joined the OHC carnival for the very first time! She submits this entry: Nature Study Co-Op September (Ants) for us all to read. What a lot of happy faces and so many interesting discoveries! I really enjoyed reading about their co-op and so will you.

Leah from The Making of A Mom shares their Insect Grid Study

Insect Study Grid

Shirley Ann from Under An English Sky submits their Insect Grid Study. She says, “My youngest has decided that she prefers the notebooking pages to keeping a journal, so she used her grid as a notebooking page, adding some finds to the back of the page.” It is wonderful to see families adapting the OHC to fit their style of learning. You don’t want to miss her awesome images of colored insects in this post as well.

Tricia from Hodgepodge shares How Summer Nature Study Complements High School Biology.  What a wonderful entry for the carnival! Tricia shows how they have been looking for insects and pulling in their high school biology work to make a wonderful mix of fun and learning.

Bugs, Insects, Butterflies, and Creepy Crawlies-Oh My! from Cristy at Crafty Cristy documents their insect study so far using the Insect Grid Study and Insect List found in the newsletter. I learned a few things about cicadas in her entry and they are definitely learning a lot this month about insects. They have also shared their September Insect List for you to view along with images.

Rachel’s American Grasshopper

Rachel from All Things Bright and Beautiful has put together their month long study of insects into a gorgeous entry with images you will want your kids to see: Buggy Bugs. Which image is your favorite?

Fall Insect Walk! Angie from Petra School has submitted this wonderful example of a fall insect walk with her boys. I always appreciate their casual in-their-own-backyard nature study time and Angie’s images really tell the story. Angie and her boys would like to also share their Queen Anne’s Lace entry with carnival readers. They were able to incorporate some insect observations along with their QAL time…don’t miss the grasshopper image in their entry!

Outdoor Hour Challenge #22 is where Catherine from Grace to Abide decided to start their insect study.  They were able to identify a few of their butterfly finds from a local park and then they visited a butterfly garden. I agree with her…butterfly gardens are magical!

Virginia from Livin’ Lovin’ and Learnin’ shares their entry The Grid-Sept 2012 Insects showing how their family of children of all ages has enjoyed this month’s focus. Another magnificent grasshopper photo in this entry! They also completed a study of a specific insect, the Illia Underwing Moth. What a beautiful creation to observe up close. One last entry from this family….Golden Ponds Nature Walk. They found many interesting and seasonal subjects to enjoy and share with all of you. Thanks for a glimpse into your nature study this month.

Carol’s really big stick insect sitting on a camellia bush: Journey and Destination.

Carol shares their September Nature Notebook entry with the carnival this time around. They live in Australia where it is spring and everything is coming alive. Check out their really big stick insect! She also shares some wonderful images of other creatures they have observed this month including a Eastern water dragon!

Jenny Anne from Royal Little Lambs shares their Creepy Crawlies entry with the carnival. It must be the season for grasshoppers!

Heidi from Home Schoolroom has written up their Focusing on Insects and Spiders entry for you to enjoy. They incorporated the ideas from the newsletter and OHC Challenge #4 – Finding a Focus to continue a month long study of insects and spiders. Perfect!

Nadene from Practical Pages has submitted a round-up of their September insect studies using the newsletter and challenge ideas: Nature Study and OHC September. You are in for a treat because she shares their very well done nature journals to inspire you and your children.

Lauren from Serving From Home has written up their monthly nature study entry: Our September Nature Studies-Insects and Apples.  They have done a great job this month with their observations, outdoor time, and nature journals. What an encouraging entry!

Nicole from Journey to Excellence shares their month of nature study.  You are welcome to read their Small Square Study and their Insect Grid experiences. She also found a pretty white plant that she thought was Queen Anne’s Lace but it turned out not to be: Queen Anne’s Lace.  She would appreciate some help in identifying her mystery plant.

Sara from Garner Goings On shares their entry Saying Goodbye to Swallowtails and Cicadas for carnival readers. Check out her beautiful images and the final video of a swallowtail emerging from its chrysalis.

