Tag: Autumn Seasonal Study

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Fall Leaf Activities For Kids: Nature Study For Learning And Fun

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.

“Make the lesson an investigation and make the pupils feel that they are investigators…The ‘leading thought’ embodies some of the points which should be in the teacher’s mind while giving the lesson; it should not be read or declared to the pupils…The outlines for observations herein given by no means cover all of the observations possible; they are meant to suggest to the teacher observations of her own, rather than to be followed slavishly…If the questions do not inspire the child to investigate, they are useless.”

Handbook of Nature Study, page 23

photo by Amy Law


Fall Leaf Study – Close Up Investigation

Inside Nature Study Preparation Work:

Leaf Study Outdoor Hour Time:

  • Spend your Outdoor Hour time in your own backyard or neighborhood.
  • Look at the various kinds of leaves and have your child point out several that capture their interest.
  • Choose four or five leaves to collect and bring home to look at with the magnifying lens.

Follow-Up Activity for Fall Nature Study:

  • Use the hand lens to make careful observations of your leaves. One at a time have your child describe what he sees as he looks at the leaf carefully. Record your results in your nature journal (or use the notebook page in the ebook).

Advanced and High School Leaf Studies

  • Advanced Follow-Up: Use this LINK and scroll down to the section, “Taking a Closer Look At Plant Cells”. Make your own leaf slides to look at under your microscope. Members – Use the Leaf Morphology page and the notebook page to complete your study.
  • Advanced Follow-Up: Read this article on Wikipedia: Leaf. Read this page that illustrates Leaf Margins and Shapes (love this page with the clear images).

Activities for Pressing Leaves and Leaf Nature Study

Press your leaves to add to your nature journal at a future date. You can watch my YouTube video to learn how to do this with simple household items.

Creating Leaf Prints Nature Activity

How to Make Leaf Rubbings

The Ultimate Guide to Fall Leaf Activities for Your Homeschool

Make beautiful Leaf Prints with Victoria in Homeschool Nature Study Nature Crafts course!

Fall Nature Study Crafts for Kids - Activities for Learning and Fun!

Fall Garland Craft

Autumn is in full swing with rusty leaves and seeds galore, so let us bring in some of the season’s beauty with this Autumn garland.

An Example of a Family Fall Leaf Study for All Ages

Tricia’s shares their family-style fall leaf study up close investigation!

Our leaf studies started when the first leaves started to change. We enjoyed the fall colors with a local trip to Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park. We’ve awed each week at the maple at church, watching it turn every beautiful shade from green to yellow to red.

A family-style up close study of fall leaves on homeschool field trips!

One Saturday, we traveled to the next state over to the highest point. We walked and we slowed to soak in the colors.

And earlier this week, we drove about 20 minutes down the road, where we climbed rocks as big as boats under a canopy of colors.

While we’ve been oohing and aahing this whole month at leaves, we didn’t stop to marvel closely at design until we took the Up-Close Leaf Study Challenge with The Handbook of Nature Study Outdoor Hour Challenges.

And while gorgeous leaves had gathered on the kitchen table now and then in an arrangement, Friday morning Middle Girl and I went out early for the very purpose of gathering a variety. Maple, poplar, river birch, oak leaf hydrangea, mimosa.

And while we were out, she spotted our spider.

It had just started to make a new web, using part of the pink string someone had tied.

With our notebook pages at the ready, we hit a problem. Where is the magnifying glass? We couldn’t even find the little plastic one kept in the outside playhouse. *Sigh* “I know!” Middle Girl said, “There’s an app for your iPhone. And I think it’s free.” After a quick search, we downloaded Magnifying Glass with Light and we were in business!

Looking first at a larva on the mimosa leaves…

…Then each choosing a leaf to study up close.

Matching the margins. I heard, “what is venation?” So we looked closely at the veins in each leaf, comparing.

The two youngest girls sketched their leaves up close. Love this notebook page!

Eldest boy compared four different leaves, referencing the shape & arrangement, margins and venation page. That’s when he said, while sketching each leaf…

“That’s the most fun leaf study I’ve ever done.” ~ 12-year-old

Middle Girl discovered you can turn the ‘lens’ around and look at yourself up close!

Technology and nature study.

For the record, we did find our little, plastic magnifying lens (after our study).

As a bonus, we copied some of our favorite leaf colors for our nature journals.

There are many fun art and nature journal ideas for trees and leaves listed below as well!

So many things we discovered by taking the time to look up close! Thanks to an October of beautiful fall colors and Handbook of Nature Study.

Leaf Resources for Homeschool Nature Study Members

Members have all of these leaf studies to enjoy!

