Try an Outdoor Hour Challenge at night! With the warmer evening temperatures and longer twilight hours of summer, your family can enjoy a few nighttime nature study activities. The list below is just a taste of the opportunities you can create for learning about the natural world right in your own backyard.
More than anything else, be aware of your surroundings and use all your senses. When you can’t rely on your vision…listen, feel, and smell the nighttime in your backyard. Try to spend a few minutes just sitting quietly in the dark if your children are able and see what you notice. Even a few seconds of quiet is good for younger children.
Homeschool Nature Study Members: Download and complete the My Backyard at Night Notebook Page after your nighttime nature study.
Discover Nature at Sundown: Great Resource for Summer Nature Study
Wondering about the summer nature study book, Discover Nature at Sundown? This helpful review includes a fantastic idea (and free printable!) for families to take a nature walk in the evenings. Find out more about Discover Nature at Sundown.
A Spectacular Night Sky Nature Study for Your Summer Homeschool
Take some time this next week to get outside at night and enjoy a beautiful night sky homeschool nature study. Allow plenty of time for your eyes to adjust to the darkness and just enjoy gazing up at the heavens. Use some of these suggestions to get started with some simple night sky observations. Get your free Night Observations Printable HERE!
More Fun Summer Learning for Your Family
Summer is a perfect opportunity to mix up learning opportunities. Enjoy these summer nature studies as well:
We invite you to check out membership here at Homeschool Nature Study and Bring the Handbook of Nature Study to Life in Your Homeschool. The benefits of a membership are numerous including 26+ courses, printable curriculum and dozens of printable nature journal pages and activities.
Have a fun adventure exploring a spot close to home! Here are our best tips for nature study at a creek.
Seven tips for homeschool nature study at a creek
If it’s well-shaded, go on a hot day. It’s amazing to see the temperature drop when you start wading. God’s air-conditioning. 😉
Grab a friend or a cousin to go with you! You never know what they will find, too!
Take your time. There is always so much to see in this environment, but sometimes you have to take a little more time to look closely.
Bring along a net and a bucket to help you catch water creatures and observe them more closely.
Don’t forget to gently release the animals where you found them! (Did you see how fast that stick bug disappeared when we let him go?!)
Check the shoreline for insects and other animals that like to live near a creek.
Keep going back to the same spot every once in a while! It’s so fun to see the changing seasons in one place, and learn what you’ll find there at different times of the year.
November (or any time of year) is a lovely time to begin a year long study of a creek or brook. We hope that you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving with your friends and family. After all that preparation and fun, a gentle walk beside your local creek or brook might be in order.
Everything you need to guide you through starting a year long homeschool nature study on your local brook or stream can be found for our members in the November Outdoor Hour Challenges post. Let’s not waste anymore time, bundle up and let’s get outdoors!
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.
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.
Amy Law is wife to Jeremy, and mom to three. They homeschool using Charlotte Mason’s principles, and love to spend lots of time in nature! You can often find them hiking the beautiful trails of their beloved Tennessee hills, while Amy attempts to capture the beauty of it all with her camera lens.
Find nature studies on bees for all ages! Learn the different types of bees, visit a bee farm, play bee games, create a bee garden habitat or house and more!
An Awesome List of Nature Studies on Bees and Bumblebees
In an attempt to attract native mason bees to my garden, I purchased a mason bee house a few years ago. ( I purchased this one: Esschert Design WA02 Bee House which is my amazon.com link) It just seems to make sense to me to help support any local pollinator in my rather eclectic front yard habitat. There are plenty of bees already but lately I have been observing the insects more closely. In the past I have lumped all bees together, not really taking time to identify the various kinds of bees. Even when I took part in the Great Sunflower Project and counted bees, I really had a hard time noting the different types. If you are interested in some bee identification cards, you can find them at the Great Sunflower Project.
I am attempting to educate myself…love learning new things about the creation around me right in my own yard. So, after a little digging around, I stumbled upon some information that was new to me. I guess I always assumed that all bees lived in colonies. Wrong. There are many bees that are considered “solitary bees” and live as individuals, sometimes living next to each other but not in a hive.
