For years, we've taken at least one homeschool field trip each month of the school year. They have created some of our best memories and always almost supply us with wonderful learning opportunities. It may sound overwhelming to plan monthly field trips, but it's really not that hard at all when you're organized - and I'll help you get organized! Why Do We Take So Many Homeschool Field Trips? Over the past eighteen years of homeschooling, I bet our family has taken over 100 field trips. That's a lot of experiential learning! Field trips are the perfect example of hands-on, real-life learning. I love that so many of them are taught by professionals who know much more than me about ... Read More
How To Identify Rocks and Minerals During Nature Study
Why would you want to identify rocks and minerals during nature study? Heck, why would you even care to observe rocks when there are so many other things to see in nature. Rocks are boring. They're dull and colorless. Once you've seen one, you've pretty much seen them all. Be honest. You've thought some of those thoughts before, haven't you? When we first began nature study in our homeschool, I held off learning about rocks for quite some time because - well, I didn't know what in the world were we going to do with them. But I soon realized that we just hadn't quite learned how to look at them with eyes of wonder and excitement yet. I received free products and compensation ... Read More
Why Nature Study Is Powerful For Children With Special Needs
Have you ever considered the idea that special needs children may thrive through regular time spent in nature? Nature study has so many benefits beyond the obvious academics. It's hands-on, active, and loud - as much as it's detail-oriented, calm, and peaceful. It allows for fresh air, sunshine, and exercise to break into the school week. And, it can bring joy to even the worst homeschool day. These benefits are for every single person who explores. But, as Shawna Wingert shares below, they may be especially helpful for children with special needs. Please welcome Shawna. As you read her story about special needs nature study, I hope you have a couple of light bulb moments like I ... Read More
You’ll Never Look at a Nature Notebooking Pages the Same Way Again
Printable nature notebooking pages are time savers for sure. We can set off on a nature walk knowing there's at least something to do other than wandering aimlessly. We can slap those babies into a three-ring binder and have proof that the afternoon spent in the sunshine actually did count for school. But...are your nature notebooking pages really moving the dial in learning? Real learning that's more than simply drawing a picture and moving on with your day? Don't get me wrong, detailed observations and drawings in nature ARE real learning when taken seriously. I'm a huge advocate for nature journaling, in fact! If many of us are honest, though, we don't really take nature journaling ... Read More
How To Teach an Interest-Based Nature Study with NaturExplorers
Friends, it's time for another peek into the real life study of nature! In this post, you'll see how easily Amber Oliver and her children were able to explore and discover wildflowers through an interest-based nature study. I'm a big believer in letting our children have a say in their schooling once in a while. It's highly motivating for kiddos to make decisions and helps them take real ownership in the learning. Besides allowing her children to take part in the planning of which wildflower activities their family would complete, Amber was also great at incorporating lessons that support their passions and learning styles. Again, this promotes excitement in the learning ... Read More
This is What a Conifer Nature Walk Looks Like
Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall to see how other families "do" nature walks? Today is your lucky day! Heather Hall is taking us right along with her family as they go on a conifer nature walk. I love her gentle teaching style. She does an amazing job guiding the study and conversations, while also allowing her children to play and make their own discoveries. I think you're going to love tagging along with Heather and her children. I also think you'll be inspired by the end of the walk! We've been needing to get out more often. Certainly we've had homeschool co-ops and homeschool classes to attend, but those are all indoors. We've been longing to get outside. So, ... Read More
Living Chapter Books for Nature Study
I think you'll love these living chapter books for nature study. They capture the attention of readers with wonderful tales that weave storyline and nature together beautifully. From harrowing adventures to hidden gardens, many of these timeless stories have well-loved for years. They also happen to subtly encourage a love for nature and make perfect read alone or read-aloud selections for your homeschool. The books listed below are loosely in order from easier to more difficult reads. You will find some of them to be obviously "nature study-like" in essence, while others are more subtle and simply integrate plants, animals, and habitats into the stories. I hope you find some new ... Read More
Discovering Pond Habitats: How To Do Nature Study in Real Life
Have you ever been to the same nature study destination so many times that you almost forget there are always new things to discover? My friend, Tracy, and her children had visited the same ponds many times over. They never really got tired of exploring, but she found a way to refocus their attention in a simple way that led to new observations and new learning. Please welcome Tracy as she shares the most delightful post about her family's quest to learn about pond habitats. Our love of nature study began at a pond. I had my children rambling around the pond as toddlers and preschoolers, my youngest just an infant and strapped into my baby carrier. We made some fond memories ... Read More
A Day in the Life: Hands-On Nature Study at the Creek
Boy, am I excited to introduce you to Kristina Garner in this post! She and her girls enjoyed some exciting, hands-on nature study in their backyard creek recently and Kristina is sharing the experiences with all of us. I think you'll especially love to see how much they learned about creeks (and how much fun they had) in just one day of exploration per week over a 5-week period. If you'll remember, that's the nature study plan my own family has followed over the years - just once per week. But, oh, how those weeks add up in knowledge over time! Please welcome Kristina and her sweet girls - and be inspired in your own creek walks! Hands-On Nature Study is Fun I first discovered ... Read More
Yes, You CAN Do Nature Studies with Multiple Ages!
One of the best things about nature study is that it works WONDERFULLY when teaching multiple ages at once. For years, my friend, Lynna, thought that nature study might be a tad overwhelming for her large family. I asked her to give NaturExplorers a try and she agreed. I think you'll love this little peek into her experiences doing nature study with multiple ages... I have a confession to make. I’ve been a homeschool mom for eight years now, and I’ve never once done a nature study with my kids. Not once. Not even a nature walk. To be honest, I felt a little overwhelmed about making time for nature with eight kids at so many different grade levels. In my mind, “nature study” ... Read More