Search Results for: tree study

Posted on by — Leave a comment

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.

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.
Photo by Amy Law

How to Use the Outdoor Hour Challenges For Your Homeschool Family Nature Study

When getting started in homeschool nature study, here are some simple ideas to consider for your outdoor time.

Age of Your Children

  • Younger children-try to create exposure and have lots of time in free exploration outdoors
  • Older children-provide some structure to the preparation for your outdoor time, allow increased time outdoors, offer short follow up activities if they are interested

Your Particular Backyard Habitat

  • Suburban-Assess available trees, shrubs, and garden space. Focus on areas like birds, trees, insects, clouds or other subjects that you can find outside your back door. Container gardening is a great opportunity to create a natural area in even the smallest of backyards or on porches and decks.
  • Rural-Opportunity for longer walks each week and increased subjects to study. Perhaps planting a garden or just some child friendly plants like marigolds, sunflowers, beans, or morning glories.

Your Homeschool Family’s Interests

  • Follow your child’s interest as much as possible. Observe them as you go about your week and learn what interests them…insects? birds? lizards? mammals?
  • Do you have a pet that you can use as the center of your nature study? Cats, dogs, fish, lizards, hamsters all have their place in nature study.
  • Do you have access to larger farm animals? Horses, cows, goats, chickens, ducks? Take advantage of what you have at hand.

How much time do you have in your homeschool each week?

  • Ideally, you should be able to give an opportunity for outdoor time each day but realistically, you can pencil in one afternoon or part of an afternoon each week for nature study if you make it a priority.
  • Many families fit their nature study in as part of other activities. When you are on the way to another activity, can plan on stopping for a short period of time at the park for some nature study?

An Example Homeschool Nature Study with The Outdoor Hour Challenges

Let’s say that your family has preschool or young grammar age children. You have a suburban backyard. You have one afternoon a week that you can devote to nature study. You are beginners in the focus area of birds. How will you use the Outdoor Hour Challenges?

  • First of all, I suggest that you complete the few pages of reading for the challenge early in the week. Highlight any points you feel would be of interest to your children. I would pick only one or two points to share with young children.
  • If there are additional resources available, view those and print out any materials you would like to share with your children after your outdoor time.
  • Make the priority of your week’s nature study your outdoor time and make the most of it.
  • Prepare the children as much as you can in a way that is appropriate for their ages. If the lesson for the week is to learn about bird’s beaks, you might mention a few facts (check your notes) about bird beaks before you head out the door.
  • I might start off our outdoor time with a walk around the yard to see if we find anything new or interesting. If a bird happens along at the feeder or anywhere we can observe it, stop and quietly observe the bird, making special note of the bird’s beak.
  • After the birds flies away, take a minute to ask if your child was able to observe anything about the bird’s beak. Was it long, short, pointed, round, black, yellow, bigger than the head, and how did the bird use the beak?

Enjoy your time outdoors together and don’t spend your time lecturing or even talking very much at all.

” there should be as little talking from her (mother) as possible, and what little there is should have a definite purpose.”

Charlotte Mason, volume 1, page 45

With very young children, that would be all that I would expect for a beginning nature study session. There will certainly be something that they are interested in if you are actively walking and searching and listening and experiencing your backyard. You are the key by modeling how interesting things are right there in your own space.

Ideas for Simple Nature Study In Your Homeschool

In our family, when the children were young, we would work and play in the yard together during our outdoor time. Pulling weeds, cutting flowers to bring inside, sitting on the grass and watching the birds in the feeders, sweeping the walk, swinging on the rope swing, tidying the garden, listening to the bees buzz, turning the compost, watering the deck plants, and so on.

Most of these everyday activities led to questions about nature which we would investigate later on either with books we had on hand or during our next trip to the library. Again, be diligent about observing what your child is interested in during your outdoor time. Build on that interest by perhaps reading up on the subject yourself and sharing with them a few facts to get them started. Look up the topic at the library the next time you visit and show your child the section of books on that topic and let them pick one or two to bring home to look at and read together. This makes the nature study lesson not so much like a lesson.

I hope this helps illustrate how you can take the Outdoor Hour Challenges and tailor them to your particular family and habitat. You should feel free to make adaptations to make each challenge special in your family.

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 Membership for Your Family

In Homeschool Nature Study membership, each challenge gives you step by step instructions to get started with simple weekly nature study ideas whatever season you are in! This may just be what your homeschool week needs.

Each challenge is written for you to complete in your own neighborhood or backyard and you can adapt each challenge to fit your local area with suggestions I offer with each topic.

You will be able to use these studies with your whole family and pull it out from year to year and have a nature study resource for all levels.

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

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.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

How to Build a Habit of Nature Study in Your Homeschool

Here is how to build a habit of nature study in your homeschool if you struggling with where to start. And if you have wanted to ease into a study of nature that is meaningful, but you get overwhelmed with all the programs and methods, we have the simple answer. Have fun and make memories together with these ideas.

Here is how to build a habit of nature study in your homeschool if you struggling with where to start and are overwhelmed with all the programs and methods.

Take it One Thing at a Time – Slowly Build a Habit of Nature Study in Your Homeschool

Adults should realize that the most valuable thing children can learn is what they discover themselves about the world they live in. Once they experience first-hand the wonder of nature, they will want to make nature observation a life-long habit.”