Learn About the Types of Bees
Here are a few basics:
Leafcutter Bee:This bee cuts a clean bit of leaf to use in its nest. I have noticed leaves in my garden that may have been used by leafcutters and now you can be sure I will be looking even more carefully. Also, they gather pollen on their bellies and not in the pollen baskets on their hind legs.
Mason Bee:These are bees that use mud to construct their nests. They create the nest in hollow tubes like the one in my pre-made mason bee house. These bees are excellent pollinators. My research says they are out and about from May to late June or July.
Carpenter Bee: These bees make their nests in wood, usually rotting and old or damaged wood.
Tricia’s family enjoyed a backyard study of bees and investigated a carpenter bee, honey bee, paper wasp, yellow jacket and more! Checkout their Bees and Buzzy Insects Nature Study.
Learn About Bee Houses
Mason Bee House Video– interesting to watch this video showing five minutes of activity at the house.
Information on building a bee house: National Wildlife Federation. A bee house would be a wonderful addition to your wildlife habitat!
Preschool Science: Learning About Bees
As part of our farm unit study for this semester we’ve been visiting all types of farms. We recently visited a bee farm! We learned all about bees, honey and products made with beeswax! During the week we pulled out various bee books, printables, games and activities for a mini-unit on bees.
Bees are such wonderful and helpful creatures. From pollinating flowers to making honey, we could not live without them. Go ahead and explore the world of bees with your child, preschool class, daycare or homeschool co-op. Use these bee ideas as a science unit, a unit to go along with Letter of the Week or a spring-themed week. I’ve included free bee printable coloring sheets and games I’ve created for my children and local co-op class plus other fun ideas.
Learning about bees came at the perfect time for my family. I have one member who is not very fond of bees, so I figured learning more about them would help her have a healthy respect for these creatures as she learned about their importance in our ecosystem.
Honey Bee Farm Field Trip
Our Farm Field Trip group visited a large honey farm where we learned about bees from a bee keeper, tasted honey sticks, saw beeswax candles being made and even got to fill our own honey bottles.
This was a great field trip because we got to experience bees in a different way than we do in our back yard. The bee keeper was able to teach the students about bees, what to do when you are around them and why they are so important to have in our environment. He took a section of the hive and was able to show the students the honey comb, worker bees and the queen. He shared why he had to use the “smoker” while handling the bees (it throws off their communication.) And don’t worry— he was in a screened in tent with the bees while we watched from the outside. 🙂
Picking Up Pollen Bee Game
Supplies:
bouncy balls, ping pong balls or pom poms
bags
several small bowls
Bee Game Directions:
Flowers have pollen and that is just what bees love to collect. Set out several “flowers” with pollen (bowls, trays etc. filled with balls or pom poms) around the room.
Give each child a bag. Have them step into the handle so it is on one leg and place the other handle on their arm. This represents the sacks on the back of a bee’s leg that holds the pollen . (If that’s too difficult for the child, let them put it on their arm). Have the children collect the pollen and bring back to the hive (select a place to be the hive like a big tub to place all the “pollen”).
Female bees have a structure on their legs that no other insects, including wasps, have: a pollen basket. The basket is made of rows of stiff hairs that arch to form a hollow space on the outside of the bees’ legs, usually her back legs. When a bee visits a flower, she combs grains of pollen into her baskets. Pollen from the flower also sticks to the bee’s hair.
We have some toddler/preschool bee-themed printables by Maureen Spell in Homeschool Nature Study Membership! Members, log in and go to your Preschool Course to find a bee number count and a bee color match printable.
Our sister site, You ARE an ARTiST, has a variety of bee art lessons to enjoy! Including a fun, Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree art lesson.
Making a Bee Habitat
I have talked before here on the blog and in my newsletter about creating a wildlife habitat in your yard. This is something that has brought such joy to our family and I highly recommend getting started even if it is in a small way like hanging a mason bee house.
In homeschool nature study membership, find Outdoor Hour Challenges on bees, yellow jackets and mud daubers. Join us for even more homeschool nature studies for all the seasons! With a nature study plan for each week, you will have joyful learning leading all the way through the homeschool year for all your ages!
Take advantage of August and enjoy summer nature walks with these ideas! Taking nature walks can be as simple as putting on your shoes and heading out the door, letting nature inspire what you do and what you study. Or, you can have a few ideas in mind before you head out the door.
