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Autumn Willow Tree Nature Study and Printable

Autumn is a wonderful time of year for discovery, picnics, and tree studies! We created an Autumn Willow Tree Printable for you to enjoy before winter settles.

Enjoy the Autumn Willow Nature Study and printables for sketching, sharing, and learning about trees this fall.

What is a Willow Tree?

Did you know there are more than 200 different species of willow trees? But all willows have a few things in common: abundant watery bark sap, which is heavily charged with salicylic acid, soft, usually pliant tough wood, slender branches, and large fibrous often stoloniferous roots – which means they grow along the ground.

Willow wood is used to make baskets, furniture, toys, and fishing nets. The wood is too soft for lumber, but it is popular for wickerwork. In ancient times, people chewed willow bark to treat fevers and rheumatic pains. The bark contains salicylic acid, which is the basis for modern aspirin.

Enjoy the Autumn Willow Nature Study and free printables for sketching, sharing, and learning about trees this fall.

Autumn Willow Nature Study and Printable for Members

If you do not live near Willow Trees, print the Under the Fallen Leaves worksheet.

Autumn Willow Tree notebooking page: Use this page to record your autumn willow observations. This can be the start of a year long/four seasons study of willows for your family. I will be reminding you each season to make some notes about your willow tree.

Under the Fallen Leaves notebooking page: Take a few minutes to look under the leaves in your yard or a near-by park. What do you see there? Create a sketch and describe what you saw, felt, and smelled during your outdoor time.

Pine Trees and Pine Cones Nature Study

More pine trees in your neck of the woods? Enjoy this Pine Trees & Pine Cones Nature Study.

More Fall Homeschool Nature Study Fun!

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

Join the Homeschool Nature Study Membership

There are so many benefits to joining. You will access our full range of curriculum, our interactive learning calendar as well as a brand new homeschool nature study challenge post each week!

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership!

Original post written by Barb 2018, updated by Stef Layton 2024.

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Autumn Cattails Nature Study and Printable

Kids and cattails are a great combination for a fun autumn nature study and your autumn search for cattails can begin this week! When the original autumn cattail Outdoor Hour Challenge was posted years ago, I asked my boys if they knew where any cattails were growing. Amazingly, they knew a couple places around town where they were growing so we were off on a cattail adventure.

Kids and cattails are a great combination for a fun autumn nature study. This could be the start of a year-long study of cattails.

Cattails Year-Long Nature Study

This could be the start of a year-long study of cattails in which you observe a designated patch of cattails once each season to watch the changes. As the year progresses, the complete life cycle story of not only the cattails but the rest of the critters that live around them begins to emerge. Such a valuable nature study lesson!

Autumn Cattails Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study Lesson 131

Archive Outdoor Hour Challenge – Click the link above to take you to the original challenge and a free printable notebook page for your family to use each season for your cattail study.

“The cattail is adapted for living in swamps where the soil is wet but not under water all the time….They usually occur in marshy zones along lakes or streams; and such a zone is always sharply defined by dry land on one side and water on the other.”

Handbook of Nature Study, Page 502

Make sure to click the link below to read the entire Outdoor Hour Challenge with helpful links, nature study ideas, printable notebooking pages, and suggested follow-up activities.

Autumn Cattails Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study Lesson 131

Cattails Nature Study

Homeschool Nature Study Membership

It’s a great time to join Homeschool Nature Study! We offer a multitude of science activities, hands-on learning ideas, seasonal nature studies, crafts, free resources for all ages – join the #outdoorhourchallenge community and enhance your homeschool science lessons!

 

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Leaf Art Nature Walk Activity

This is a super fun leaf art nature walk activity that you can do today! After a nature walk, create these fun shapes with the treasures you find.

Here is an example of leaf art the children created with Nana a few years back. It’s time to do it again!

Here is a super fun leaf art nature walk activity that you can do today! After a nature walk, create these fun shapes with the treasures you find.

Leaf Art Nature Walk Activity

Start by enjoying a simple nature walk in your yard on a beautiful fall day, encouraging the children to collect a variety of leaves, seeds and nature items.

Bring your discoveries inside and spread them out on the table. Or keep it all outdoors if you prefer – on a patio, back deck or blanket spread out in a shady spot.

Allow the children to create pictures with their items. You might encourage them by starting some artwork yourself, giving them an example.

Leaf Art Supplies Needed

You’ll need:

  • construction paper or printer paper
  • glue
  • markers or crayons
  • your nature items

With markers, crayons, or whatever you have on hand, let the children complete their pictures, then glue down their nature items. Making whatever they would like to make.

