Posted by Cindy on December 12, 2011
You’ve asked for a long time, and it’s finally here – a nature study curriculum for 2-5 year olds!
I’m so excited to release the first of four seasonal studies for preschoolers and kindergarteners! In Nature by the Season: Winter, enjoy over 40 nature study activities designed specifically to engage little ones. Perfectly suitable for little hands, active bodies and bright minds, each nature study includes indoor follow-up ideas to keep the excitement and learning going strong.
Visit Shining Dawn Books to learn more and view a sample. Facebook friends are enjoying a code to purchase the e-book for only $4.95!
Posted by Cindy on October 1, 2011
Eli is our nature treasure hunter. While the rest of us set out on our nature walks with high hopes to stumble upon something great, it’s often Eli (the preschooler) who finds the most greatness. He loves nature walks and finds great joy in his keen sense of discovering things that make the rest of us “ooh” and “aah”. I think it helps, too, that he’s closer to the ground than the rest of us! At any rate, it blesses me beyond measure to see his excitement in exploring God’s wonderful creation. Some of his recent finds…
Asiatic Dayflower. When open, Eli thinks it looks like a dragon. I think he's right.
Caterpillar Egg Casings
Can you see the hair-like fungus growing on the tomato?
Eli finds all sorts of fungi. This one is a tiny bracket fungus.
A beautiful spider web catching the sun.
A "furry" acorn growing on a white oak tree.
Do you see the caterpillar hanging out inside the morning glory bloom?
Don’t underestimate your preschoolers and their abilities! Their greatness might surprise you!
Posted by Cindy on July 19, 2011
One theme Melissa and I have noticed several times in questions is whether or not our units are appropriate for the younger crowd five and under. While 1st through 8th graders were our target audience, we didn’t leave out the little ones! (Or the bigger ones for that matter.)
In each unit, there’s a section written specifically for little ones with ideas for sensory skills, motor skills, broadening vocabulary skills and several hands-on explorations. There are also fun crafts, cooking and dramatic play ideas for little hands.
At the same time, most of the outdoor activities in the main section of the units can be used with young children, too!
Here are a few examples of how my two-year-old son has tagged along during our recent nature studies. And maybe I shouldn’t even use the words “tagged along” because he was learning just as much as us on his own level!
He's probably more serious about finding things in nature than his big brother and sister!
Throwing and hitting help him learn about the world around him.
We touch a lot of things and I use descriptive words.
I never force nature on him, I let him make his own discoveries - and his finds are often better than mine!
I always let him take part in what the big kids are doing if he wants.
God reveals Himself through nature to our little ones as well as us! Don’t leave little guys and gals out!
Posted by Cindy on
When it’s a bit too cold for little ones to be outside learning about snow, bring the snow inside! A simple box of snow is a great form of indoor snow study – and it’s LOTS of fun! (Oh, and it keeps preschoolers busy for a REALLY long time. WooHoo!)
This is just one of many ideas found in our Snow and Ice NaturExplorers unit! We’re expecting more snow in KY this weekend and Eli’s already asking if we can bring “thome thnow in to pway wiff.” 
Posted by Cindy on
It’s been a very rainy spring in Kentucky, making for lots of rain related nature study. One morning soon after breakfast, and soon after the passing of a storm, my littlest guy and I headed out to find raindrops on plants. (His idea.)
Here are some of the simple (preschool) lessons we learned on our walk…
Large, flat leaves hold pools of water.
Long, skinny leaves hold dainty droplets in rows.
Leaves shaped like a bowl hold lots of water.
Mud is a great place to find animal prints.
Puddles are fun to play in - even in your pajamas.