August Summer Walk Ideas and Nature Study Activities
Simply take a nature walk at a nearby meadow or stream. Pick a theme for the walk such as insects, birds, trees, flowers, etc. Then have everyone make observations within that theme.
In my experience, having a focus during a walk makes it much more enjoyable for everyone. Each person can use their eyes and senses to look for items within the theme and then share them with the group.
One person can be the designated photographer and take photos of things of interest. Or, take along your nature journal and make a record of your sightings as you go along.
Late Summer Nature Study Ideas
I realized over time that we didn’t need to travel far to find places to go on short notice or even for a half day’s hike. I loved being able to roll out of bed, decide to go on a hike, and be out the door in a short period of time. So, how did I overcome the dilemma of finding places to hike near our home? Read More about Finding Hikes Near Home
Taking a Nature Walk – The idea of taking a nature walk is nothing new. However, the need for nature walks has never been more evident in our increasingly indoor, sedentary lives. Childhood used to be times of exploring outdoors for hours at a time, but in today’s world few children have the circumstances or incentive to get outside on their own. This is where involved parents can be of such value.
“Time in nature is not leisure time; it’s an essential investment in our children’s health (and also, by the way, in our own).”
Be sure to fit in some sweet, nighttime summer nature studies. Find an Ultimate Guide to Nighttime Summer Nature Studies HERE.
August Nature Study Plans with the Outdoor Hour Challenges
Each year we have a new focus with The Handbook of Nature Study curriculum plans. Here is a sampling of topics from this year and others:
Queen Anne’s lace
Crickets/Grasshoppers
Evening Primrose
Raccoons/skunks
Pressing flowers
Drawing flowers
Learning leaf parts
Looking for pollen
Night sky
Nature journaling
Nature study with art and music appreciation
You can choose from these topics and any in all of our Handbook of Nature Study courses! You can follow our plan or choose topics that match your current studies. Our nature studies complement the lovely learning in your homeschool!
Look Ahead with Fall Homeschool Nature Study Activities
Enjoy a last days of summer homeschool nature study free notebook page. Let’s soak up these last sunny and glorious days, have fun and make memories together as a family. Get your FREE notebook page/Scavenger Hunt HERE. (Homeschool Nature Study members already have this page in your Summer Outdoor Hour Curriculum course. Not yet a member? You can download the notebook page and sample the Outdoor Hour Challenges!)
The Ultimate Guide to Fall Homeschool Nature Study In Your Own Backyard – 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.
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
Seasonal Favorites: apples, pumpkins, bats, turkeys and more!
The Outdoor Hour Challenges Bring The Handbook of Nature Study to Life in Your Homeschool!
For even more homeschool nature study ideas for all seasons, join us in Homeschool Nature Study membership! You’ll receive new ideas each and every week that require little or no prep – all bringing the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool!
Backyard Camping with The Great American Backyard Campout
Each year, The National Wildlife Federation sponsors the Great American Backyard Campout and you are invited. From their website,”Spend the night under the stars with National Wildlife Federation and take your family’s first step into a lifetime filled with healthy, outdoor fun.”
If you have been reluctant to try camping, this is an easy way to test it out with your family closer to home. You may just end up liking it! Who knows where you will take your tent next?
I know that sleeping outdoors can seem scary and unfamiliar but overcoming the fear of being outside at night is worth the effort. You will realize there are some amazing things going on between sunset and sunrise right in your own backyard!
Combine nature study with an overnight backyard campout and you will build family memories that last a lifetime.
Nature Study Ideas from the Outdoor Hour Challenge for Backyard Camping Fun
Stars and Moon (winter study you can adapt – Winter Curriculum)
Sounds (Summer Curriculum)
Night Blooming Flowers (Summer Curriculum)
Pick a challenge, read the pages in the Handbook of Nature Study, and then look for an opportunity to apply what you learned. Keep it fun and always, always, always follow your child’s lead if they find something they are interested in. You can follow up with a library book or a Google search in the morning.
Bring a few art supplies outdoors and your nature journal so you are prepared if you find something of interest. If you have a nature related storybook or a favorite outdoor adventure book, bring it out for some after dark reading with a flashlight.