Charlotte Mason in Modern English, volume 1, page 61

Here is a simple suggestion that has worked for many families over the years. Study:

  • one tree
  • one bird
  • and one flower

per homeschool school year

Slowly, gradually, gently….it works. This way of structuring a bare bones nature study keeps the pressure off families just starting out with a pursuit of regular nature study. Working through the study of one subject at a time will help build your confidence and knowledge in a way that is not overwhelming.

It is sustainable over the years. In my family, I have seen the study of nature that is closest at hand build a love of things that seem common but on closer inspection, they are rather remarkable. Dandelions and oak trees spring to mind as examples of studies we did and gained a new appreciation for their design and beauty.

You can apply this idea to any areas of nature study that you wish. You could add an insect or a mammal each year. Or you can try a reptile or a fungus or a constellation. The beauty of this method of easing into nature study with your children is that you can follow their interests.

As a way of introduction to this method, I will share some ideas for a tree, a bird, and a wildflower.

Here is how to build a habit of nature study in your homeschool if you struggling with where to start and are overwhelmed with all the programs and methods.

Your Homeschool Nature Study Tree Project

Take it slowly.

Find one tree in your yard that you can study for a whole term to build the habit of nature study. If you observe and identify one tree per year, over the course of your child’s education, you will have learned about 12 different trees…I don’t know about you but I have a hard time just listing 12 trees by name so if your child becomes acquainted with 12 trees, they are far better off than many of us.

If you have built the habit of getting outside with your children, you’ve no doubt encountered a tree of interest. Start there! No matter the time of year, you will have plenty to observe.

Trees outdoor hour homeschool curriculum
  • Pine Trees and Their Cones
  • Members: enjoy a 4 Seasons Tree Study with a project with the included printable: 4 Seasons Tree Photo Project.

Learning About Birds in Your Homeschool

Now try the same thing with birds for your habit of nature study.

“If we are teaching the science of ornithology (study of birds), we take first the [robin], then the swimming and scratching birds, and finally reach the songbirds, studying each as a part of the whole. Nature study begins with the robin because the child sees it and is interested in it, and notes the things about the habits and appearance of the robin that may be perceived by intimate observation……the next bird studied may be the turkey in the barnyard, or the duck on the pond, or the screech owl in the spruces, if any of these happen to impinge upon his notice and interest.”

Handbook of Nature Study, page 5

The particular bird that you start with in your nature study should be the one that you have noticed and is common in your neighborhood or yard. Anna Botsford Comstock was a promoter of the idea that children should be able to directly observe their nature study subjects.

Learning about birds in your homeschool

So, for your family habit of nature study, start with the most common bird you see. Look it up in the Handbook of Nature Study, look for the Outdoor Hour Challenge that corresponds with that bird, or simply use your field guide.

You can move on to the next bird when you are satisfied with your study.

More bird nature studies:

How to Pick a Wildflower for Your Nature Study

“They should be able to describe the shape, size and placements of their leaves and whether the flowers have a single blossom or a head of them. When they know the flower so well that they could recognize it anywhere, they should take a look at the area it grew in so they’ll know what kind of terrain to look for it again in the future…If any mother lacks a knowledge of plants, a good field guide will be indispensable, especially if she can find one that includes little facts and fun things about the plants.”

Charlotte Mason in Plain English, Volume 1, page 52

Learning the names of wildflowers is a lifelong activity that brings such joy. Children love learning the common names of flowers and I found that once my kids knew a name of a flower, they respected it more for its special uses for all living creatures. You can keep it very simple or you can use the suggestions below to go a little deeper with each wildflower you observe.

Here is how to build a habit of nature study in your homeschool if you struggling with where to start and are overwhelmed with all the programs and methods.

Elements of a Grand Study of Wildflowers

Your child should be able to:

  1. Describe the shape, size, and placement of the leaves.
  2. Note whether there is a single blossom or a head of flowers.
  3. Observe the flower and its habitat so well that it can be recognized in any location in the future.
  4. Use a field guide to learn about the wildflower (with help from a parent if needed).
  5. Collect, press, and make a record of the flower’s habitat and location.
  6. Optional: Make a watercolor of the flower or the whole plant.
Handbook of nature Study quote

Homeschool Nature Study Members

Look in your membership for these resources:

  • Outdoor Hour Challenge Planning Pages: Use the term planning page to pencil out your topics for the year.
  • Deciduous Trees in My Yard and Evergreen Trees in My Yard notebook pages
  • There are courses in Homeschool Nature Study membership for wildflowers and birds.

If you are not a Homeschool Nature Study membership 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.

Homeschool Nature Study membership
Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Written by Outdoor Hour Challenges founder, Barb McCoy and updated by Tricia

Here is how to build a habit of nature study in your homeschool if you struggling with where to start. And if you have wanted to ease into a study of nature that is meaningful, but you get overwhelmed with all the programs and methods, we have the simple answer. Have fun and make memories together with these ideas.

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.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Simple Ways to Study Nature in Your Homeschool This Winter

There are so many simple ways to study nature in your homeschool this winter! From nature walks to indoor studies, use this guide as a starting point for making memories together.

Simple Ways to Study Nature in Your Homeschool This Winter

There are so many simple ways to study nature in your homeschool this winter! From nature walks to indoor studies, use this guide as a starting point for making memories together.
Photos by Amy Law

Take a First Day of Winter Nature Walk

Getting outside for a walk on the first day of winter may be one of the most refreshing activities you could do with your children. The temperatures drop and we huddle inside more and more, especially on the shortest day of the year!