Potpourri
Carey Jane Clark who blogs at enCouragement joins the carnival this month with her entry: Our Nature Study Backpack. She shares how they are using the newsletter study grid and a well prepared backpack to aid their nature study in China.

Michelle from Following the Footprints submits their very first two Outdoor Hour Challenges: Challenge #1 and Challenge #2. I think this quote from one of her entries sums her experience up well, “I felt so empowered by my success in identifying two plants that it changed the way I looked at nature for the rest of the week.  All of a sudden, I was looking at trees in parking lots and across the street wondering what those trees were.  I saw a beautiful brown and black bird in my backyard and I wondered what that was.  And I am so excited to find out!  Such a change in me in so little time!”

Kim from A Child’s Garden shares their unexpected nature study: Puffballs!  She does a great job of explaining what they are and her images are interesting too.

Look at those little feather collectors! Image from Michelle at Following the Footprints

Michelle has also submitted their Outdoor Hour Challenge #3 for you to read. They are humming right along with their family nature study, and this time it is in their very own backyard! One last entry from this enthusiastic family: Outdoor Hour Challenge #4. So many things to like about this entry and I think they accomplished Challenge #4 very well with their feather collections in the nature journals.

Ann from Harvest Moon By Hand has put together their Hummingbirds-Outdoor Hour Challenge entry for you to enjoy.  Take a look at their Minnesota hummingbird study and be inspired! They were also able to complete their Red Birds Challenge from the Handbook of Nature Study. Ann says, “It was as if the birds that had red on them knew we were learning about them today. Such an inspiring and uplifting afternoon!” What a treat!

Makita from Academia Celestia shares their Exploring the Redwoods study with the carnival.  They were able to observe two different groves of redwoods here in California and follow up with additional reading and journals. They also had some unexpected insect study: Looking for Birds, We Discovered Caterpillars. Read their Water Quality Monitoring entry to learn more about their participation in worthwhile citizen science projects.

Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in October are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 10/30/12 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com or submit them at the blog carnival site (link on the sidebar of my blog).

Summer weather and summer trips have filled my life the past month. We enjoyed a trip to the Oregon Coast (blog entry coming soon), a crazy lightning storm, the amazing display of colors in our garden, lots of eating outdoors, swimming at the lake, and counting bees in the garden.

Summer as your children get older changes. The rhythm is different and I have found such satisfaction in my gardening and bird watching. There is time to read in the evenings as the sun sets slowly over the landscape. There are far fewer Popsicles being consumed and lots more Gatorade in the fridge as the boys take on new sports like soccer and volleyball with friends, mountain biking, running, and Hacky Sack.

On our camping trip I found that my boys were still happy to walk along the beach with me looking for pretty rocks and watching for marine life in the tidepools. They scooped up sand for me to look at as we compared each beach’s unique sand. Nature study is not formal in our family anymore….it is casual and comfortable. We make observations, we make comparisons, we try to notice details, we read signs and books and displays when we travel, and we learn more every time we put forth the effort.

Thank you to all the families that sent in entries for this edition of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. It is always one of the highlights of my month to get to put this entry together after reading all the entries. I appreciate your time and effort to make this carnival a success.

Summer Pond – Turtles and Pondweed
Robin from Academia has submitted her post: Bike Ride to The Pond.  They rode bikes to their pond and she was able to capture some interesting pond life. Love the damselfly!

Kristin from Broom and Crown put together their Pond Study for the carnival. What a perfect summer pond day they had with insects, animal tracks, and so much more. She also includes a great example of a younger child’s journal.  You can also read about another day they had at the Madrona Marsh. They are taking advantage of their local nature center this summer!
Summer Weather
Shirley Ann from Under An English Sky shares her entry: the Great British Weather. What a great entry to show how their summer weather is unique to their part of the world. I learned a few things too!

