wildflowers

Fall Wildflowers

Exploring Nature with Kids: Fall Wildflowers

  We love to study wildflowers, especially local varieties.  Over the past few years, we’ve slowly learned to identify several common wildflowers from each season.  It’s so fun to be driving along, and hear one of the boys exclaim “I see some chicory!”  Or “Look at the yellow rocket!”

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Identifying Local Wildflowers: Chicory

The boys and I love to identify local wildflowers, trees, bushes, etc. Last year, we identified this beautiful blue wildflower–and now it’s back again, growing all over the place here in northern VA. Have you seen it? Chicory grows really well along roadsides and in fields.  Blooming from about June through September, it often teams…

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All Things Bright and Beautiful

All Things Bright and Beautiful: Easy Way to Add More Nature-Appreciation to Your Kids’ Lives

Want to add more nature-appreciation to your kids’ lives?  Not sure where to start?  Try this! It’s a poem!  It’s a hymn!  It’s a book!  It’s a great way to teach kids about our Creator God. When a friend and I started a (sort of) formalized nature study emphasis with our four kids, we began with…

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Buttercup Nature Journal Page

6 Things I Love About Nature Journaling

6 Things I Love About Nature Journaling (Not necessarily in this order)… 

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Handbook of Nature Study: May 2013--Flowers

Free Nature Study Printables and more

Yesterday’s post on Spring Wild Flowers and today’s amazing spring weather plus a few hours spent digging outside in the dirt got me all set up to receive this newsletter in my inbox this afternoon… Have you subscribed to Barb/Harmony Art Mom’s Handbook Of Nature Study Newsletters? You should! She’s my favorite nature blogger, offering…

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Yellow Rocket flower

Spring Wildflowers and a Great Online Identification Tool

One of the things I love most about homeschooling is the ability to emphasize Nature Study.  We get to study nature up close and personal as opposed to learning about it from a book. Don’t get me wrong–we do learn quite a bit about Nature from books.  Our large home library includes an ever expanding stock of…

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Spring Nature Walk

7 Ideas for a Spring Nature Walk

Scavenger Hunts and Nature Walks are a great way to get everyone outside.  After the novelty of spring weather wears off and you find yourself in need of ideas for enjoying the great outdoors with your tribe, try a few of these fun ideas!

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Winter Nature Walk on the W&OD Trail (& excellent nature biography for kids)

Background Info: Older Brother and I just finished reading this awesome book, The Flower Hunter, about William Bartram, America’s first naturalist.  His father, John Bartram, was America’s first botanist.  So, so fun to read about their explorations as they studied and gathered plants. As a botanist, John Bartram taught his son William to observe nature…

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Free nature journal resources for kids

We do lots of nature study here at the Yankee Homestead. Older Brother (6 yrs. old) works daily on his Nature Folder, which includes a Nature Observation Calendar and a  Clouds & Weather Tracker.  We also have blank Nature Journal pages that we use from time to time, especially after a more formalized nature excursion…

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