There’s no right or wrong way to make leaf art. Just have fun!

More Fall Leaf Activities for Your Homeschool

Keep going with these ideas!

Nature Study Crafts for Kids: Easy Activities for Learning and Fun! isn’t that leaf mask fun?

The Ultimate Guide to Fall Leaf Activities – Fall is the perfect time to take advantage of seasonal learning and to make memories together!

Fall Leaf Activities for Kids – These fall leaf activities for kids are a perfect way to study nature throughout the season. Easy to implement and enjoyable for the entire family, this study has options for all ages.

This is a super fun leaf art nature walk activity that you can do today! After a nature walk, create these fun shapes with the treasures you find.

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 Library Full of Nature Crafts and Outdoor Hour Challenges!

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.

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Mushroom Nature Study: Autumn Homeschooling Resources

Our family loves going on a good mushroom hunt! You can read in the Handbook of Nature Study about this fascinating nature study topic and then set off on your own fungi hunt. Remember to create a sense of adventure as you set out to look for mushrooms, building anticipation for finding even just one mushroom to observe.

Did you know, mushrooms are grown in all 50 states? The majority of commercial mushroom growers are located in Pennsylvania. 63% of all white mushrooms are grown in Pennsylvania. Mushrooms require less water than other crops which makes them “energy efficient”.

Tip for Finding Mushrooms

My original mushroom challenge suggested that you let your friends and family know that you are looking for mushrooms and they can let you know if they come across any in their travels. Some of our best mushroom studies came from tips I got from my dad who found several interesting species of mushrooms on his property.

Autumn Mushroom Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study Lesson 198, pages 714-719

Archive Outdoor Hour Challenge – Click the link above to see the mushroom study suggestions in the original challenge.

“Fungi, as a whole, are a great boon to the world. Without them our forests would be choked out with dead wood. Decay is simply the process by which fungi and other organisms break down dead material, so that the major part of it returns to the air in gaseous form, and the remainder, now mostly humus, mingles with the soil.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 715

More Facts About Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a good source of Vitamin E as well as protein.

Most children recognize the red cap mushroom with white spots in Super Mario, the Fly agaric. However this mushroom is not safe to eat. It is highly toxic.

Cook with Mushrooms

Bring the Autumn Mushroom Nature Study into your kitchen for a fun night of cooking! Try out different mushrooms from your farmer’s market or local grocery store. Mushrooms are great in spaghetti sauce, soups, scrambled eggs, and stir fry. Try adding them on hamburgers and pizza! This Whole Foods graphic is helpful if you’re not familiar with cooking mushrooms.

Watercolor Mushrooms

“Since mushrooms are especially good subjects for watercolor and pencil studies, it would add much to the interest of the work if each pupil, or the school as a whole, should make a portfolio of sketches of all the species found. With each drawing there should be made on a supplementary sheet a spore print of the species.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 718

mushroom nature study

Homeschool Nature Study Members can print the Mushroom Coloring Page from their dashboard.

Join the Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

-First published by Barb September 2020. Updated September 2024 by Stef.

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Pumpkin Homeschool Activities and Fun Facts

Grab your pumpkin chocolate chip bread and enjoy this Pumpkin Nature Study and Fun Facts! Pumpkins are gourds, a crop plant with a fleshy large fruit, hard skin, and tendril growing vines.

facts about pumpkins

Pumpkin Homeschool Study Fun Facts

Did you know …

  • The word “pumpkin” is from the Greek word “Pepon”, which means “large melon”. 
  • The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.
  • Each pumpkin contains around 500 seeds.
  • Native Americans used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine, and flattened strips of pumpkin to make mats.
  • Pumpkins are very healthy to incorporate into your diet. They are high in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B, potassium, protein, and iron. Pumpkins contain no cholesterol or saturated fat.
  • Most pumpkin crops are processed into canned pumpkin or canned pie mix.
  • Atlantic Giants are the largest overall species of pumpkin. They can grow as much as 50 pounds per day! 
  • The first Jack-of-the-Lantern was not made from a pumpkin but an Irish Turnip.

Pumpkin Patch Tips

Pumpkins are in season from mid September through November.  Typically planted in June, pumpkins are harvested before the first frost. Looking for the perfect pumpkin? Here are a few tips that have helped us get a great gourd.