More than anything else, be aware of your surroundings and use all your senses, when you can’t rely on your vision…listen, feel, and smell the nighttime in your backyard. Try to spend a few minutes just sitting quietly in the dark if your children are able and see what you notice. Even a few seconds of quiet is good for younger children.
Summer Nature Study with Homeschool Nature Study Membership
Join us for even more homeschool nature studies for all the seasons! With a new nature study each week, you will have joyful learning leading all the way through the homeschool year for all your ages!
What a joyous time to enjoy the outdoors at a slow and delightful pace! These July activities for summer nature study are packed full of fun ideas for your family. Don’t miss the July nature craft and the Outdoor Mom for members!
Our homeschool nature study curriculum for summer is inspired by the wonderful nature book, Discover Nature at Sundown. Find out more about this lovely resource and enjoy a free Sunset Nature Walk printable!
More Summer Nature Study Activities
If it is too hot and humid for outdoor study, try these helpful tips! Too many mosquitoes? (We are learning about mosquitoes too!) Our Homeschool Nature Study members have a monthly Nature Study Calendar at their fingertips. Each day has a new nature study prompt! Learn and have fun while it is hot outside.
FUN Summer Nature Study Photo Challenge! Enjoy a fun summer nature study photo challenge plus first day of summer ideas! I don’t know about you but I’m so very ready for the summer season! The most noticeable change is the amount of daylight. The sun is up early and it lingers in the evenings.
Take an Early Morning Hike – enjoy these tips and inspiration for getting outside in the cool of the day!
Study Nature as You Travel This Summer – If you are planning a trip to a natural area to enjoy the outdoors, you may want to include nature study for your summer travel plans. Implement some of the ideas below to enhance your outdoor time.
Last Child in the Woods – Encouragement for Homeschool Parents – A book can transform your thinking completely or it can validate what you have experienced in your own life. Some books do both, like Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. This is a must read book for all homeschool families who are endeavoring to expose their children to the natural world on a regular basis.
A Spectacular Night Sky Nature Study for Your Summer Homeschool
Take some time this next week to get outside at night and enjoy a beautiful night sky homeschool nature study. Allow plenty of time for your eyes to adjust to the darkness and just enjoy gazing up at the heavens. Use some of these suggestions to get started with some simple night sky observations. Get your free Night Observations Printable HERE!
July Flower Craft Activity for Kids
Victoria shares, “Summer is in full swing with our gardens bursting with colour, so these flower tapestries are a brilliant way to celebrate the new blooms. With only a hand full of supplies you can capture summers bounty in a unique and artful way; using these tapestries to decorate your home or flowerpots outside.”
The Outdoor Mom Encouragement and Nature Study Prompts
Shirley shares, “For children summer seems to last forever. The days are long, lessons are over until the fall and there is so much to do and enjoy. One could be forgiven for thinking that we have endless time to enjoy these long, hot days. However, as adults we know that this is not the case. In fact, time seems to rush by the older one gets!
In this post I hope to encourage you to make the most of July and to take every opportunity to live each of its days with joy, peace and purpose.”
Enjoy ideas for the creative outdoor mom using lavender and making gifts, visiting a pick your own fruit farm, lovely recipes for your picked fruit, July nature journal and outdoor prompts and more!
Enjoy an Outdoor Homeschool This Year!
The Joy of Nature Study for Your Homeschool Year – We are excited to announce several fun resources that will make is easy for you to add the joy of nature study for your homeschool year! “Make this a time to learn a little something new about your world. Finding time for these challenges will help this season be one that your child will not only learn something new but make special memories for a lifetime.” – Barbara McCoy (founder of The Outdoor Hour Challenges)
Fireflies are fascinating! In this study, learn if there is a pattern to the light flashing. Enjoy an up close fireflies and moths summer nature study.
Train Your Sensesfor Night Time Nature Study
Sight: In the evenings, look for moths around outdoor lights. Look for the feathery antennae, the wings, and the eyes of the moth. Look for fireflies if they live in your area, noting their flight patterns and their light flashes.
Touch: If you have the opportunity, carefully feel the wings of a moth.