  • Outline the Shape + Leaf Coloring Page
  • Leaf Masks Nature Craft Activity
  • Learning Leaf Parts
  • Fall Leaf Study Grid
  • Under the Fallen Leaves Autumn Fun
  • Fall Color Walk with Printable Color Cards
  • Learning About Leaves Outdoor Hour Challenge
  • Seasonal Tree Autumn Comparisons
  • Outdoor Mom – September and October

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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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 Nature Study Crafts for All Ages

With leaf printings, a fall garland, a pumpkin house, a fern nature journal activity and more, there is something for everyone in our Nature Crafts course.

With leaf printings, a fall garland, a pumpkin house, a fern nature journal activity and more, there is something for everyone in our Nature Crafts course.

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.

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Signs of Autumn 2017

Outdoor Hour Challenge Signs of Autumn with printable @handbookofnaturestudy

 

Original Challenge: Signs of Autumn

Updated 2017: This challenge was originally written for the first day of autumn 2010 but it can easily be done on any day and in any year. I hope you enjoy learning more about your early autumn world using the ideas and printables in this challenge.
Some signs to look for:

  • Dry grass and weeds
  • Seeds
  • Wildflowers-thistles, goldenrod
  • Birds eating at feeders or flying overhead to migrate
  • Chilly morning temperatures or dew on the grass
  • Fruit ripe on trees
  • Insects or webs
  • Nuts, acorns, or berries
  • Clouds and wind

 

Signs of Autumn Notebook Page

 

You can use the Signs of Autumn notebook page  to record your observations or you can use your own nature journal. I put together a Squidoo Lens from last year’s autumn nature/art study where you might glean some more information and inspiration this season.

Year Long Nature Study Autumn Reminders @handbookofnaturestudy

Here are some ideas from year-long nature study topics we’ve done in the past:

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Autumn Seasonal Nature Study Reminder

Year Long Nature Study Autumn Reminders @handbookofnaturestudy

Here are some ideas from year-long nature study topics we have done in the past:

I have updated and added to the autumn seasonal nature study list above. Scan through and pick one to start with this month. Then in the seasons to come, revisit the topic and make some comparisons. Our family gained a sense of time and cycles by following one particular topic through a complete year noting the changes and the way life is a series of changes that make new growth possible. I highly recommend this way of learning to all of the Outdoor Hour Challenge families.

Enjoy your autumn and put some ideas on your plan for the autumn season. If you complete a seasonal study and create a blog entry, make sure to send in the link for the OHC Blog Carnival coming up in November. Send your entries to: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com

 Yhttps://naturestudyhomeschool.com/2012/07/for-love-of-trees-year-long-tree-study.html/

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Handbook of Nature Study – October 2014 Newsletter

Handbook of Nature Study October 2014 Fall Trees Newsletter Cover

October 2014 – Fall Trees

Please read the following explanation outlining how to get this month’s newsletter.

The newsletter link is not in this email but will come separately.

If you don’t receive the separate email with the download link, you probably aren’t subscribed to the blog yet. This will take less than a minute to do if you follow the steps below.

If you are a subscriber and you haven’t received your newsletter email yet, check your SPAM inbox. Some subscribers have found the email buried in SPAM inbox.

If you need to subscribe:

  • You will need to go to the Handbook of Nature Study, look to the top right corner for the box to type in your preferred email address, and then confirm the email that comes to your email inbox.
  • Once you subscribe, you will receive a thank you email from me with the download link.

This month’s newsletter link will be available only during the month of October so be sure to download it before 10/31/14.

Remember! All of the archived and current newsletters are available as part of the Ultimate Naturalist Library…every level!  You may wish to download and use the October 2012 newsletter with additional autumn tree ideas and printables for your family.

Contents of this edition of the newsletter include:

  • 3 fall tree related articles with loads of practical ideas
  • Tree book review
  • Nature journal idea tutorial
  • Nature Study Grid and Nature Journal Topper printable ideas
  • Coloring pages!
  • Spotlight Family – The Kordishes
  • Preschool nature table ideas and printables
  • Mom’s Planning Page: Use this printable page to plan your month’s nature study. 

Please note that Ultimate Naturalist and Journey level members have access to members only printables each month in addition to the newsletter printables. You will need to log into your account and then go to the “Other Releases” section.

 

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Year-Long Study Reminders – Autumn Season

Year Long Nature Study Autumn Reminders @handbookofnaturestudy

Here are some ideas from year-long nature study topics we have done in the past:

You may wish to start a new year-long study this autumn using some of the ideas above. If you have a continuing year-long nature study project, don’t forget to put it on your calendar or you may forget to make your autumn observations. If you are using the new planning page from the newsletter, there is a box on each page to note the seasonal observations you wish to make during the month…we all need reminders!