“The most obvious work of nature has been the preparation for winter. A wide range of observation should be used to impress the truth: the trees and shrubs have lost their leaves, and stored the provisions for spring in the buds and branches; many softer plants die down to the ground, storing the food in roots, others in bulbs, and still others in tubers. The question may be asked for each plant that comes up for observation – How did it get ready for winter?”

Nature Study by Months
There are so many simple ways to study nature in your homeschool this winter! From nature walks to indoor studies, use this guide as a starting point for making memories together.

1. Take a walk this week and spend a few minutes looking at the plants in your yard and neighborhood. Look for bushes and trees without leaves, stopping to note that these plants are many times not dead but just waiting for spring to begin a new growth cycle. Don’t go into too much detail but allow time for quiet observation.

2. After your outdoor time, spend a few minutes discussing how plants get ready for winter. You can bring out the following points:

  • Some plants (Annuals) have seeds that survive the winter even when the plant does not.
  • Other plants (Perennials) have roots that survive the winter and start to grow again in the spring.
  • Deciduous trees shed their leaves, conserve food, and have buds that are waiting until spring to open and grow.

3. Make a nature journal entry recording anything of interest from your outdoor time.

Alternately, make plans to get outside for a brisk nature walk and then to follow up with a nature journal page recording all of the interesting things you found while outside.

animal tracks in winter

Animals in Winter Homeschool Nature Study

“The same thought should be applied to the animals. Most of the birds have gone south because of the cold, and also because their food is gone; the frogs, turtles, and toads are going to sleep all winter down in the mud or earth below the frost; the caterpillars are waiting in their cocoons for the warm spring sunshine; most of the other insects have laid their eggs for the next season, while a few of them have crawled into warm places to wait; the squirrels have gathered a store of nuts, and will soon be asleep in the old tree-trunks; the cats dogs, horses, and cows have grown a fresh coat of hair and fur. Nothing is forgotten; each is ready in its own best way.”

Nature Study by Months

Ideas to Prepare for Outdoor Study:

This will be another easy week of nature study that will blend easily with other Outdoor Hour Challenges. Take the opportunity to spend some time outdoors noticing the way that animals prepare for winter. Make this one an investigation!

You might prepare with a little discussion about the various animals and birds that live in your local area. Some ideas to get you started:

  • migrating or visiting birds
  • squirrels gathering nuts
  • insects in cocoons
  • changes in color of various animals as they prepare for the white of the snow time
  • You can also read this article: Animals in Winter.
snow homeschool nature study
Snow Outdoor Hour Challenge included in Homeschool Nature Study membership!

Get Outside!

Bundle up and spend fifteen minutes outdoors enjoying the December world. A good nature walk is pleasurable for everyone and allows you and your children to appreciate God’s beautiful creation. The best times I can remember with my children are the times we just took it slow and easy, looking for the little things that most people pass by.

Look for signs of animals and think about ways they prepare for winter. You can also make bird and animal observations, noting their behavior. How are they staying warm? finding food? sheltering from the weather?

Encourage everyone to use all of their senses on this walk:

  • Did they see something colorful or unusual?
  • How does the air feel on your skin?
  • Is there a particular fragrance to the air?
  • Can you listen carefully for a minute or two to distinguish any particular sounds?

Another idea is to ask your children to find differences in the landscape, comparing your neighborhood habitat on this winter day to what they remember about the first day of summer. This is a little harder and you may need to help them get started with a few of your own observations.

More Outdoor Hour Challenge Ideas:

  • Turn over a rock and see what’s underneath.
  • Look up in the branches of the trees and see if you can find any birds or other critters.
  • Sit quietly by the edge of a pond or stream and see what comes along.
  • Breathe the air and enjoy the day.
indoor winter nature study ideas for your homeschool

Follow Up Indoor Winter Nature Study Activities:

  • After your outdoor time allow time for a nature journal entry. Use the notebook page or the journal idea from the December Newsletter to record your observations of anything that your child finds interesting. I also have a December World Notebook Page included Homechool Nature Study Membership or you can use one of the journaling pages included in the free membership sample, below.
  • Maybe this week you could use a different art medium in your journal…many of us get stuck in a rut. Offer colored pencils, thin markers, watercolors, or pastels.

Paint a Winter Frosty Leaf in Chalk Pastels

Nana of You ARE an ARTiST offers a sample of her winter art lessons series in You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse membership. Suggested supplies: dark blue construction paper and leaf chalk pastel colors. Baby wipes or slightly damp paper towel for easy clean up.

  • You could also try offering modeling clay as an alternative to drawing the subject this week and then take a photo of the finished product to include in the nature journal.
  • Additional Link: Animals in Winter lapbook – free printable

Not all nature study needs to happen outdoors during the winter season! There are so many lovely ideas for you in Taking Your Winter Nature Study Indoors.

Download from your member’s area

Wonderful Winter Homeschool Nature Study Topics

In Homeschool Nature Study membership, each challenge gives you step by step instructions to get started with simple weekly nature study ideas…even in the middle of winter! This may just be what your homeschool week needs to get you through the cold winter days of January, February, and March.

Each challenge is written for you to complete in your own neighborhood or backyard and you can adapt each challenge to fit your local area with suggestions I offer with each topic. Don’t be discouraged if you look at the list of topics and think you don’t have that particular subject close at hand. I will guide you through finding a replacement to still offer you a weekly dose of nature study.