Summer Butterfly Study
Tricia from Hodgepodge shares the account of their summer butterfly story: The Marvel of the Butterfly Cycle.  I agree with her and know that reading about this in a book does not even come close to comparing with watching the life cycle in person. Thank you so much for sharing your family’s study.

Cristy from Crafty Cristy recorded and submits for your enjoyment: Studying the Life Cycle of the Fritillary Butterfly for this edition of the carnival. They discovered eggs and caterpillars in their own butterfly garden.

Heidi from Home Schoolroom writes about what she calls Mesmerized by Monarch Metamorphosis. This mama went above and beyond to find the caterpillars, keep them fed with milkweed leaves, and then take a time lapse for us all to see of the caterpillar’s change into a chrysalis. What a jewel! You don’t want to miss sharing this one with your children.
Potpourri
Jennifer from Royal Little Lambs tells carnival readers about their Hummingbird Study. They have a variety to observe and they are making the most of it..complete with notebook pages for their nature journals.

Wendy from Loving Learning submits: Foraging for Fungi.  Their family went on a guided fungus hike and learned more about their local specimens. I enjoyed reading about this South African nature study!

Shirley Ann from Under An English Sky has written a wonderful entry: Cuckoo Spit, Froghoppers, and Other Things.  This is such a wonderful entry showing a nature walk they took with a friend…and ended up getting soaked in the rain.

Kristin from Broom and Crown shares their skunk study: My Lil Stinkers. Her girls really enjoyed learning more about this creature that we all hope not to see up close.

Zonnah from Zonnah’s Addictions shows us how they jumped back in with the Outdoor Hour Challenge: We Are Back. Looks like they are using the newsletter grid to have a hot summer afternoon of outside activities.
Catherine from Grace to Abide writes about their Outdoor Hour Challenge #14 (Pressing Flowers). They are experiencing some cold, wet weather in their part of the UK but they have spent time in their garden and observing things as part of the OHC. Love their colorful flower garden!

Jen from Snowfall Academy submits their entry, Summer Tree Study, for you to enjoy. Don’t miss reading her daughter’s next stanza in her “My Tree in All the Seasons” poem. Excellent job.

Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in August are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 8/30/12 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com or submit them at the blog carnival site (link on the sidebar of my blog).

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Does it feel like summer in your part of the world? We have had a few hot days but for the most part it has been unseasonably cool. The garden is loving the little bit cooler weather and I have enjoyed getting out to see what is new each day.

I hope you enjoy the latest edition of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. I will announce the winner of the Your Backyard-Monarch Butterfly DVD in tomorrow’s newsletter post.

You can read our family’s posts for the month:
Chasing Yellow Jackets – Our Summer Nature Study Begins
Summer Tree Study – Following Up On Cottonwoods

Yellow Jackets and Mud Daubers

• Kristin from Broom and Crown writes about their: Paper Wasp Study.  They took advantage of the opportunity to observe a paper wasp nest that presented itself..observations and comparisons with little ones = a perfect nature study.
• Cristy from Crafty Cristy shares their Studying Yellow Jackets in Summer entry with carnival readers.  She shows us how she does her “stealth nature study” so her children don’t think they are doing “school” over the summer. Excellent way to do nature study over the summer break!
• Makita from Academia Celestia share two entries with carnival readers: Mud Daubers and Fabulous Fern Study. They happened to have some mud daubers and their nest to observe closely…perfect timing!

Beach Nature Study

• Heidi from Home Schoolroom joins the carnival for the first time this month with her family’s entry: Nature Study-Exploring the Beach. This is a must read for everyone this time. She has shown how to apply so many of the suggestions from the June Newsletter for beach nature study. Excellent entry!
• Kim from A Child’s Garden: Beaches, Beaches, Everywhere – Kim and her family have put together some ideas for further study at the beach. If you are using the June Newsletter and focusing on beaches, you will want to read her entry.