Inside Nature Study Preparation:
1. Read in the Handbook of Nature Study pages 367 to 369 (Lesson 90) for fireflies and pages 310 to 329 (Lessons 72-76) for information about moths. 2. Read in Discover Nature at Sundown pages 93 to 114 for lots of wonderful information and suggestions for activities to study your local moths. Also, read pages 116 to 127 to learn more about fireflies and suggestions for their study.
Fireflies Homeschool Nature StudyOutdoor Hour Time
“After the outdoor observations have been made, collect some of these beetles in the evening with a sweep net; place them under a glass jar or tumbler, so that their light can be studied at close range.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 368
For the full fireflies homeschool nature study, log in to your member area and go to your Summer Course. Includes Outdoor Hour suggestions, notebooking pages and a poem by Robert Frost!
Moths Homeschool Nature StudyOutdoor Hour Time
Looking for moths to observe will mean another evening time study. Turn on a light outside or use a flashlight or lantern. Most moths are attracted to light so you should have some success if you are patient. Make sure to look on walls and plants near the light for moths. Moths are also night flower pollinators so look in your garden as well.
Here is a website for further tips: How to Start Mothing. You can collect a few moths in a jar and look at them with a hand lens before releasing them.
Follow-Up Fireflies and Moths Activity:
The Handbook of Nature Study suggests making watercolor drawings of moths. If you have a real life specimen it will be a great way to encourage close observation. You can also use reference photos for moths you observed in your Outdoor Hour Time (do a quick Google image search).
More Night Time Homeschool Nature Study
The Ultimate Guide to Night Time Nature Study – Try an Outdoor Hour Challenge at night! With the warmer evening temperatures and longer twilight hours of summer, your family can enjoy a few nighttime nature study activities. The list below is just a taste of the opportunities you can create for learning about the natural world right in your own backyard.
Wondering about the summer nature study book, Discover Nature at Sundown? This helpful review includes a fantastic idea (and free printable!) for families to take a nature walk in the evenings. Find out more about Discover Nature at Sundown.
Take some time this next week to get outside at night and enjoy a beautiful night sky homeschool nature study. Allow plenty of time for your eyes to adjust to the darkness and just enjoy gazing up at the heavens. Use some of these suggestions to get started with some simple night sky observations. Get your free Night Observations Printable HERE!
Year Round Nature Based Homeschooling
We invite you to check out membership here at Homeschool Nature Study and Bring the Handbook of Nature Study to Life in Your Homeschool. The benefits of a membership are numerous including 26+ courses, printable curriculum and dozens of printable nature journal pages and activities.
This guide has everything you need for camping activities for kids. Includes ideas for preschool through high school.
Family Camping Activities for All Ages
You might want to start with the super simple ideas in our Backyard Camping: Fun for the Whole Family! If you have been reluctant to try camping, this is an easy way to test it out with your family closer to home. You may just end up liking it! Who knows where you will take your tent next? Make memories together that will last a lifetime.
S’mores are another natural start to family camping activities. Roasting marshmallows around the campfire is an experience we all need to check off our summer bucket list. Find an easy s’mores recipe here.
One fun family camping activity for kids is to plan a picnic! Even a snack in your backyard will make for a fun time together outdoors. You will be surprised at all you notice while you are outside.
Keeping your running Calendar of Firsts updated – mark the first campfire of the season and any other camping discoveries in your nature journal.
If you are camping towards the end of summer, you might enjoy this fun Last Days of Summer printable and have fun checking off the items!
Of course, camping in the backyard is fun but here are some ideas for nature study while you travel for your camping adventures.
You might want to take along the book, Last Child in the Woods, to read while you are camping!
And if you’d like to skip the mosquitoes all together, consider Online Summer Art Camp with our sister site, You ARE an ARTiST, for some really fun activities including a treasure map, a camp song, your own backyard tent site and campfire.
The Curriculum Choice also has a great round up of summer camp fun for your family.
Enjoy a family homeschool river study finding crawdads and crayfish!
Have a creek near by? What a great way to make memories together. This study is part of Homeschool Nature Study membership and is so much fun!
Camping Activities For Kids: Toddlers and Preschoolers
This summer, many families will be joining the Great American Backyard Campout. In honor of that event, I thought I’d share some toddler and preschool camping activities you can do camping at a camp ground or in your own backyard. Here are five toddler and preschool camping activities to keep your kids exploring and entertained:
Even my 19mo. old was able to join in our treasure quest. She was quite proud of all the rocks she found.
