Nature Study for Children

Down here in Texas, we can see the ground for most of the winter. In fact, all of the winter – except on the one or two days every few years when we get a rare winter snow. That makes nature study a whole lot easier and comfortable during the cooler months. I classify winter as cool.

I know for some of you up there in the ice and snow, you might be shaking your head and tightening your snuggie at the thought of venturing outdoors with the homeschool brood in January. Don’t worry, you! Those spring buds and warm breezes will be up your way soon enough.

The fact is, when the summers here swelter to over one hundred successive days of over 100 degree temperatures, nature study goes by the wayside. It is much more interesting to do your schooling indoors when your leg might melt on to the car seat.

So, that being explained, you’ll understand why the spring bug has already started to bite in our homeschool. This past week we had a few over 70 degree days… and the trees are thoroughly confused, having just recently lost their leaves for fall after Christmas. #gofigure

Spring for us is literally just around the corner.

With that in mind, I wanted to share a few great links for your nature study prep. It pays to do a little planning to help guide your adventures outdoors.

Below are four links that will bless your nature studies:

• Sprittibee’s Nature Page – links, quotes, book suggestions, nature blog list, etc. (lots of stuff here!)

• The Handbook of Nature Study – outdoor challenges (she’s our nature blog winner for 2011!)

• National Wildlife Federation’s Green Hour Challenge

and…

• Growing Up Green - a simple gardening book for children and adults

We got this little book in the mail last year. After a few years of gross garden neglect, we are planning to start using it with our raised beds in the back yard very soon. Two babies in two years is heck on a garden. Last year we were in the worst drought ever and the only thing we planted that survived was the seed from the previous year’s cilantro, which promptly popped up as soon as the temperature got low enough this fall.

I have a forest of cilantro out there right now in my yard; hence tonight’s dinner selections – Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad with Texas Caviar.

Gardening is very rewarding. Not just the edible part. Try it with your kids and you just might like it!

According to Growing Up Green, there are many virtues that children gain by working alongside adults in a garden, including self-awareness, patience, empathy, sincerity, trust, warmth, concentrated energy, and wisdom. Charles E. Majuri, Ph.D., is a horticulture therapist that uses gardening as a way to connect with kids. He believes that gardening with children builds family health, awareness, and relationship. Throughout his book you will find practical gardening advice for beginners, as well as togetherness and focus activities for your time spent with the kids outdoors. He encourages you to take notes each month as you work outside. This would make a splendid addition to your nature journaling, and we hope to make it part of ours this year!

Whatever you do, I hope you will take the Green Hour Challenge in some way – so that no child is left inside. There is so much wonder awaiting you just outside your door!

P.S. If you have some favorite nature links, please leave them here in the comments so that other homeschoolers can benefit! Join us at our <a href=”http://www.facebook.com/homeschoolpost“>Facebook</a> page, too — we’ll be discussing nature there this week!

Tagged as: activities with kids, children, garden, gardening, green, green hour challenge, green living, handbook of nature study blog, looking forward to spring, nature, nature study, nature study blog, nature study ideas, outdoor activities, relationships, spending time outdoors, spring, texas weather