Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival - May Newsletter Edition

Outdoor Hour buttonOur very first Newsletter Edition of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival is full of great nature study and encouragement from families around the country. I love the community feel of the Outdoor Hour Challenge and how this new format is going to help us spend more time actually outside observing our own backyards and neighborhoods looking for things that catch our interest.

I know that I gave four areas or topics for you as suggestions for nature study and you will find those listed below but I wanted to mention that if you end up focusing on something other than the suggested topics, please feel free to submit those entries as well. One thing I would like to ask of you in return is to include in your entries a link back to the Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletter or the Handbook of Nature Study blog. I want as many people as possible to learn about our activities and jump in and participate. If you want to use the Outdoor Hour Challenge logo in your entries that is encouraged too but not required.

Don't forget that tomorrow I will be posting the new Outdoor Hour Challenge June Newsletter! You are going to love all the new features and special activities contained in the second issue of the newsletter. Make sure to subscribe to my blog so you will never miss an entry.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival
May Newsletter Edition

blowing dandelions
Wildflower Study
  • Heather at Blog She Wrote has some wildflowers to share with carnival readers in her entry, Vernal Pools and Bogs.
  • You are going to love this dandelion study! Ann at Harvest Moon by Hand gives us loads of great ideas in her entry to the carnival.
  • Kelsey from Mud Puddles shares their Spring Hike with loads of big beautiful images of wildflowers.
  • Susan from Learning All The Time has submitted their backyard nature study featuring wildflowers! Don't miss their very well done nature notebook pages from the May Newsletter.
  • Phyllis and her family took a trip to the strawberry patch and they found some pineapple weed! Check out their entry, Unschool Monday: The Strawberry Patch and Nature Study.
hydrangea_1_sm
Garden Flower Study
birdhouse
Bird Study
  • Kristin from Broom and Crown has some great images from their May bird study,  Desert Birds at the Botanical Garden.
  • Kelsey from Mud Puddles and her children learned about the Luzuli bunting, a new bird that visits their feeder.
  • Susan from Learning All The Time shares their new birdhouses in her entry Nature Study-Our Backyard.
  • Jamie from See Jamie Blog has a robin's nest to observe! Don't miss her up-close photos of her resident bird.
  • Tricia from HodgePodge Homeschool has a guest poster...her son! He shares their Beautiful Birds.
  • Angie (Pebblekeeper) from Petra School shares their May Bird in the entry Warbler Tree.  
  • Angie from Petra School also captured their neighborhood Osprey and Eagle fighting it out for a trout! You can read their May Bird List entry as well....very impressive.
Mammal Study
  • Kelsey from Mud Puddles submitted their study of backyard mammals....check out their nature journals using the notebook page from the May Newsletter.
children in a stream
More General Nature Study

Oak
  • Nicole from One Hook Wonder submitted their Spring Tree Study (tulip tree) and an Ant Study
  • Kattie from 2 Ladybugs and a Lizard writes about their Spring Tree Study for their crab apple tree. Her daughter made some wonderful notebook pages.
children outdoors
  • Phyllis and her family had an Unexpected Nature Study at the beach....snake!
  • Angie (Pebblekeeper) from Petra School submits their Tadpole Nature Journal entry for carnival readers. They used the Fill-In-The-Circles idea from the May Newsletter for their journals.
  • Brandy from Half a Hundred Acre Wood gives beginners some wonderful ideas and resources for nature study. Don't miss seeing her butterfly example!
If you haven't downloaded the Outdoor Hour Challenge May Newsletter yet, you need to before Wednesday, June 1, 2011. Here is the link: May Newsletter.  (If you are using Mozilla Firefox, right click the link and "save link as" to grab the newsletter.)