Outdoors Enjoying this Fall Season

Last year, when I was thinking about how I wanted to approach our science studies for the coming school year, I ran across the Outdoor Hour Challenge Nature Study and knew this was something I wanted to participate in.  If you aren't familiar with Barb at Handbook of Nature Study and her weekly challenges, I would encourage you to browse through her beautiful blog, take time to enjoy the gorgeous photos she has posted of her own family outings and get inspired to get outside and discover the world around you.

This week, our Outdoor Hour Challenge (OHC) included reading pages in the Handbook of Nature Study, which is available online if you don't own it. "The chief aim of this volume is to encourage investigation rather than to give information." Barb goes on to point out that "This is where many people misunderstand the HNS. It is not a field guide but it teaches us how to help our children with nature study."

 Here is this week's challenge:

"Before setting out on your walk, sit with your children and explain to them that when you remain quiet during your nature time, you are more likely to hear interesting things. Brainstorm some sounds they might hear and build some excitement about remaining quiet during their nature walk this week. Take your walk and if they get rowdy, use the universal finger over your lips sign to get them to quiet down. Set a good example and be quiet yourself, modeling how to listen carefully."

I really like how she incorporates language building skills:

"After your walk, challenge your children to come up with words to describe the following things:
One word to describe something they heard. (For example: rustling, snapping, crunching or chirping)
Two words for something they saw. (For example: tall trees, frozen water, red birds)
Three words for something they felt. (For example: freezing cold wind, rough sticky pinecone)" 

Zachary has always been extremely observant anytime we've gone outside into nature.  The point of these challenges is that each time we take a nature walk, he will develop more and more vocabulary that will trickle down into into his nature journal and into his ability to communicate his thoughts about nature verbally. Also, once we start identifying, discussing and journaling about objects we see on our nature walks, he should easily be able to remember the specific names of plants, trees, and birds.

Follow up with discussion and the opportunity for a nature journal entry.

This is Barb's view on journaling:

"I always leave it as an option for my boys and I would say about half the time they draw. I feel like the nature walk and the discussion is the meat of our nature study and that it is the most important part of what we do. "No child should be compelled to have a notebook." HNS page 14 "

This really took the pressure off of me to try to convince my son to journal about everything we saw on our nature walks. He, like her boys, would choose to journal about half of the time. But, if I leave it up to him, when he does choose to work in his journal it is an enjoyable experience for him and that is really what it is about for me.

This is what I found him doing, all by himself, on a Saturday morning 

at our dining room table!

Here are some easy ideas for nature journal pages other than drawing:
 

1. Make leaf rubbings.
2. Tape small flat things into the nature journal. (leaves, flower petals, seeds)
3. Print out a photo that you took while on your nature walk and let the child write the caption.
4. Press flowers or grasses between pages of a book and later add it to the journal. (We will learn more on that in a future challenge this spring.)
5. Outline an object with a pencil and then color it in.

Important to Remember:

"Nature journaling is meant to be a follow-up activity and not a replacement for your time spent outdoors. Please feel successful in this challenge whether you end up with a nature journal page or not. If they don’t draw this week, maybe they will want to make a page next week."



So get on out there this fall season, it's the perfect time to start a new habit with the kids and accept Barb's challenge to get out into nature for just one hour a day.


Blessings,
Vicki