Spring Nature Studies

Being able to spend LOTS of time is nature is one of my FAVORITE parts of Homeschooling. Nature studies are a BIG part of Samantha's learning in the Spring/Summer months. (I would like to find more to do in the winter, but Spring and Summer are so BURSTING with life, that we just can't help but be outside.)

Here are some things we would like to do this Spring/Summer:

1. We will continue to explore outside and draw in her nature journal. I am hoping this year to take a closer look at a spider web since Sam is a lot more careful than she used to be.

2. Nature Art. Samantha Loves making nature art out of sticks, rocks, leaves , acorns and anything else she can find in our yard. Sometimes she will make "nests." Other times she will make different shapes or animals.

3. We will go to the creek and do habitat studies. (One of my favorites. We tried when she was younger, but this year she will be older and better able to understand.) We could even do land habitat studies.

4. Make nature water bottles.

5. Plant a Butterfly Garden. Learn more about picking the appropriate plants, caring for them, and give her a refresher on the life cycle of a butterfly.

6. Expand her current and earlier unit studies by observing butterflies more closely. And the crazy summer weather!

7. Camping and Beach Exploration (We spend many of our weekends in the warmer months camping and going to the beach. There are endless possibilities from shells, sand, water to dirt, trees, plants, fire, etc. We could even stretch it further and show her the link between these things and the weather, like sand and lightening!)

8. I would also like for us to make a bird feeder and observe the birds.

9. Cloud watch and look at the stars.

10. Use instruments such as a magnifying class to get a closer look at nature. Or a compass to find out way around, instead of a GPS!

11. Observe the ants! (One of our favorites.)

12. Take a close look at a tree or other plants, talk more in depth about the moss and bark, roots, limbs, and leaves.


I am not sure what else we will do yet, but we are really looking forward to the warmer months. So much learning to be done!