The winter homeschool nature study challenges were written for families with children of all ages. In addition to the regular challenge, I have bumped up the nature study for older or more experienced children, complete with their own set of notebooking pages. You will be able to use these studies with your whole family and pull it out from year to year and have a nature study resource for all levels.

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

Outdoor Hour Challenges for Winter – Bring the Handbook of Nature Study to Life in Your Homeschool!

Membership includes all you need for using the Handbook of Nature Study and enjoying learning together as a family. See a sample membership Winter Homeschool Nature Study by signing up with the form, below.

Membership includes all of this plus MORE!

  • notebook pages and coloring pages
  • Upper Level notebook pages for advanced or experienced students
  • Charlotte Mason style exam questions
  • Complete list of supplies needed
  • Detailed instructions for each challenge, including links and printables
  • Nature journal suggestions
  • Alternate ideas to adapt the challenges to your local area

Members also enjoy:

  • Bird in Snow video art lesson
  • First Day of Winter Walk and Observations Page
  • December World Notebook Page
  • Winter Weather Observations Journal Page
  • Window Observations Journal Page
  • December Words and Poem Journal Page

Special Outdoor Hour Challenges

  • Snow Study!
  • Red and Green Outdoor Hour Challenge
  • Moon and Moon Names
  • Study on Magnets and the Compass

And more challenges from all of the courses pictured above!

There are so many simple ways to study nature in your homeschool this winter! From nature walks to indoor studies, use this guide as a starting point for making memories together.

Get Your Free Sample Of Membership: Winter Homeschool Nature Study Download

Get Your Membership Sample of Winter Homeschool Nature Study!

Subscribe to get FREE Membership Sample of Winter Homeschool Nature Study.

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

    Most importantly, when you get outside for your winter homeschool nature study, take along a good attitude and leave yourself open to whatever the experience brings. Allow your children to direct you to things they find interesting and then share in their excitement.

    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.

    Posted on by — Leave a comment

    Turkey Homeschool Nature Study Activities for November

    “The gobbler is the most vainglorious bird known to us; when he struts to show his flock of admiring hens how beautiful he is, he lowers his wings and spreads the stiff primary quills until their tips scrape the ground, lifting meanwhile into a semi-circular fan his beautiful tail feathers, he protrudes his chest, and raises the iridescent plumage of his neck like a ruff to make a background against which he throws back his red, white, and blue decorated head.”

    Handbook of Nature Study
    This turkey homeschool nature study includes fun activities and a free printable - everything you need for fall learning.

    Fun Turkey Homeschool Nature Study Ideas

    Wild turkeys are a funny bunch of birds. Homeschool Nature Study founder Barb McCoy says, “we lived in California, many times we saw turkeys in the woods and sometimes trotting down the back roads. They make a funny sound as they move through the trees and poke around on the ground for tidbits to eat.  Then, if you get lucky, you’ll see the male turkey strutting his stuff and displaying his beautiful tail feathers!

    This turkey homeschool nature study includes fun activities and a free printable - everything you need for fall learning.

    Homeschool Bird Study – Turkeys

    If you have a wild turkey or even a domestic turkey to observe, you’ll enjoy the suggestions in the lesson in the Handbook of Nature Study.  Another suggestion is to watch the videos in the original challenge to get a taste of what turkeys are all about and then read the Handbook of Nature Study lesson and finish with a nature journal page with your children.”

    The full turkey homeschool nature study is included in membership – along with all the fun, fall favorite topics and a member calendar filled with daily nature study prompts!

    Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership For Weekly Outdoor Hour Challenges and More!
    November Homeschool Nature Study Activities

    November Homeschool Nature Study Activities

    Before the whole month of November slips away, let’s make time to observe what nature is doing at this time of year. Start off by completing the reading of pages 1 and 2 in the Handbook of Nature Study as a refresher.

    Take a few minutes to think about how keeping a regular nature study period each week has benefited your family. Ask your children what they have learned so far this autumn season about the birds, insects, and plants in your neighborhood.

    November Homeschool Nature Study Outdoor Hour Challenges

    Members can browse the November Outdoor Hour Challenges! Pine cone science, a year long brook study and more

    leaf prints homeschool nature study craft

    Victoria says, “As autumn gets into full swing, what better way to mark the change of seasons than with these super simple leaf prints. We are heading into that period of autumn where the leaves are on the cusp of igniting into rich shades of red and orange. Here in the UK, we usually have about a week of vibrancy before one strong wind comes along and blows all the colour to the ground. So it is best to capture its beauty while we can.”

    Let this give you encouragement to keep participating in the Outdoor Hour Challenge as the weather turns colder and wetter.

    Follow up your Outdoor Hour Challenge turkey time with a Turkey Walk with Chalk in Turkey Art Activities.

    Free Your November World Printable Journal Page

    your November World homeschool nature study

    Use the ideas in this challenge to get outside and find something of interest to note about your November World. Complete the notebook page in the Autumn Course included in membership or create a page in your own blank journal.

    Get Your November World Notebook Page!

    Subscribe to get FREE Your November World Notebook page.

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

      More Fall Homeschool Nature Study and Homeschool Ideas

      Here are even more ideas for your November homeschool:

      November is such a month of change and transition…don’t miss getting outside to view it for yourselves! Be sure to share your outdoor time on social media and tag @outdoorhourchallenge on Instagram or Outdoor Hour Challenges too!