Potpourri

• Wendy from Loving Learning shares their entry: A Little Fresh Air and Lion’s Teeth. Get a glimpse into their South African nature study using the Outdoor Hour Challenge.
• Shirley Ann from Under An English Sky shares their First Day of Summer entry: Meadow Grass.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading about their outing and the observations they made in their meadow of grasses.She also submits a review of the book they used during their Meadow Grass study: Living Book-Nature Adventures.
• Sara from Garner Goings On has documented their Black Tiger Swallowtail story in this entry for the carnival: Captivating Caterpillars Become Flowers That Fly and All But Sing. Amazing!
• Jen from Snowfall Academy shares their nature study from France in this entry to the carnival: Nature Study with Flowers. Their family has used the Handbook of Nature Study to guide a gentle focus on flowers and they have learned lots!
• Janet at Across the Page has submitted this entry to the carnival: Cornell Hawks-An 11 Year Old’s View. What a wonderful way to follow up all that bird nature study that this family started months ago with the livecam at Cornell watching the Red-tailed hawk nest! Excellent and inspirational!
• Tiffany at a Faithful Heart writes up and shares their Nature Study – Chicks and Chickens using the Handbook of Nature Study.
• It looks like Tricia from Hodgepodge has taken my Summer Photo Challenge! Here is their Hodgepodge Gardens entry showing their beginnings of a full summer of nature study using the OHC. I think this is the most colorful entry ever!
• Tricia also has shared their Simple Summer Nature Study post with carnival readers.  What a delightful collection of their late June nature study topics and the promise of beautiful butterflies to come!
• Ann from Harvest Moon by Hand writes about their Fish Study. What a beautiful place to learn about such an interesting topic.
• Kristin from Broom and Crown submits their Wilderness Park Visit which is an early start to the summer pond study with the Outdoor Hour Challenge. Check out their turtles and birds!

Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in July are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 7/30/12 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com or submit them at the blog carnival site (link on the sidebar of my blog).

Also, the July Newsletter link will be in tomorrow’s blog entry so make sure you are subscribed so you can download your copy as soon as possible. There are lots of great ideas for nature study, some printable pages for you to use in your nature study, and several articles contributed by Outdoor Hour Challenge participants.

Have you seen the new bundle? If you are new to the Outdoor Hour Challenge my Four Seasons Bundle and my More Nature Study Bundle will give you lots to work with! Click the buttons and read more about these specially discounted bundles of nature study ebooks.

If you haven’t taken the survey here on my blog yet, I would appreciate your input. Thank you for your time!
Handbook of Nature Study Survey

The carnival reminds me that we are still officially in the winter season but many of us are starting to see some signs of spring. Perhaps we are just hopeful that spring is around the corner. Either way, this carnival is packed with lots of nature study goodness for you to enjoy and to be inspired by as your read the entries. I know that it can be a challenge to read all the entries but I encourage you to visit a few favorites and perhaps a new family as well, leaving a comment behind as a way of connecting with your fellow Outdoor Hour Challenge participants.

I always come away from my reading with a great sense of joy.

Winter Weeds/Mullein/Twigs

• Julie writes about their weed study in Starting February With Weeds. They decided on a close-up study of dandelions and she shares their thoughts and journal page with carnival readers.
• Diana from Homeschool Review and Crafting Too wrote a very real and honest account of their Twigs Nature Study. I love that we can feel successful getting outdoors with our children even if things don’t go as planned. Their family also completed their Mullein Study and Diana shares their adventure looking for some winter mullein…success! I am enjoying the glimpse into their family’s growing confidence in nature study. 
• Angie from Petra School would love for you to read her entry Twig Studies. Angie and her boys are doing such a great job with this series of  challenges and you will be encouraged by their advanced study examples.
• Barbara from Schoolhouse on the Prairie shares their wonderful Twig Study and a Book Review.  They decided there was much to learn from their backyard twigs. Don’t miss her book review and see if you can find this OOP book at your library.
• Rebecca from Mom’s Mustard Seeds joins the carnival for this edition with her Adventures with Chickadees and Twigs entry.  Their family is just getting started with the Outdoor Hour Challenge and she shares her struggles and their success in this wonderful entry.

