Homeschool Nature Study: A Simple Guide for The Rest of Us

This post explores ideas for simple homeschool nature study and discusses why nature study is important, practical tips for incorporating simple nature walks into your day, and how to get started with nature journaling.

Even after seven years of homeschooling, the idea of nature study still sometimes feels intimidating. Maybe you can relate! Maybe you scroll Instagram and come away with the strong impression that nature study has to involve pristine watercolor paintings, children in matching outfits sitting quietly on logs, and a chicken or two wandering delightfully through the background. Bah! you exclaim, and (very naturally) conclude that nature study is only for Influencers whose children are all of the Quiet Female variety.

I don’t mean any criticism to those influencers. Chances are good that we’re just seeing the highlights – and behind the scenes there’s a screaming baby somewhere who just wants to go home; and if not, if they truly are having a peaceful and beautiful moment with their children – then good for them! I mean that sincerely.

However, the fact remains that if we believe this (perfect, beautiful vision) is a requirement for nature study, most of us will never do it. And what about the rest of us? What about those of us whose kids complain about bug bites and getting too hot and just want to run and play?

If that’s you, this post is for you. Welcome to the club of imperfect homeschooling! We’re so happy to have you.

Why is Homeschool Nature Study Important?

Charlotte Mason says,

“We are all meant to be naturalists, each in his own degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things.”

Full Confession from a Mom who is just as Busy as you are: although I shared about our experience with the 1000 Hours Outside challenge, I have not written much on the blog about nature journaling or nature study because we have done very little of it. Most of our “nature study” has been exceedingly simple and even unplanned. We’ve never taken watercolors to the the woods or sat on a log sketching birds.

However, maybe this can be your encouragement – or your permission slip – that nature study can be simple. Hooray! It doesn’t have to mean that your children are all sitting on stumps, quietly painting birds and flowers (as lovely as that sounds). It doesn’t have to mean that you spend an hour recording every plant you find in your organic-leather-bound journal.

It doesn’t have to be beautiful, or quiet, or Instagram-worthy!

In fact, it can be the opposite: messy, loud, and not pretty at all. And yet, even if all these are true, your children will still learn from the experience!

For me, nature study simply means spending time outside, paying attention, and being curious.

Nature study is not about structured science lessons, but about forming relationships with the natural world around you. Thankfully, children are adept at forming relationships on their own – as long as we give them opportunity to do so. When children explore, observe, play, build, squish bugs, get messy, and break things, they are forming a bond with nature.

This bond – this wonder, curiosity, and simple, organic interest – is the foundation for all future science study. It’s hard for a child – or anyone, really – to want to learn more about amphibians if they’ve never held a frog in their hands. It’s hard to be interested in how birds fly if you’ve never watched them do it.

Of course, this is not to say that your child must personally experience every single plant and animal before they can do a unit study on it. This is simply not feasible!

However, the more hands-on experience your child has with the physical world around them, the more their interest will be piqued and they will be ready and able to make connections with the book-learning you want to present to them.

When we simply go for a walk, or play in the backyard, or swim at the beach, we are learning from and learning about nature – as long as we’re not distracted by our phones!

Time in nature is fabulous for developing your child’s attention span and powers of observation; it’s good for our physical and mental health; it forces our children to become more creative and more resilient; and it brings our family together, creating bonds not only with nature but with each other!

So, my friend, if you can get your children outside, pay attention to what you see, and lead by example with your own curiosity and wonder – you can do nature study!

How Can We Incorporate Nature Walks Into Our Day?

“An observant child should be put in the way of things worth observing.” ~ Charlotte Mason

Ok, so we know time outdoors is good for us, and we want to do it…. but how? And when? And where?

The simplest way to begin our nature study is in our backyard – or, if we don’t have one, on our porch, balcony, or even simply by looking up at the sky! What clouds do you see? What birds are flying past? Nature is quite literally all around us, and even the most barren inner-city lot is the home of insects and stray weeds.

Here are a few practical tips for simple nature walks with kids:

• Start local – in your yard, your neighborhood, a nearby walkable park. This is good because it is easy, you can quickly get back home again in case something goes wrong, and it doesn’t take any special planning or supplies.
• Get a couple field guides relevant to your area – that way when you spot a bird, or a flower, you can quickly identify it!
• Always, always bring a snack and water. Nothing spoils outside time faster than getting hangry and dehydrated.
• If your kids are a little older and already used to walking, try challenging them with a longer hike!
• Find a friend who wants to do this too – a little accountability makes a huge difference! And you’re much less likely to cancel your walk if you know someone else is coming too.
• Keep an eye on the weather. Rain doesn’t have to spoil an outing, but if it’s cold out it certainly can.
• Think about the best time in your routine for outside time, and try doing it regularly for a few weeks. Perhaps this is right after breakfast to get some early-morning energy out; perhaps it’s during the afternoon as a midday pick-me-up; perhaps it’s in the evening when Daddy can come along!
• Put your phone away and pay attention. Confession: I don’t always do this. But the more I do, the more I notice – and the more I pay attention to nature, the more my children do.
• As in so many other homeschool areas, consistency is key! Keep trying and keep experimenting, and you’ll find your groove!