      This turkey homeschool nature study includes fun activities and a free printable - everything you need for fall learning.

      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.

      Posted on by — Leave a comment

      The Ultimate Guide of Fun Apple and Pumpkin Nature Study Ideas for Your Homeschool

      When the air turns cooler and the leaves start to change color, it is always fun to learn more about apples and pumpkins! Enjoy this ultimate guide of fun apple and pumpkin nature study ideas for your homeschool.

      When the air turns cooler and the leaves start to change color, it is always fun to learn more about apples and pumpkins! Enjoy this ultimate guide of fun apple and pumpkin nature study ideas for your homeschool.

      5 Apple Homeschool Nature Study Ideas

      All things apple – what a fun, fall topic to learn about!

      “The apple is a nutritious fruit, wholesome and easily digested. The varieties of apple differ in shape, size, color, texture, and flavor. A perfect apple has no bruise upon it and no wormholes in it. “

      Handbook of Nature Study, page 669
      • Compare the outside of the apples: color, size, stems, blemishes.
      • Compare the skins: thickness, texture.
      • Compare cut apples: core size, seeds, shape, flavor, crispness
      • Visit an apple farm and view apples on trees (and sample doughnuts and apple pies!)
      • Have a picnic under an apple tree!
      Members: Log In To Enjoy Your Printable Apple Taste Test in Your Autumn Course!
      visit an apple orchard for your homeschool nature study

      For even more ideas plus a FULL Outdoor Hour Challenge on apples, join Homeschool Nature Study membership!

      More Apple Nature Study Fun

      Here are a few more fun apple study ideas!

      Members: Enjoy a Preschool Apple Observations Booklet in Your Preschool Course When Logged In
      visit a pumpkin farm for your homeschool nature study!

      5 Pumpkin Homeschool Nature Study Ideas

      Get started with your pumpkin nature study with these simple ideas:

      • Sketch or describe the pumpkin leaf.
      • Thump your pumpkin and describe the sound.
      • Observe the creases on the outside of the pumpkin.
      • Can you tell which way your pumpkin sat on the ground when it was growing?
      • Cut your pumpkin open and view the seeds. Sketch the arrangement in your journal.
      Enjoy this ultimate guide of fun apple and pumpkin nature study ideas for your homeschool. Perfect for all ages.

      More Pumpkin Nature Studies Perfect for Homeschool

      For 10 more ideas plus a FULL Outdoor Hour Challenge on Pumpkins, a Pumpkin Farm Notebook page and more, join Homeschool Nature Study membership!

      Enjoy this ultimate guide of fun apple and pumpkin nature study ideas for your homeschool. Perfect for all ages.

      Favorite Pumpkin Recipes to Enjoy

      Handbook of Nature Study website founder Barb McCoy shares these favorites!

      Tricia’s Easy Pumpkin Recipes:

      When the air turns cooler and the leaves start to change color, it is always fun to learn more about apples and pumpkins! Enjoy this ultimate guide of fun apple and pumpkin nature study ideas for your homeschool.

      More Fall Homeschool Nature Study Fun!

      Keep the apple and pumpkin nature study fun going with these resources for all ages:

      Join Us in Homeschool Nature Study Membership for a New Outdoor Hour Challenge Each Week!

      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.

      Posted on by — Leave a comment

      Homeschool Fall Leaf Study And Activities (perfect for all ages)

      To celebrate the first day of fall or autumnal equinox, we invite you on a fall leaf study in your homeschool! There are leaf nature studies to fill an entire week!

      To celebrate the first day of fall or autumnal equinox, we invite you on a fall leaf tour in your homeschool! There are leaf nature studies to fill an entire week!

      Celebrate The First Day of Fall

      Here is a fun idea for the first day of fall and your fall leaf tour!

      To celebrate the first day of fall or autumnal equinox, we invite you on a fall leaf tour in your homeschool! There are leaf nature studies to fill an entire week!

      Homeschool Fall Leaf Study And Activities

      This study is designed to be completed with what you have around you. As the leaves turn, head outside, notice fall colors and collect some different colored leaves.

      Compare Leaves from Two Different Trees

      • Leaf shape and leaf margins.
      • Leaf arrangement on the stem.
      • Leaf color, texture, and size. (You can measure if you wish.)
      • Come back in from your walk and follow up with a journal page.

      Take a Fall Color Walk For Your Nature Study

      To continue your fall leaf tour, take a fall color walk! We also start to take more hikes now that the afternoons are a bit cooler. We have our favorite trails and try to get outside every day to see what we can find of interest.

      Read in the Handbook of Nature Study page 14, “The Field Excursion”. The reason I want you to read this section is so you have a better understanding of how to prepare you children for a short outdoor excursion with a purpose. Let them know ahead of time the reason you are going outdoors, have them gather their supplies, and then make the excursion outside to look for fall colors.

      With our Printable Autumn Series Field Notebook included in membership, you can enjoy these studies and journal pages:

      • Seasonal tree study
      • Goldenrod
      • Oaks & acorns
      • Fall bird study
      • Squirrels
      • Mushrooms
      • Pumpkins
      • Field Notebook List

      Fall Color Challenge Activity: Match Leaf Color to Your Art Supplies

      A more detailed advanced study for upper level students is included in membership. Here is a peek at what you can enjoy as you continue your fall leaf tour.