A good pumpkin should be firm and solid, without any soft spots or sunken areas. A dry, shriveled stem indicates that the pumpkin has been stored for a long time. A dull or discolored area on the top of the pumpkin indicates frost damage. A pumpkin that feels heavy for its size probably has a thick skin.

Parts of a Pumpkin Activity Sheet

Younger students will enjoy the Parts of a Pumpkin Activity Sheet. Homeschool Nature Study Members can find this free worksheet in their Member Dashboard.

pumpkin activity sheet

Join Homeschool Nature Study! We offer a multitude of science activities, hands-on learning ideas, seasonal nature studies, crafts, free resources for all ages – join the #outdoorhourchallenge community and enhance your homeschool science lessons!

Stef Layton Bio

Stef started homeschooling her boys in 2008. She quickly adopted a hands-on learning homeschool style and graduated her oldest tactile learner in 2021. Then she started the Hands-On Learning column in Homeschooling Today magazine. The Laytons currently reside in the foothills of Colorado where Stef also teaches yoga. The family loves to hike trails, stand-up paddle board, and chase sunsets. Stef shares travel and homeschool tips on IG at @LaytonAdventures.

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The Complete Guide To 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.

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The Ultimate List of Nature Themed Books for Fall Homeschooling

With the changing leaves and beautiful weather upon us, this ultimate list of nature themed books for fall homeschooling is your go-to for the season!

A lovely stack of nature themed books can be great for learning in the fall months. There is so much to get excited about and learn about in nature!

With the changing leaves and beautiful weather upon us, this ultimate list of nature themed books for fall homeschooling is your go-to for the season!
Beautiful Charlotte Mason Picture Book Biography Perfect for Your Homeschool

Tips for How to Read a Nature Literature Book

Our founder, Barb McCoy, shares her tips for reading 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.

Let a Nature Book Inspire an Art Lesson

  • 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.)
This complete list of nature themed books is ideal for homeschooling in fall. Includes book lists, art lessons, activities and more!

Tips for Organizing Your Nature Books

  • Keep your nature themed books together, perhaps organizing them by topic or by season.
  • Complete a Nature Book Report (Members – in Nature Journaling course) if you would like to keep a record of your learning.

Read: A Homeschool Mom’s Best Tips for Organizing Your Nature Library – Using good nature study reference books and literature will be a huge help in nudging along the seeds of a love nature in your child. To help you find what you need when you need it, these are our best tips for organizing your nature library. As the seasons and years pass, they will dig deep into your nature library and become familiar with so many things.

Ultimate List of Nature Themed Books for Fall Homeschooling

The Handbook of Nature Study Book is the Best for Fall Nature Study

The Handbook of Nature Study book by Anna Botsford Comstock is a staple in the Outdoor Hour Challenges we share. This is a wonderful reference guide for you, the homeschool teacher to use. We show you how!

Everything You Wanted to Know About the Handbook of Nature Study – Are you looking for comprehensive, easy to use nature study resources? Have you ever seen The Handbook of Nature Study? Well, it might just be the thing for you! Come check out our reviews and resources for using this as your nature study go to!

This complete list of nature themed books is ideal for homeschooling in fall. Includes book lists, art lessons, activities and more!

Books for September and October Fall Activities

September might be devoted to apples and fall leaves; October to pumpkins, harvest and Halloween; and November to hibernation, early winter and Thanksgiving.

Ox-Cart Man Activities for Your Homeschool – These Ox-Cart Man activities are sure to bring this great book to life! Take a trip back to the 1800s with a New England farmer in the Ox-Cart Man. In a time when you wove your own clothes, whittled your own broom, and split your own shingles, this lyrical story takes you on a journey through the changing seasons.

Favorite Fall Books for Your Homeschool – books just for fun, for learning and for nature study

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World – with a free art lesson! And more apple art lessons as well.

Pumpkin Books to Celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving – This is a collection of pumpkin books to celebrate both Halloween and Thanksgiving. Spooky books, jack-o-lantern books, pumpkin patch books, recipe books and more!

This complete list of nature themed books is ideal for homeschooling in fall. Includes book lists, art lessons, activities and more!

Nature Authors to Look Up at Your Library

  • Lois Ehlert
  • Eve Bunting
  • Joyce Sidman
  • Eric Carle
  • Diane Siebert
  • Diana Hutts Aston
  • Jim Arnosky
  • Jean Craighead George

Picture Books in Nature Study: A Parent’s Guide – Picture books in nature study work well for all ages. This guide has everything you need to get started.