Galls and Gall Dwelling Insects

• Makita from Academia Celestia shares there Galls: Nature Study entry with carnival readers. She has collected quite a few galls and shares their study and your images for your inspiration
• Julie from the Homeschool Balancing Act asks Galls? What is a Gall? as part of their entry for this challenge. They did some discovering and now they will be on the lookout for more potential galls.
• Western Galls and Squalls, but No Gulls with Gals. How is that for a blog entry title? Angie from Petra School has a humorous and informative entry to share with carnival readers.
• Zonnah from Zonnah’s Addictions has submitted Galls for carnival readers to view. She includes two beautiful clear images of different kinds of galls. Thanks so much for the reference. She is also sharing their Twig Update…absolutely gorgeous!

What a display at Petra School! Thanks Angie for sharing.

Quartz

• Zonnah from Zonnah’s Addictions submits their Quartz nature study entry for your to read and view. She has a collection of quartz that they observed and then they made rock candy! Excellent idea for follow-up for families.
• Angie from Petra School is going to inspire you to get outside and collect some quartz of your own. Her entry for the Quartz Challenge shows just how creative and personalized you can make each challenge. Awesome job! My boys and I are going to make our own quartz collections!
• Rebecca from Mom’s Mustard Seeds also writes about their Learning about Rocks, Sheep/Wool, and a Detour to Marshes and Ponds for this edition of the carnival. I love seeing how they make so many connections to their other studies, their values, and beliefs while learning through nature study. Excellent.

Magnets and Compass

• Zonnah shares their Compass entry with carnival readers which includes an easy adaptation to one of the suggested activities. I think we are going to use images for our notebook page as well.

Lacey and her family (So Every Day) have created a wonderful nature collection on their mantel.

Potpourri

• Jenny Anne from Royal Little Lambs has submitted their Sheep Study for carnival readers. It sounds like they thoroughly enjoyed this challenge.
• Barb at Give Us This Oklahoma Day has just started with her first Outdoor Hour Challenge.  I loved seeing the muddy hands and the smiling faces. Please pop over and give her some encouragement.
• Leslie from Two Cowgirls shares their first Outdoor Hour Challenge and they saw some signs of rabbits!  I think they did a great job of finding something interesting even in the city.
• Lacey from So Every Day has been sharing their Getting Started nature study entries. For OHC #8 (magnifying glass), she writes about how she initially needed the push to get outdoors but felt the rewards of doing so with her children. Great example. For OHC #5 and #6 (list and collection), she shares their awesome new collection that is beautiful and contained on their mantel. Please pop over and let her know you stopped by. She is longing to “catch up” to us and be a part of our community.
• Crafty Cristy has submitted S is for Science which documents their beginning on the Handbook of Nature Study trail. It is always wonderful to get to meet new families. 
• Makita has another entry from their blog: First Fridays which details their latest Roots and Shoots nature group outing. You must click over and see their ginormous list of birds observed.
• Diana from Homeschool Review and Crafting Too has submitted their Chickadee Study Part 2 for the carnival. Here is another family that completed the pastel chickadee project!
• Kristin from Broom and Crown has put together a wonderful entry for you to read: Our First Sonoran Desert Nature Walk. This is one of my top ten nature study destinations in the world. I love everything about the Sonora Desert. Thanks Kristin for the visual trip.
• Martha from Sunrise to Sunset captured some fantastic images for you to see. Click over and read: My Backyard Excitement!
• Amy from By His Design shares their Signs of Spring entry for this edition of the carnival. Don’t miss the image of the grubs…and the beautiful spring photos as well. 🙂 

Publish Date – March 5, 2012

I am polishing up the More Nature Study Book #3 – Spring Splendor volume of Outdoor Hour Challenges. This is the most thorough and exciting book so far. I can’t tell you how much I have learned as I put this book together and I look forward to sharing the ideas with you as we work through each one this spring.