      Outdoor Hour Challenge founder, Barbara McCoy shared this from her family’s Color Walk one year: “I decided to make color chart in my journal with the official names from the Prismacolor pencils noted just for fun. My favorite leaves were the pistache leaves with their bright orange, red, and yellow…..dare I say vermillion, crimson, and chrome yellow to be more exact?”

      Collect a variety of colorful leaves and bring them inside. Have fun matching the colors of the leaves to your colored pencils, chalk pastels, crayons or other art supplies. You might want to sketch your leaves in your nature journal.

      Watercolor pencils on the left and regular colored pencils on the right.

      Fall Homeschool Nature Study Ideas

      Track Weather in Your Homeschool

      Autumn seems to be a season that many of us look forward to and in my part of the world we welcome the cooler temperatures and the crisp morning air. We begin to see a few days of wet weather and one activity that seems to make its way into my nature journal is to keep track of that cooler wet weather.

      To celebrate the first day of fall or autumnal equinox, we invite you on a fall leaf tour in your homeschool! There are leaf nature studies to fill an entire week!

      Simple Fall Homeschool Nature Study Ideas with Apples, Pumpkins and Pears

      Our Homeschool Nature Study members enjoy these wonderful challenges!

      • Apple Challenge – Simple nature study featuring apples and the Handbook of Nature Study.
      • Pumpkins – Study your pumpkins and then eat them too!
      • Pear Challenge – Yummy nature study featuring pears and the Handbook of Nature Study with advanced study options too.
      To celebrate the first day of fall or autumnal equinox, we invite you on a fall leaf tour in your homeschool! There are leaf nature studies to fill an entire week!

      Autumn Series with the Handbook of Nature Study: Outdoor Hour Challenge Curriculum

      There are so many fall favorites for you to explore over the next months!

      Members also enjoy access to:

      • NEW, weekly Outdoor Hour Challenges to bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool!
      • the annual nature study plans
      • matching courses with materials and journaling pages
      • interactive calendar with daily nature study prompts
      • Nature Journaling course
      • and MUCH more!
      Join Us In Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

      More Fall Nature Study for Your Homeschool

      Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

      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.

      Posted on by — Leave a comment

      The Ultimate Guide To Fall Homeschool Nature Study In Your Own Backyard

      The benefits of autumn or fall homeschool nature study in your own backyard are endless! These simple resources get you started making memories together.
      Photos by Amy Law

      When the calendar flips to September you might be ready for an autumn or fall homeschool nature study in your own backyard. How about your part of the world? Are you feeling like autumn or is it lingering summer? Whatever your world looks like you can take a fall walk and discover some fall color…maybe not your leaves but look for berries, nuts, and weeds that are changing color.

      autumn nature study with light coming through the treees

      The Benefits of Nature Study in the Fall

      The benefits of fall nature study seem to be endless! The most important of all is making memories together as a family. The crisp, cooler air and the brilliant blue sky (on sunny days) highlight all of the fall leaf color for us. Being outside does wonders for moods. And having an outdoor ‘laboratory’ for discovery is as simple as swinging open your backdoor.

      The fall Outdoor Hour Challenges are among our very favorites. My children and I have wonderful memories of looking for not only different leaf color but leaf shapes. With the cooler weather, we tend to take nature walks even more.

      Plus, a fall homeschool nature study gives an opportunity for all ages to learn as little or as much as they would like to.

      Fall Nature Study Lesson Plans

      We have Outdoor Hour Challenge Homeschool Nature Study Curriculum filled with weeks of fall nature study plans! You can also take a look at this sampling of the resources we have for you to enjoy simple, fall homeschool nature study in your own backyard.

      • Seasonal Tree Observations Outdoor Hour Challenge
      • Fall Color Walk with Printable Color Cards in membership (great for your youngest adventurers)
      • How to Make Leaf Rubbings (video)
      • Tips for Drawing Leaves
      • Learn Why Leaves Change Color
      • Advanced studies on the chemistry of leaves
      • Plus apples, pumpkins, bats, turkeys and more!

      The benefits of autumn or fall homeschool nature study in your own backyard are endless! These simple resources get you started making memories together.

      Fall Notebooking Pages For Your Homeschool

      There are so many easy printable pages in Homeschool Nature Study membership for quick and fun nature walks!

      • Access to a Fall Leaf Nature Study Grid for printing (you can place in your journal and ‘check off’ scavenger hunt style. Includes a bookmark for coloring in the colors of the fall leaves near you)
      • Autumn nature study journal pages for each Outdoor Hour Challenge
      • Autumn coloring pages
      • Under the Fallen Leaves notebooking page
      • Autumn Changes in Your Own Backyard
      • Learning About Leaves – with journal page
      • Autumn Weather Tracking chart printable
      • Signs of Autumn Notebook Page
      • Printable Fall Series Field Notebook

      And SO much more! (with more topics coming!)

      Autumn is on the horizon with the yellowing of leaves signalling chilly weather to come, so lets create this forest floor biome to celebrate. In this tutorial I will show you how to layer watercolours to create depth as well as texture using a stippling technique. So grab your paints, download the free printable I have created and let's get crafting!