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Field Notebook Nature Journal

Outdoor Hour Challenge
Making a Field Notebook

Use the ideas below to start your own field notebook:

You may also find this post helpful:
How To Organize Your Nature Journal Pages

Additional Activity:
Hearts and Trees Digital Camera Fall Scavenger Hunt
http://heartsandtrees.blogspot.com/2012/10/digital-camera-scavenger-hunt-free.html
Download and complete this fun and easy digital camera scavenger hunt to include in your nature journal. Hearts and Trees (my daughter Amanda) has put together a fun outdoor activity that would make a great family project this week.

You may be interested in reading this post:
Nature Study and Digital Photography

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #6. Use your time outdoors this week to collect a few things to put on your nature shelf. Start a collection of anything that interests your children. Use the accompanying notebook page to record your collection ideas. You may also want to check out the ideas in this entry: Start a Rock Collection. 

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OHC Blog Carnival
You are welcome to submit any of you blog Outdoor Hour Challenge blog entries to the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.

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November Weather Grid Observations

Have you started your November Weather Grid observations? We have continued to have warm, sunny days – last week with the afternoon temperatures in the 70’s and this week in the 60’s. It is not our typical November weather at all.

 My rain gauge has not had a drop of rain in it all month.

There were only a few clouds to observe this week and we made a point to get out and watch for awhile. I remembered to think of some words to describe them: thin, grey, fast-moving, swirly, like cotton, friendly.

The birds are returning to my feeders a little at a time and I spend some time each day looking out the window at the trees in the backyard for some bird visitors. Mr. B pointed out two Northern Flickers a few days ago…he says, “Hey Mom, there are two really colorful big birds outside my window!”

I found parts of two different butterflies in the yard when we were raking up some leaves. Have you ever tried picking up a butterfly wing? It is so very delicate and when you set it down it blows away in the slightest breeze. Amazing to look at with the magnifying lens.

One day I collected some autumn twigs, branches, and dried flowers from the garden for a “bouquet” that sits on the nature table. Nothing fancy but it makes me happy.

We have still been walking outdoors just about every day, sometimes in our neighborhood and sometimes we take the local walking trail. The trail is dry and covered in fallen leaves…so very dry. I know the rest of November may be cooler and wetter but for now the word to describe our weather is DRY or maybe WARM.

The Kona dog doesn’t mind the weather and takes advantage of the opportunity at our river walks to jump in and swim. The river is low right now so she paddles around or fetches a ball if we have one to throw in for her. The water is too cold for me but for our Labrador it is heaven.

Look for a weather related challenge this week and I look forward to seeing some of your November World observations in the up-coming Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.

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Seasonal Milkweed – Autumn Observations


Our our recent camping trip to Yosemite National Park, we made a special effort to really observe the milkweed. This was made lots easier by the fact that there was lots of milkweed in the meadow near the campground.

The real story of the Showy milkweed in the autumn is the way the pods burst open to expose all of the seeds with their silky white hairs. The brown part is the seed and the white part helps the seeds fly away from the plant.

Milkweed pods open to expose seeds @handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com

They remind me of dandelions because when you blow on the seeds they scatter to the wind. There are lots and lots of seeds in each pod. The information I read online said that the seeds are very viable and will grow in dry habitats including fields and road sides.

I think the milkweed silky haired seeds are very beautiful…look at them shimmer in the sunshine.

Original Challenge: Year Long Milkweed Study plus free printable notebook page
Our Spring Entry: Milkweed Nature Study  
Summer 2013 – Milkweed Observations

We have one more season to observe before we have seen the complete cycle of this wonderful butterfly attractive plant. I am looking forward to seeing what winter brings.

 

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Autumn Weather Study

Autumn Weather Nature Study
Outdoor Hour Challenge

Use some of the ideas in these autumn weather challenges from the past:
Seasonal Weather – Autumn 2009 -free printable notebook page
Seasonal Weather – Autumn Observations  – with links
Weather Walk – free printable notebook page
Outdoor Hour Challenge #40 Seasonal Weather Study – free printable notebook page
Seasonal Weather – photo challenge with free printable notebook page

Autumn Watercolor – Leaves, Clouds, Acorns, or Anything Else
Bring out your watercolors (or watercolor pencils or watercolor crayons) and create a page for your nature journal as part of your Autumn Weather Challenge.

Watercolor Crayons – Complete Leaf Sketch and Video
Watercolor Clouds


You can also try one of the video watercolor tutorials on my daughter’s blog:
Hearts and Trees – Watercolor and Rubbing Alcohol

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #1. If you haven’t tried any of the Getting Started suggestions yet this season, give Challenge #1 a try…super easy for every family to just take a walk together and then have a follow-up discussion and offer time for a nature journal page. Keep it light and easy. 

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OHC Blog Carnival

You are welcome to submit any of you blog Outdoor Hour Challenge blog entries to the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. Entries for the current month are due on 10/30/13.