1. Nature Walks and Nature Treasure Hunts
Sometimes we use our printable Nature I Spy cards when on our hikes, or we have a certain object that is the “treasure” of the walk that we must find. On this particular walk we were looking for rock and sea shell treasures (Be sure to know the rules of the campground and whether or not you can remove items found in nature.) Find printable Nature I Spy cards in Homeschool Nature Study membership.
My 3yr. old was thrilled whenever she found a shell. It’s not every day that we find shells in the Midwest.
2. Nature Crafts: Create Nature Sculptures
Now I had a specific purpose in mind when we went on our various treasure hunts. We were going to use these nature treasure to make nature sculptures.
I made a batch of lavender playdough ahead of time and brought it with. The girls used this to make various sculptures and imprints of the objects they had collected on our nature walks. For the lavender playdough recipe, check out Sun Hats & Wellies post on making natural nature playdough.
3. Outdoor Games For Kids: Rock Memory Game
My 19mo. old was so good at collecting rocks that we had enough to make our own rock memory game!
I just used a Sharpie marker to make simple designs on the rocks and flipped them over for an easy game of memory!
4. Bandana Bingo
I found these Bandana Bingo games a few years ago and love how easy they are to carry along on a hike or camping. We own Bug Bingo, but there are other boards available. This is fun to play in teams and see who can find the most items on the grid.
5. Camping Clipboards
Each of my children have their own clipboard (afflink) that stores paper and pencils. I fill these clipboards with blank paper, some printed activities such as the nocturnal animals sort, and a couple of pencils. Sometimes they draw their nature treasures, do tree bark rubbings, or just doodle. They love their clipboards and I’m thankful for a quiet sitting activity that they can do.
Camping Activities for Older Children
Oregon Camping – some beautiful tidal pools, beach and trees to explore!
Homeschool Nature Study Printables for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Do you like the idea of involving young children in nature study but not sure how to start? Do you need a little help being intentional with your nature studies? Nature Study Printables is full of printable tools for you to use to get young children observing and talking about nature!
Nature Study Printables for Toddlers and Preschoolers is a 60+ page eBook included in Homeschool Nature Study Membership containing all of our toddler and preschool nature study printables plus 20 exclusive pages available only in this book! Use these tools alongside Homeschool Nature Study Preschool Curriculum to help informally introduce young children to the natural world around them.
Homeschool Nature Study Membership
Join us for even more homeschool nature studies for all the seasons! With a new nature study each week, you will have joyful learning leading all the way through the homeschool year for all your ages!
Do you have any family camping or camping with toddlers and preschoolers tips? Will you be doing a backyard campout this year?
By Maureen Spell, a long-time contributor to the Outdoor Hour Challenges.Maureen helps Christian mompreneurs operate their business from a place of joy, purpose, and excellence because they are clear on how their business is serving their family and others. As a homeschool mom, she believes success at home AND business without the mom-guilt, stress and burn-out is possible! Outside of work, she loves having good conversations over a hot chai or GT Gingerberry kombucha and spending time with her husband and seven children. Visit her at MaureenSpell.com
Wondering how to enjoy homeschool nature study the gentle way? Here are some simple steps to get you started. No special equipment needed!
I don’t look at outdoor time and nature study as one more homeschool subject I need to plan and be ready for, I just let it unfold. If your children want to learn more about something they find while outdoors, gradually teach them to look things up for themselves in a good field guide or on your next trip to the library.
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 has become acquainted with 12 trees, they are far better off than many of us.
Homeschool Nature Study the Gentle Way
My suggestion: Study one tree, one bird, and one insect per school year.
How to Enjoy Homeschool Nature Study in Simple Steps
Find one tree in your yard that you can study for a whole term.
Find out what kind of tree it is.
Make rubbings of the leaves and bark.
Does it drop its leaves or does it stay green year round?
Does it have any birds in it? Any insect holes? Hollows for critters?
Can you climb up into it and see what the view is?
Can you lay under your tree and watch the branches move in the breeze?
Does it have blossoms, fruit, cones, seeds, or other objects to study?
Do you see a nest in the tree?
Is the trunk straight, crooked, twisted, rough, or smooth?