      Fall Forest Biome Nature Craft Activity

      Our resident illustrator, Victoria Vels, shares, “Autumn is on the horizon with the yellowing of leaves signalling chilly weather to come, so lets create this forest floor biome to celebrate. In this tutorial I will show you how to layer watercolours to create depth as well as texture using a stippling technique. So grab your paints, download the free printable I have created and let’s get crafting!”

      Members enjoy this craft in the Nature Crafts course!

      More Homeschool Nature Study for Your Fall Learning

      Join Us For Fall Homeschool Nature Study

      We’ve heard from families that they were reluctant to start a nature study plan, stating that they thought it would restrict their freedom to focus on one topic. But, they found that having a focus each week actually helped them to stay regular at getting outside and it helped them be better at taking a few minutes to learn about an object they encountered, even if it wasn’t the original aim for getting outdoors.

      Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

      We make it easy with resources you can use at your own pace and on your own schedule. Or, you may choose to follow our annual nature study plans closely and have everything at your fingertips.

      Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

      The benefits of autumn or fall homeschool nature study in your own backyard are endless! These simple resources get you started making memories together.

      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.

      Posted on by — 6 Comments

      Homeschool Nature Study Resource: 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.

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

      This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

      Homeschool Nature Study Resource

      This is a book that many of us own and is sitting on our shelf. It may also be a book that you have looked at online, have seen others using, or actually paged through at a bookstore. It is a familiar book that I have a love/hate relationship because of the perceived expectation that it creates for journalers.

      Many of us struggle with perfection. We think that a nature journal should be a place of beauty and value…which I agree with wholeheartedly. But, it also can be a place that we experiment and mess up from time to time. A smear here or a misspelled word or funky drawing we don’t like can also appear on a nature journal page. Those “mess ups” shouldn’t keep us from striving to create pages on a regular basis.

      Don’t let the great page examples overwhelm or discourage but allow them to create a reservoir of ideas to use over the years as you fill your journal.

      A review of Keeping a Nature Journal Homeschool Nature Study Resource

      Quick Thoughts About the Book

      Note: page numbers are from the first edition

      • This is a book for all ages to use as they learn to keep a nature journal.
      • You will find ideas for using a nature journal in all curriculum areas on page 165 (A Curriculum Web for Nature Journaling).
      • The “Getting Started with Drawing” section (pages 139-153) would be a wonderful basis for an art course using nature as your subject.
      • I found the section titled, “Subjects to Observe, Draw, Record throughout the Seasons“, to be a wonderful inspiration and I intend to refer to it for my own use. Each season is listed in the chart along with ideas for drawing birds, animals, plants and trees, weather and sky, and seasonal celebrations.
      • ***I see the second edition of this book has an expanded section showing more of Claire’s actual journal pages.

      Keeping a Nature Journal by Claire Walker Leslie and Charles E. Roth gives this long term nature journal mom some fresh ideas that I can’t wait to use in the upcoming summer season.

      Find this great resource HERE.

      More Homeschool Reviews

      Are you making your nature journal your sidekick this summer?

      Previous Month’s Books and Reviews and More Nature Journaling Homeschool Resources

      Nature Study in Your Own Backyard and Nature Journaling with Outdoor Hour Challenges

      To get each Friday’s homeschool nature study Outdoor Hour Challenge and for access to a continuing series of new nature studies, join us in Homeschool Nature Study Membership. With homeschool nature study membership, you will have everything you need to bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool.

      Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

      Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

      Posted on by — Leave a comment

      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.

      Nature themed literature is a wonderful way to generate an interest in the natural world.  They 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.

      Using the Public Library to Enhance Your Nature Study

      You don’t need to spend lots of money building a library of nature literature (unless you want to). Using the public library as a source of books is easy and fun. How do you get started?

      • Pick an area of interest—trees,  forest animals, butterflies, etc. Really the sky is the limit.
      • Use your library’s computer search, enter in the topic and then find the books on the shelves.
      • Generally, children’s literature and children’s nature-themed non-fiction books are the best for all ages. Information will be on a level that will be appropriate for children to understand (and moms too).
      • Field guides will probably be in the adult non-fiction section and you can ask your librarian to point you to the shelf or you can use the library’s computer search to find the call number for your selection.
      • If you find an author or series you like, look for more books by that author or in that series.

      Weekly stops at the library will allow you to find information on any topic that comes up during your Outdoor Hour Challenge time. Questions can be recorded in the child’s nature journal and then answered during the next trip to the library.

      It is always exciting to find the answers to questions and satisfy a child’s curiosity.

      Out of School and Into Nature is a wonderful book for your library nature study.

      You can put a limit on the number of books your child can borrow on one topic. It is always disappointing to go to the library and find that someone has cleared the shelf of all the books on one topic. Take just enough to read in a week and then if you still have interest, check out another book on the same topic.

      How to Read a Nature Literature Book

      • Get comfortable with your child at your side or one on each side, making sure they can see the pages.
      • Start with the cover of the book and ask them what they see and what they think the book is all about.
      • Read the title and then the first few pages, slowly reading the words and allowing time for gazing at the pictures.
      • Every few pages pause for your child to tell you something about what you just read (narration). See if they have any questions.
      • If it is a short book, finish the book and have your child give their thoughts about the book. Did they have a favorite page or picture? Have them share something they learned about the topic from reading the book.
      • Use the book’s illustrations as the basis for an art lesson, copying a picture with colored pencils or markers onto paper.
      • Leave the book out for the child to look at again and hopefully enjoy a second time. (Make sure if you have little ones around that they can’t get to the book and mar it in some way.)
      • Keep your nature books together, perhaps organizing them by topic or by season.
      Fun with the art of Eric Carle! Tricia and her family checked out several Eric Carle books for their library nature study after their visit to the art museum.

