Welcome to the first of the new spring challenges for 2012! I am excited to get started with a fresh set of nature study ideas and to see how spring looks around the world working alongside all of you. It hardly seems possible that we are at the beginning of another spring season but here we go! I want to send a big thank you to all of you dear readers for your kind words of support about the More Nature Study challenges and for sharing your family's experiences with the blog carnival each month. I look forward to another season of encouraging nature study. Have fun and get outdoors with your children!
More Nature Study Book 3 - Spring Splendor
Spring Splendor Walk
Inside Preparation Work
1. If you have not read pages 23-24 (How to Use This Book) in the Handbook of Nature Study, please read it now. In addition, read the section on The Field Excursion on page 15. Highlight interesting sections as reminders.
2. Prepare your children for your outdoor time by explaining the purpose. For this challenge, use the ideas from Outdoor Hour Challenge #2—Using Your Words which is take a short walk in your yard or neighborhood and then come back inside and record words to describe your experience.
3. Ebook users: Before beginning this series of challenges, use the Spring Splendor Notebook Page to build enthusiasm for the spring series of nature study. Keep the page in the front of your nature journal as a reminder of the three questions you hope to answer and the three activities you hope to accomplish.
Outdoor Hour Time:
1. Enjoy some time outdoors this week as part of this challenge, including a few minutes of quiet observation if possible. Observe what early spring looks like in your neighborhood. Use all your senses. If you have young children, taking a walk and enjoying the season is the main point. You can work on adding words as your child gains confidence in nature study.
2. Use the Spring Nature Walk Senses Scavenger Hunt notebook page if you want more structure to your time outdoors.
3. Collect an item to sketch into your nature journal, perhaps a leaf or a flower.
4. Advanced Study: Take photos of spring flowers, birds, trees, leaves, or other objects you see during your outdoor time. Try taking photos from different angles and up close.
Follow-Up Activity:
1. Use the Spring Splendor notebook page (ebook users) or your nature journal to record your time outdoors, including the prompts for descriptive words. You can brainstorm words with your children if they have trouble. Sketch or watercolor your spring scene in your nature journal or onto your notebook page. See this link for some inspiration: Watercolor Quick Sketch in the Garden.
2. Advanced Follow-Up: Make a slideshow with the images you took of your spring splendor walk. See this video for ideas: Spring Symphony. (We use Windows Movie Maker.) You can also print the images and include them in your nature journal.
3. Ebook users: Optional coloring pages: Spring Woods 1 and Spring Woods 2
Additional Links:
For your little ones: Four Seasons (video and song).
All About Spring—child friendly website
Don't forget to share your Spring Splendor Walk blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in March are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 3/30/12 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com.