Personal Example: Where We Fit In Our Outside Time

Our favorite, most consistent times to get outside have been either mid/late morning (after morning jobs and our first homeschool reading time is done), OR mid/late afternoon (after nap time but before supper). However, both of these times require a bit of foresight when it comes to meals – unless it’s a super short walk just around the neighborhood.

If we go on a morning outing, I will often pack a lunch (so we can stay longer); if we go in the afternoon, I’ll try to either have a plan for a super fast & simple supper, or make it beforehand in the Instant Pot so it will be ready when we return.

This has worked for us – but it may not work for you! Experiment with different times and locations until you find something you love. And remember: there are so many other ways to experience nature, too! Think about botanical gardens, museums, zoos, planting a garden, caring for a pet, and even observing and learning through books.

What is Nature Journaling?

Again, as with all nature study, nature journaling begins with being outside, paying attention, and being curious. However, if you want to actually journal, you then take it one step further by either writing or drawing something about what you observe.

As I said earlier, I am far from being an expert at this. Most of our nature study has consisted of walks, hikes, and simple play time outside – coupled with plenty of books about science and nature. And let me reiterate that even with this simple, uncomplicated form of “nature study,” our children have learned quite a lot! They can recognize all the familiar birds in our area. They know how to find monarch butterfly eggs and caterpillars, and what their life cycle looks like. They know what flowers they can pick, which poisonous plants to watch out for, and how to tell an oak from a maple. They’ve harvested maple syrup, gathered wild berries, caught frogs and lizards and snails and turtles and fish, and so much more!

All of this without a single nature study “curriculum.” Not that those are bad – but you don’t have to use them if you don’t want to.

However, back to journaling: the one consistent experience we had with nature journaling (and at the time I didn’t even realize it was called this) was, strangely enough, indoors.

It began when we only had our three older boys and they were all under 5. A busy, busy time, if you know anything about those ages. Wisconsin winters are long, and we slowly got in the habit of taking a few trips each winter to our beloved Domes – an indoor botanical garden featuring three large dome-like structures, each showcasing a different habitat and varieties of plant species.

The great thing about it was that on a weekday morning we usually had the place to ourselves, which meant that the kids could run on the paths (if no one else was in sight), it was warm, and the sight of green growing things felt like an actual life saver on a frigid January morning.

However, after running down all the paths (multiple times) and eating a gazillion snacks, I wanted something for the boys to do that would force them to stop, sit, and look about them for a short time. Enter: nature journaling! Our method was short and simple, as everything must be when your children are shorter than your garbage can.

I gave them each a little notebook, handed out some colored pencils, and told them to “draw something that you see!” They scribbled drew for a few minutes, we painstakingly wrote down the name of the plant, and that was that. It was neither pretty nor profound – but, as with most habits, the more we did it, the better it got – and the more the boys looked forward to it! Soon they were asking to draw more things, and even starting to notice just a little more of what was around them.

Fast forward 7 years or so and this is one tradition that has slowly dropped by the wayside. We’ve become busier with “real” schoolwork and our homeschool co-op, and it’s harder to find the time to spend a whole morning at the Domes. However, as I write this I am reminded of the joy these boys had from that simple journaling experience and I want to find a way to re-introduce it, for all five kids this time!

Here are seven tips I’ve gathered from various sources online, and I’m going to be using them myself as we work on re-starting this habit this fall:

• Keep it short with little ones (or for older ones, if this is your first attempt)
• Bring simple tools: watercolors, pencils, magnifying glass, a notebook or journal (this is not the time to pack your entire set of oil paints and brushes)
• Go to the same spot regularly to build familiarity (like we did at the Domes!)
• Focus on noticing and observing: you can answer questions, and will probably want to find out the name of what you’re drawing, but it’s not the time for a lengthy science lecture
• Remember that you can finish it at home (maybe we can start with just a rough sketch, and then fill in more once we get back)
• DON’T bring a friend this time: in my experience, when friends are along, my kids just want to run and play with them – which is also wonderful, just not conducive to journaling. However, if all the kids are used to journaling (and perhaps are a little older and more mature) then maybe it will work fine!
• If possible, set the example by joining in yourself! (this might not work if you’ve got a baby or busy toddler in tow, but your kids will be more likely to settle in and enjoy it if you are participating too)

Conclusion

Homeschool nature study might sound intimidating, but your children are probably doing it already. Every time your toddler crouches down to watch the ants, or your preschooler gathers handfuls of dandelions and then tears them to bits, or your 9-year-old climbs a tree – your children are practicing the arts of attention and curiosity.

All we want to do is to encourage them.

It might be messy, it might include tears and scraped knees, it might be uncomfortable and inconvenient at times; but as with our other habits, it gets better – and the benefits far outweigh the struggles.

Our goal for nature study is simply connection: connection with nature, with our children, and with their Creator.

“Let them once get in touch with nature, and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight through life.” ~ Charlotte Mason