This week I have done some soul-searching about how to proceed with the Outdoor Hour Challenges. Not only how to proceed but why we should keep going at all.Outdoor Hour Challenge History
- There are fifty-two challenges on the sidebar to freely choose from on a variety of topics.
- In addition, there is a whole series of bird challenges that are great fun to work through as a family.
- The first Outdoor Hour Challenge eBook was published and has far exceeded my expectations.
- We started a Flickr group to gather nature journal pages to share with each other to inspire and encourage.
- 1,175 links shared on Mr. Linky for all the challenges so far!
- Currently taking a short break to regroup and to organize the next series of challenges either about Crop Plants or Invertebrates, leaning towards Crop Plants.
- Two new eBooks in the works: Garden Flowers and Birds. Garden Flowers will be completed very soon if you are looking for a great summer series of challenges.
- More free challenges as soon as I get them pulled together.
The soul-searching part of this process is trying to decide why families should stick with the Outdoor Hour Challenges and not switch to some other nature study program available.
What makes the Outdoor Hour Challenges unique? How are they different from what is offered from other places?
I thought about this long and hard. One afternoon I was typing an email to a mom who was just getting started with the Outdoor Hour Challenges. As I was typing, it came to me like a flash.
The Outdoor Hour Challenges are challenges for the whole family.
They were written to encourage and challenge parents to get started with nature study and to participate with their children as they go outdoors for a few minutes each week. These challenges were not written for the children but to the parents. This sort of nature study allows the parents to develop a passion for nature study and that is what is at the heart of the Outdoor Hour Challenge. The parent is not the teacher but the co-learner when the whole family accepts the challenge.
Everyone goes outdoors together and you all are searching for things to observe and learn about as a family. Everyone can share their experiences afterwards and all can make their own nature journals. The challenges are not assignments for the children to complete, but the idea is to stimulate a curiousity about nature in your own backyard by having prepared some ideas for study ahead of time.
The Outdoor Hour Challenges are written in such a way that you can be flexible and adapt to whatever interesting subject comes your way. You are successful just for having spent fifteen minutes outdoors, even if you never complete a nature journal page. The time spent outdoors as a family is the precious gem that your child will treasure in the years to come.
Here are some quotes from emails that I have received recently about the Outdoor Hour Challenges.
"Although I have always wanted to know more about nature, it hasn't happened until now. Your guidelines and direction have encouraged me to make it my own...." J. in North Carolina
"Just wanted to thank you again for all your encouragement, and your wonderful nature study plans. I had really hit a wall in homeschooling, and had been praying constantly for renewal and inspiration, and relief from my burn-out. " C.
"I have always struggled with the nature study because I do not feel very competent, but I am very drawn to it, and feel that it is one of the most important things I can do with my kids. I had been praying that God would help me in this area, and I even get Comstock's book out occasionally but am overwhelmed by it. Well, your blog has helped me to wrap my mind around nature study, and to make it a part of school and life, more importantly. My boys, being boys, love outdoors, and my husband seems to know a lot about anything nature-oriented. And now, I feel more equipped to "lay the feast" for them." P.
I read every email and try to comment on every link entered in Mr. Linky. I also save every "thank you" email to go back through when I am having a rough day.
I truly think that as far as the Outdoor Hour Challenge, I have received back more in return than I have ever put into it. The photos people email me of different things they discover during their nature study, the comments made in blog entries that are shared on Mr. Linky, the community of encouragement that I see growing worldwide, and so much more are worth the time and effort I put into the challenges.
This week of reflection on the foundational ideas for the Outdoor Hour Challenge has given me a renewed spirit to continue.
I will take this opportunity to thank everyone who has encouraged me over the last year and a half.......you have been an inspiration to me.
If you have not had a chance to pop over to Lulu.com to see the preview of my Outdoor Hour Challenge-Let's Get Started eBook, here is the link:
Outdoor Hour Challenge EBook
Be sure to read the reviews of the eBook at the bottom of the page at Lulu.com.
Barb-Harmony Art Mom
Please Note: All of the photos in this entry are past "Outdoor Hour Photos of the Week". Each week, or just about, I try to choose a photo from a family's blog entry that I share on the right sidebar of my blog. If you do not have a blog but you would still like to send me a photo for consideration, please send it in JPG format to my email: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com
