After our early-autumn trip to the beach, Eli was immensely interested in beach life. When I found him poring over one of our souvenir attraction maps, I knew it was wise to capitalize on his enthusiasm. So… a quick, delight-directed ocean study began immediately. This post contains affiliate links. Interest-Based Ocean Study Rabbit Trails Sometimes, interest-based…
I love preparing for a new homeschool year. Dreaming up the perfect schedule, writing mile-long book lists, finding fun and memorable activities that I know will be loved and impactful – it all gives me butterflies, excitement, and hope. I look forward to the start of each new school year, seeing it as a chance…
Stories about talking animals have been loved for generations, but have you ever wondered why authors use them so often? In this episode of the No Sweat Nature Study Podcast, we look at the connection between storytelling, observation, and Beatrix Potter nature study. You’ll hear how careful attention to real animals helped inspire some of…
The night sky is full of incredible sights for curious nature explorers. In this episode of the No Sweat Nature Study Podcast, children learn about three amazing things you might see after dark: shooting stars, comets, and the Northern Lights. A northern lights nature study is a wonderful way to spark curiosity about the sky…
Do your children love history, or do you hit walls every time you try to teach it? I hated history as a child, mostly because the textbooks were horribly boring, the teachers were dry as a crust of day-old bread, and those long lists of dates were entirely frustrating. Given the opportunity to teach homeschool…
For years, we’ve taken at least one homeschool field trip each month of the school year. These trips have created some of our best memories and have always provided us with wonderful learning opportunities. It may sound overwhelming to plan monthly field trips, but it’s really not that hard when you’re organized. And today, I’ll…
Sometimes, funschooling is as simple as gathering in the kitchen to create easy themed treats and curling up with a giant stack of really good books. A laid-back St. Patrick’s Day like this may feel ordinary in the moment, but it just might become one of those sweet homeschool memories your children carry with them…
Waterfalls are powerful, beautiful, and impossible to ignore, but have you ever stopped to wonder why they are so loud? In this episode’s waterfall nature study, we explore the science of that deep, steady roar. From smoothly flowing streams to crashing plunges, you will discover how turbulence, trapped air, impact, and echo work together to…
I hated geography as a child. It was tedious and repetitive, and it involved a lot of looking up things like the population of a given country, which I have never cared to look up since. It wasn’t until I learned to teach geography with living books and learned right alongside my children that I…
Now that I’m a “boy-only mom” (because my daughter is in college) choosing read-aloud books requires a new consideration. Will the potential book appeal to my boys? I can’t get away any longer with reading books that have any sort of girly-girl flavor. Lucky for me, there are TONS of wonderful living books to fill…
No matter what has changed in our homeschool over the years or how old my children have grown, one thing has remained constant… read-aloud time. My children still remember so many of the books we’ve enjoyed as a family – and so do I! Whether snuggled under blankets on the couch or lounging on a…
A cube-shaped tomato is used as a simple way to introduce a GMO nature study topic in the No Sweat Nature Study Podcast. Mrs. Cindy talks about how tomatoes grow, why they are usually round, and how fruit shapes form as plants develop. The episode explains why tomatoes do not naturally grow into cube shapes…