Exploring Nature with Children
Exploring Nature with Children is one of the simplest ways to include nature study in your homeschool.
I’ve mentioned before that one of my favorite things about Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy is her emphasis on nature study.
Children are naturally drawn to nature. They love to examine insects and birds and flowers. They love to ask questions and to find out “why.”
Some of my happiest memories from 20+ years of motherhood revolve around time spent outside with my kids.
Reading outside together on a quilt, collecting wildflowers in a field, and playing together in the creek are just a few memories that come to mind.
We’ve studied baby birds, nests, butterflies, turtles, frogs, and anything else we happened upon.
Not everything has been rosy, however.
There have been times (especially when everyone was little) that I was just too tired to plan anything.
Sometimes nature study didn’t happen even though I wanted it to.
What I needed was a simple nature study plan that would easily fit into our days and not require too much preparation from me.
Exploring Nature with Children
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Exploring Nature with Children is just what I was looking for back then when my children were all young.
It truly makes nature study doable for busy moms!
All you really need is the Exploring Nature with Children Guide, since it’s self-contained.
The Handbook of Nature Study and a few other basic supplies (I list some of our favorites here) are useful but totally optional.
Additional optional resources pictured above:
- artist’s sketchbook
- Nature Anatomy
- bug cage
- lighted pocket microscope
- The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling
Exploring Nature with Children is a year-long nature study curriculum that includes 48 weeks of nature study lessons organized by season.
Each week is totally laid out for you, with book suggestions, themed nature walk activities, and helpful information.
There is also a poem and a piece of related artwork to study.
Exploring Nature with Children includes page numbers from the Handbook of Nature Study that correspond to the weekly lesson.
That makes it so simple! All of the work has been done for you. Just go out and enjoy nature with your kids!
This is such a helpful resource for homeschool moms. We’ll be using it for years to come.
If you’re looking for a simple, open-and-go nature study resource, be sure to check out Exploring Nature with Children.
For more homeschool nature study, see Charlotte Mason Nature Study
Related: Homeschool Room Tour with Farmhouse Style Updates
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Hi Joy, I tried purchasing the curriculum and the coupon code is invalid.
Yes, I apologize, that code has expired.
I did this a lot with the kids over the years! Such great times and memories! It is very important to get them outside. Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
It does create so many great memories!
This looks fun for all ages! Do you think the lessons would still work in the AZ desert? I may need to take a little drive to explore the different seasons.
Yes, the lessons would still work, but some of them might need to be adjusted a bit for your location. The author is from England, so I sometimes have to make adjustments to the timing of the lessons for our location, but it still works. And some of the lessons aren’t dependent on major seasonal changes. For example, one of the lessons for September is to study the Harvest Moon, which would be possible anywhere. Another lesson in June instructs you to take your child to a museum (aquarium, planetarium, etc.) for your nature walk. Hope this helps!
I think I’m going to purchase this for next year. I missed the sale, but it looks like a great resource. I’ve always wanted to do a nature study with my girls, but it was too overwhelming. It looks like this book makes it easy. Thank you for sharing with us at #LiveLifeWell
It really is so helpful!
I love this. We spend a lot of time outside, but I need to be more deliberate with having the kids keep nature notebooks.
Thank you for sharing on the Homestead Blog Hop.
Thanks, Bonnie! It’s such a helpful resource.
What a wonderful resource! I have always wanted to do a nature study with my son but felt like they were all so much work on my part. This is perfect!
Thank you!
And thanks for linking up @LiveLifeWell!
Blessings,
Amy
We really love it! Hope you have a great weekend, Amy!
You as well!
Just wanted to let you know that I am featuring this post for our Live Life Well link up this week!!
Blessings,
Amy
Thanks so much for the feature, Amy!
I loved using the Handbook of Nature Study with my kids–and I just can’t part with it, hoping my grandchildren will enjoy it too! So much beauty to appreciate and learn from!
I love that you’re planning to do nature study with your grandchildren!
Nature Journaling was one of those things that I was so intimidated by when I first read about it. But I was so intrigued by the simplicity of it, that we began to implement it little by little. Now it has become my favorite “school” subject and one of my favorite ways to spend time with my children! I plan to teach a Nature Journaling class at our co-op this year, so some of the resources you have listed here will be going on my school “wishlist”. Thanks so much for the ideas!
Thanks for sharing, Tara! So glad the ideas were helpful!
Studying nature with kids makes everything seem new and interesting again, doesn’t it? My kids are grown, but I get opportunities with grandchildren.
Yes, I agree! How fun that you’re able to enjoy it now with your grandchildren!