Favorite Nature Titles for November:

  • In November by Cynthia Rylant (Jill Kastner)
  • Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall (Barbara Cooney)
  • Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky
  • Giving Thanks by Jonathan London (Gregory Manchess)
  • Autumn Harvest by Alvin Tresselt (Roger Duvoisin)
  • Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming
  • Squirrels by Brian Wildsmith
  • The Year at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin Provensen
Rooted in Wonder: A Nature Study Resource Review

More Nature Themed Books for Your Homeschool

Rooted in Wonder: A Nature Study Resource Review – Have you seen this book yet? If not, you probably should. For all nature-loving families and families who are interested in starting nature study, this is a must-read. Eryn has taken love of God, His creation, and nature study and blended them together in a way that is truly beautiful. And, speaking of beautiful, the inside and outside of this book are designed so beautifully! It is a treat for the eyes, as well as the mind.

Favorite Nature Books for Your Homeschool Nature Studies – Nature study is one of things I adored when my children were younger. As soon as the weather broke here in NY we would be outside with notebooks, nature books, cameras, binoculars, magnifying glasses, and more! We enjoyed exploring nature trails, and gardening in our yard, drawing birds and flowers and creating nature poetry. As the years rolled on, our collection of nature books grew.

This complete list of nature themed books is ideal for homeschooling in fall. Includes book lists, art lessons, activities and more!

Beautiful Picture Book Biography of Charlotte Mason – 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.

The Ultimate List of Preschool Nature Study Books – While nothing beats experiencing nature first-hand, preschool nature study books are a vital component of our preschool nature studies. We have used both fiction and non-fiction books to introduce a topic, supplement a topic and study a topic in-depth.

Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story – Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story is a beautiful picture book biography about the author of The Handbook of Nature Study. Anna Botsford Comstock was passionate about children getting out of the classroom and into nature to learn first hand about our beautiful world.

Last Child in the Woods – we love this book for general encouragement on nature study

Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Fun Fall Outdoor Learning

Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Fun Fall Outdoor Learning

You will find hundreds of homeschool nature studies plus all the Outdoor Hour Challenges in our Homeschool Nature Study membership. There are 25+ continuing courses with matching Outdoor Hour curriculum that will bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool! In addition, there is an interactive monthly calendar with daily nature study prompt – all at your fingertips!

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership!

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

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Autumn Bird and Woodpecker Nature Study

This season plan some outdoor time to enjoy studying feathered creatures in your neighborhood. We have provided a Bird Feet Observation Worksheet to go along with your Autumn Bird Nature Study. Also you will learn more about woodpeckers. Take some time to follow the links in the archived challenge to view a variety of woodpeckers and determine which ones live in your neighborhood.

Use these resources to enjoy an autumn bird nature study. Learn more about Woodpeckers and bird feet observation worksheet.

After your outdoor time, no matter which feathered friend you found to study, follow up with the Bird Nature Study notebook page found in the  Autumn Notebook Bundle.

Autumn Bird Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study Lesson 15 (pages 70-74)

Use these resources to enjoy an autumn bird nature study. Learn more about Woodpeckers and bird feet observation worksheet.

Make sure to click the link below to read the entire Outdoor Hour Challenge with helpful links, nature study ideas, printable notebooking pages, and suggested follow-up activities.

Homeschool Natures Study Members can download the Bird Feet Observations Worksheet and the Autumn Bundle which includes many pages to incorporate fall learning all season!

Use these resources to enjoy an autumn bird nature study. Learn more about Woodpeckers and bird feet observation worksheet.
autumn bird nature study

 

Watch Live Bird Cams

If you live in a city or find it hard to observe birds, try watching live cams. Cornell Lab offers a great variety of Live Bird Cams! From ospreys, owls, condors, hawks, to regular videos at bird feeders, you can watch many different types of birds. The National Audubon Society also offers free live cams, however you do watch them on YouTube.

Paint Autumn Birds

We love when Nana paints birds! You can paint these wonderful creatures to continue your Autumn Bird Study! Be sure to read: Fall Bird Study for Your Homeschool.

Even More Bird Nature Study Opportunities!

Finding more time to admire the avians? We have a variety of helpful resources to add to your bird study. Click on one of the images below.

Join the Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

-First published by Barb September 2018. Updated August 2024 by Stef.

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Squirrel Nature Study: Activities And Lessons For Kids

squirrel Nature study

Tree squirrels are some of the most entertaining critters to inhabit our neighborhoods. This Outdoor Hour Challenge will help you and your little squirrel hunters observe local squirrels more closely as you note their behavior and features. Squirrels are not shy so you should be able to spot them and make some observations with ease. Enjoy this Squirrel Nature Study by taking along a pair of binoculars to get a closer look!

