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Do any of you do nature studies and walks along with HOD? How do you incorporate it into your regular school days? I really want to do this along with HOD, but not sure when to do this or how.

Thanks so much,
LeAnna

well, we don't do "studies" but we do go on nature walks as we are surrounded by woods on 3 sides so LOTS of stuff to 'hunt'. we usually tie it into our science portion, but when we were in creation we were also able to tie in nature. but then again, we also use it with history as well as we tend to pull our stories directly from the Bible so we talk about what ever is in that particular bible story and do we have that here? or what can we find that is similar, etc. there are a ton of bugs here in East TX, and even more creepy crawly things! So we always get to talk about those and be on the lookout for them. A lady from church gave us a box with a bunch of different feathers from various birds to use as a game to identify them. She used to be a school teacher YEARS ago(in her 90's) and she also gave us a book she made and other boxes with different insects dried and mounted on rocks. used them in our study on the plagues.

But my kids favorite is to decorate our house with their nature findings! instead of plants and pretty flowers(except in the spring) we have twigs, rocks, pine cones, and tons of branches with leaves in vases around the house!(i do discard the non-mounted bugs and the buckets of dirt they insist on trying to bring in!)

I read a mom's suggestion recently to do your nature studies during the summer when you are off from school, the weather is nice, and there is lots happening in nature! This is an excellent idea for us, since where we live it is pretty cold most of the "school year."

For nature study during the school year, I have recently borrowed the idea of a "nature table." You basically collect things from nature and bring them in and display them somewhere, changing it seasonally. We are using the built-in buffet in the dining room where we school. Right now it has a white Christmas drape over Christmas lights which lights it up at night, a bundle of dormant twigs, some bunches of pine, pine cones, and a mirror rubbed with soap to make it look like ice. The autumn table was very interesting with all sorts of seed pods. I'm hoping to find an abandoned birds' nest for spring, and maybe force some pussy willows or something.

Another of our finds for studying nature indoors is a loupe, a jeweler's magnifying glass that you hold right up to your eye. It opens a whole new perspective on nature (and other things). A pine needle, a fingerprint, an orange peel become simply fascinating.

LeAnna,

I love the nature study aspect of CM, and we've had our kiddos keep a nature journal from the time they are in second grade on up. Each child has one (a blank bound journal) that he sketches things seen outside in nature. We assigned a nature journal entry once weekly on Fridays for years. Now, my boys add to their nature journals on their own. We do much more sketching in the journals in the summer. My oldest sons have each completely filled their nature journals.

Within your HOD guides, we do try to encourage kiddos to notice God's creation and to do journaling type exercises through our notebooking about nature. The assignments for the One Small Square books are great tools we use toward that end (doing the Seashore, Woods, Arctic Tundra, Cactus Desert, and Coral Reef). John Audubon and the Birds of the Air book focus on drawing, sketching, listening, and observing birds. The Land Animals book focuses on land animals and tracks. Find the Constellations, Along Came Galileo, and the Astronomy book focus on the night sky and the heavenly bodies. Plant Life in Field and Garden spends time sketching, labeling, and pondering various plants. Exploring Planet Earth focuses on earth science and includes much study in that area. So, there is quite a bit of focus on "nature" and appreciating God's creation within HOD already should you feel that you may not have time for an extra nature study option.

Blessings,
Carrie

We are starting Bigger after the new year, so that will be great!!

Thanks Carrie!

LeAnna