      Nature Authors to Look Up at Your Library

      Please some are Amazon affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

      Lois Ehlert                                                           Eve Bunting

      Joyce Sidman                                                     Eric Carle

      Diane Siebert                                                     Diana Hutts Aston

      Jim Arnosky                                                        Jean Craighead George

      I have some books that are personal favorites that I will include here in this post. You can look for them at your local library.

      North American Wildlife: I am highly recommending this book to all Outdoor Hour Challenge families who live in North America. This is a perfect complement to the Handbook of Nature Study and will give your family a valuable tool in digging deeper into the wonders of nature in our own part of the world.

      Keeping a Nature Journal at The Curriculum Choice: This book can be used right alongside the Handbook of Nature Study. It will give you step by step help in creating nature journal pages that are simple but meaningful to your child. (Shirley’s review here).

      Take Along Guides for Homeschool at The Curriculum Choice: 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.

      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.

      Charlotte Mason Picture Book Biography: This lovely Charlotte Mason picture book biography tells the story of Miss Mason, painting a picture of the time she lived, her knowledge of how children learn and her passion for children to love learning. At our sister site, The Curriculum Choice.

      This is a life-long project and you can share that concept with your children, building the notion that nature study is a way of life long after homeschooling is over.

      Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Learning for the Whole Family

      Members will find a Nature Book Report you can complete if you would like to keep a record of your library nature study learning.

      To get each Friday’s homeschool nature study Outdoor Hour Challenge and for access to a continuing series of new nature studies, join us in Homeschool Nature Study Membership. You will have everything you need to bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool.

      Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership!

      With membership, you will have access to Outdoor Hour Challenges curriculum and resources to enrich your homeschool.

      Be inspired! Be encouraged! Get outdoors!

      November 2013 Newsletter

      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.
      Posted on by — Leave a comment

      Homeschool Nature Study in Your Own Backyard: Learn What is Closest to Home

      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.

      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.

      In the book Last Child in the Woods, the author makes the point several times that today’s science textbooks and programs are missing the mark. Many, many young students know more about the tropical rainforests and volcanoes of the world than they know about their own backyards.

      Homeschool Nature Study in Your Own Backyard: Learn What is Closest to Home

      Is there a better way to introduce our children to the world of science? Yes, but it may mean we have to get dirty. We will need to spend time outdoors *with* our children and look at things through their eyes. It may mean that teaching science doesn’t follow a straight path or a certain scope and sequence. It changes science or nature study in your own backyard into more of a way of life rather than a school subject to be checked off your “to do” list each week.

      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.

      Encouragement From Last Child in the Woods

      Here’s a selection of quotes from one of my favorite sections in Last Child in the Woods:

      “Any natural place contains an infinite reservoir of information, and therefore the potential for inexhaustible new discoveries.”

      “For some young people, nature is so abstract-the ozone layer, a faraway rain forest-that it exists beyond the senses.”

      And the best of all from this section:
      “For a whole generation of kids, direct experiences in the backyard, in the tool shed, in the fields and woods, has been replaced by indirect learning, through machines. These young people are smart, they grew up with computers, they were supposed to be superior-but now we know that something’s missing.”

      Nature study encouragement from Charlotte Mason
      Charlotte Mason Homeschool Art Appreciation

      Encouragement from Charlotte Mason


      If you have read any of Charlotte Mason’s writings, she tells us what is missing from most of our young people’s educations. Charlotte Mason advocated the sort of science learning that Richard Louv encourages in this book….an education where children are exposed to and encouraged to be out in nature.

      With her emphasis in the early years on nature study, Charlotte Mason is showing us how to make science meaningful to our children. It will not be some abstract idea or have a political agenda. Science really is as simple as the plan put before us by Charlotte Mason. We are the ones that make it complicated.

      Benefits of Nature Study in Your Own Backyard


      A nature walk can stimulate our children’s senses and their inborn desire to ask questions. One bird, one tree, one wildflower or garden flower at a time, our children will learn about their own world and neighborhood. Whether your “outdoors” is a park, a few square feet of dirt, or an acre of forest, every child has the opportunity to be exposed to some kind of natural environment.

      If you live in a high-rise apartment or the weather is too bitter or too hot to be outside, bring nature to you in the form of a potted plant, a fish tank, or a collection of natural objects brought in from your time spent outdoors. (Check out my daughter’s table-top garden post on her blog at HeartsandTrees.)

      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.

       
      Anna Botsford Comstock in her book Handbook of Nature Study puts her thoughts this way:

      “Nature study is for the comprehension of the individual life of the bird, insect, or plant that is nearest at hand.”

      My eyes are wide open at all times to find ways to bring nature closer to our family. As Christians we want to appreciate the world that God made for us to live in. We want to be able to understand Him better by learning about all that He created.

      You don't need a special textbook or kit to get started. With nature study 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.

      Nature Study in Your Own Backyard with Outdoor Hour Challenges

      To get each Friday’s homeschool nature study Outdoor Hour Challenge and for access to a continuing series of new nature studies, join us in Homeschool Nature Study Membership. With homeschool nature study membership, you will have everything you need to bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool.

      Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

      Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

      By Barb, June 2008