Observe squirrels in your neighborhood and enjoy the Squirrel Nature Study. Be sure to bring a long a pair of binoculars.

Squirrel Nature Study

Squirrel Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study Lesson #57

Archive Outdoor Hour Challenge – Click the link above to take you to the original challenge.

“The squirrel’s legs are short because he is essentially a climber rather than a runner; the hips are very strong, which insures his power as a jumper, and his leaps are truly remarkable.”

“The squirrel has two pairs of gnawing teeth which are very long and strong, as in all rodents, and he needs to keep busy gnawing hard things with them, or they will grow so long that he cannot use them at all and will starve to death.”

squirrel Nature study

“During the winter, the red squirrel does not remain at home except in the coldest weather, when he lies cozily with his tail wrapped around him like a fur neck-piece to keep him warm.”

Handbook of Nature Study, pages 234 and 235

Make sure to click the link below to read the entire Outdoor Hour Challenge with helpful links, nature study ideas, printable notebooking pages, and suggested follow-up activities.

Squirrel Nature Study – Handbook of Nature Study Lesson #57

Observe squirrels in your neighborhood and enjoy the Squirrel Nature Study. Be sure to bring a long a pair of binoculars.

Homeschool Nature Study Membership

It’s a great time to join Homeschool Nature Study! We offer a multitude of science activities, hands-on learning ideas, seasonal nature studies, crafts, free resources for all ages – join the #outdoorhourchallenge community and enhance your homeschool science lessons!

By Barb McCoy, founder of the Outdoor Hour Challenges with The Handbook of Nature Study. Updated and new resources added by Stef Layton.

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Autumn Pear Study: Fun Facts For Kids

When fall rolls around we usually celebrate all things apple and pumpkin, but what about pears?! Autumn Pear Study is one of the Outdoor Hour Challenges that does not specifically have a lesson in the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock. Therefore, we’re happy to share fun fruity facts!

This autumn, enjoy this pear study and fun facts. Members can download the Fruits and Vegetables Sorting Worksheet.

Pears: Fruit or Vegetable ?

Pears are a sweet buttery fruit. Generally shaped like a bell, or oval, pears have greenish colored skin some varieties are red. Pears are high in dietary fiber and can be eaten raw or baked. In the states, we are most familiar with the Bartlett Pear. This image from USA Pears with harvest times is helpful.

This autumn, enjoy this pear study and fun facts. Members can download the Fruits and Vegetables Sorting Worksheet.

Fruit or Vegetable Sorting Worksheet

The characteristics of all fruits include: developing from a flower, most fruits contain seeds, and fruits are typically sweet while vegetables are savory. Homeschool Nature Study Members can download the Fruits and Vegetables Sorting Worksheet for younger learners.

This autumn, enjoy this pear study and fun facts. Members can download the Fruits and Vegetables Sorting Worksheet.

Autumn Pear Study Fun Facts

Did you know pears date back to Ancient Greece? Homer described them as “gifts from the gods“.

Romans planted pears throughout Europe developing 50 different varieties.

Pears in the United States are grown in Washington and Oregon.

Pears are part of the rose family. The Rose family is called Rosaceae.

Pear wood is a hard, reddish, fine-grained hardwood that’s often used for making musical instruments, like the lute and guitar.

In Chinese tradition, a common remedy for chronic coughs and asthma involves steaming an Asian pear with a tablespoon of sugar.

“And a partridge in a pear tree”, We all know the first line from The Twelve Days of Christmas. The partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on the first day of Christmas. Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge, a bird that will die to protect its young.

More Fall Studies

Looking for more Fall Studies to include in your Nature Study time? Click an image below.

Homeschool Nature Study Membership

Undeniably, now is a great time to join Homeschool Nature Study! We offer a multitude of science activities, hands-on learning ideas, seasonal nature studies, crafts, free resources for all ages – join the #outdoorhourchallenge community and enhance your homeschool science lessons!

Stef Layton Bio

Stef started homeschooling her boys in 2008. She quickly adopted a hands-on learning homeschool style and graduated her oldest tactile learner in 2021. Then she started the Hands-On Learning column in Homeschooling Today magazine. The Laytons currently reside in the foothills of Colorado where Stef also teaches yoga. The family loves to hike trails, stand-up paddle board, and chase sunsets. Stef shares travel and homeschool tips on IG at @LaytonAdventures.