Do the leaves or needles smell good? How about the bark?
Watch and observe and narrate one thing at a time you will find that it is really not so hard. If you feel like recording the experience, put something on paper.
Nature study the gentle way. Slowly, gradually, gently….it works.
Nature Study in Your Own Backyard – Studying One Tree
So I decided to follow my own advice and I went out and found a tree in my yard that I was interested in learning about. Turns out that after examining the leaves and the trunk of the tree, I discovered my tree is an Interior Live Oak. I know there are several varieties of oaks in my yard but I have never taken the time to identify them as any particular oak. My oak has leaves with pointy edges and they are glossy on both sides. It also has pointy acorns.
While I was examining the trunk I discovered that one side of it has *lots* of woodpecker holes drilled into it. I have walked by this particular tree hundreds of times but have failed to notice the holes. Amazing….now I will on the watch to see if I can see the woodpecker that makes the holes.
I used a tree identification guide and my new tree field guide to help me. This whole process, including taking the photos, only took a few minutes. I plan on watching my oak to see if there are any other things that I can learn about it.
So you can enjoy nature study the gentle way, the Getting Started ebook is available in every level of membership here on Homeschool Nature Study.
“One afternoon a week, the students in our ‘Practicing School’ [taught by the student teachers at Charlotte Mason’s teacher’s college] go for a ‘nature walk’ with their teacher. They notice things by themselves, and the teacher tells them the name or gives other information only if they ask for it.”
“The teachers are careful not to turn these nature walks into an opportunity to give science lessons, because they want the children’s attention to be focused on their own observations.”
“They’re allowed to notice things with very little direction from the teacher. By doing this, children accumulate a good collection of ‘common knowledge.’ ”
Homeschool Nature Study in Your Own Backyard – 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.
5 Getting Started in Nature Study Tips – What a delight nature study learning is and what joys you will discover outside your back door. We will help you with simple encouragement along the way.
June Nature Study Activities
Cicada Nature Study – This cicada homeschool nature study will be a lesson in learning to listen and distinguish the sound of the cicada. In the past we’ve listened in the evenings for other insects like the cricket. Now we’re going to learn about the cicada by listening and observing like investigators during the daylight.
Day Hikes Near Home – I realized over time that we didn’t need to travel far to find places to go on short notice or even for a half day’s hike. I loved being able to roll out of bed, decide to go on a hike, and be out the door in a short period of time. So, how did I overcome the dilemma of finding places to hike near our home?
Study Nature as You Travel This Summer – If you are planning a trip to a natural area to enjoy the outdoors, you may want to include nature study for your summer travel plans. Implement some of the ideas below to enhance your outdoor time.
FUN Summer Nature Study Photo Challenge! Enjoy a fun summer nature study photo challenge plus first day of summer ideas! I don’t know about you but I’m so very ready for the summer season! The most noticeable change is the amount of daylight. The sun is up early and it lingers in the evenings.
Beautiful Lupine Wildflower Nature Study – Enjoy a beautiful lupine wildflower nature study for your homeschool! Don’t miss the free lupine resource download and the free event!
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.
For even more homeschool nature study ideas, join us in Homeschool Nature Study membership! You’ll receive new ideas each and every week that require little or no prep – all bringing the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool!
Enjoy all of these and more in homeschool nature study membership:
Victoria shares this really fun nature craft! “Summer is nearly upon us but the odd rain shower still hangs around, so now is the best time to make these little nature boats. Float them on a puddle after a summer rainfall, send them drifting across a pond or sailing down stream. these little nature boats will bring copious amounts of joy to a summers day.”
How to Make a Dandelion Crown Nature Craft
We are weeks away from Summer and the hedgerows and fields are glowing with dandelions, so now is the time to make dandelion crowns. One of the best uses for dandelions (there are MANY) is to create bright golden crowns to adorn our heads.
The Outdoor Homeschool Mom in June
This June, be encouraged by Shirley with all of her lovely Outdoor Mom prompts! Shirley shares, “So this summer I want to encourage you to take lots of walks. Eat lots of picnics outdoors. Take your shoes off and paddle in cool streams with your children. Lie down in flower-filled meadows looking up at the blue skies and find shapes in the clouds. Take time to plan a long, slow, purposeful summer with your families.”
