Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Honest. Quirky. Real. Practical tips, candid reviews, and stereotype-smashing humor for homeschooling families.

Honest. Quirky. Real. Practical tips, candid reviews, and stereotype-smashing humor for homeschooling families.

National Park Adventures with Kids: 6 Ways to Make the Most of Them

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U.S. National Parks feature stunning educational landscapes for kids to explore. Try these tips to make the most of your family’s national park adventures.

Written by Chelsea Gonzales of Wonder Wherever We Wander.

Easily some of the most amazing resources our beautiful country has to offer are its national parks. From beaches to mountains, U.S. national parks feature dozens of stunning and diverse landscapes to explore.

Unfortunately, far too many people are entirely unaware of the magic and beauty hiding in these natural wonderlands. So, they never even think to go check out our national parks. Even those people who do have some idea what these spaces have to offer sometimes don’t visit out as often as they should.

This failure to make the most of America’s national parks is a disservice to kids (and adults!) who could be learning a multitude of amazing lessons from visiting these places.

6 Ways to Make the Most of National Park Adventures with Kids

From geology to history, national parks present a wide assortment of lesson topics. This variety makes them ideal places for homeschoolers of all ages to learn, explore, and discover.

For this reason, I highly recommend planning at least a few trips to national parks this summer and into the coming school year. As a regular park visitor, I’d like to offer my tips for ensuring your adventures go over without a hitch. [Read more…]

10 Fabulous Nature Games to Add to Your Nature Study

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Written by Erin Vincent of Nourishing My Scholars.

Do you have a nature lover in your family? My children and I would all much rather spend the majority of our time out of doors. But sometimes, Mother Nature doesn’t want to cooperate.

Try these 10 fabulous nature games to play as part of your nature study when you can’t get outside or when you come in from a long day of hiking!

10 Fabulous Nature Games to Add to Your Nature Study

Why You Should Add Nature Games to Your Nature Study

As the weather warms, you may find yourself eager to get outside and into the warm sunshine. These Easy Spring Nature Study Ideas are a great way to give your nature study a kick start.

So, why should you add Nature Games to your nature study?

  • You can’t always get outside for a nature walk
  • Your kids can play an educational game while eating lunch or while mom is making dinner not just during “school” time
  • Games offer ways for kids to practice what they’ve learned
  • After coming in from a long day, a game gives your kiddos a fun and educational way to unwind
  • Games offer a hands-on learning opportunity for kinesthetic learners
10 Fabulous Nature Games to Add to Your Nature Study

10 Fabulous Nature Games to Add to Your Nature Study

Bird Bingo Game – This is a BEAUTIFUL bingo game that showcases birds from all over the world. It’s actually one of MY favorite family games. Think your kids can’t enjoy a bird study based on a bingo game? Think again!

My children have been pointing out Canadian Geese, Goldfinch, Grey Herons, Cardinals, and Robins out in the wild! They’ve even pointed out birds on documentaries like the Magnificent Frigate Bird, Great Bustard and the Magnificant Bird of Paradise before the documentary can mention it! This is the perfect game to follow up a bird study.

Bug Bingo Game – The creators of Bird Bingo also have a Bug Bingo game that doesn’t disappoint! Bugs from all over the world make their debut in this gorgeous game. For anyone obsessed with bingo, there is also a Dog Bingo, Cat Bingo, and Monkey Bingo game. Just take my money now! This is an awesome game to follow up a bug study.

Hit the Habitat Trail Game – This fun board game takes you through nine habitats, trivia style! It’s a favorite of our son’s, but he finds it challenging not to blurt out the answers when it’s not his turn. But hey, learning to take turns is another benefit of playing games!

10 Fabulous Nature Games to Add to Your Nature Study

WildCraft: An Herbal Adventure Game – This is a wonderful cooperative game in which players must help each other travel up the mountain to Huckleberry patch and back down to Grandma’s before nightfall. Wildcrafting is the harvest of wild plants which you do in this game to solve problems. Learn which herbal remedies work for certain ailments!

Into the Forest: Nature’s Food Chain Game – This lovely game helps kids understand the food relationships between plants and animals in the forest.

Photosynthesis Game – A strategy game to test your skills as you grow your trees through their life cycle of seedling, bloom, and rebirth while using the energy of the sun’s rays. This is a great game to follow up a plant study.

Cardline Animals Game – A game to test your knowledge as you place cards in order by either size, weight, or lifespan of animals.

10 Fabulous Nature Games to Add to Your Nature Study

Camp Board Game –  A perfect trivia type game for adults and children wanting to test their knowledge on the great outdoors and camping.

Fossil On Game – Learn more about fossils and minerals with this hands-on game! There are five levels of play. My little rock hounds also adore the Rock On Game from the same company. This is a wonderful game to follow up a geology study.

Animal Tracks Game -This is three games in one! Match Animals to their tracks while playing Bingo, Concentration, and Guess the Tracks games. This is a big hit after coming in from a nature hike in which we’ve found the tracks of animals like coyotes, deer, and raccoons! There are 40 different tracks to match from animals such as otters, wolverines, and wolves, just to name a few.

What are some of your favorite nature games for kids?

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5 Simple Nature Study Tips for City Dwellers

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I’ll confess, with teenagers, nature study isn’t part of our regular homeschool routine. (Not that nature study isn’t just as beneficial for teens as it is for young children; we just haven’t made it a priority.)

When the kids were younger, we used to enjoy a regular weekly nature study outing. We had a membership at local nature preserve since nature study in our subdivision wasn’t terribly exciting.

Is your idyllic nature study vision of wandering around in the woods or tromping through farmland far from your reality? If so, I’ve got some ideas! Some are those that worked for us. Others should work even if you live in the middle of the city.

Also, no matter where you live, the Handbook of Nature Study blog is, hands down, my favorite resource for nature study ideas.

1. Study what’s available.

No matter where you live, there are a few nature study subjects that are sure to be available to some degree – trees, birds, and insects. Collect and identify leaves. Observe and identify birds and insects. Collect feathers that you find and see if you can determine from which bird they came.

Try some fun tree study ideas from The Homeschool Scientist. Check out this tree unit study from The Unlikely Homeschool.

Do you live in a place where you could try a DIY bird feeder or cookie-cutter bird feeder to attract birds for observation? Or maybe you could try a suction cup bird feeder.

Try some of these insect unit study ideas as a starting place for including insects in your nature study:

2. Go to nature.

As I mentioned in the introduction, we joined a local nature preserve so that we had a reliable spot to go for nature study – and one that excited us much more than our backyard!

Check your local area for resources such as:

  • nature preserves
  • nature trails (not as much fun as a whole preserve, but better than nothing)
  • parks
  • ponds
  • zoos

You might have to be creative, but nature study is worth the effort – especially when you have young children. It’s good to get outside for some fresh air, sunshine, and exercise on a regular basis.

Work with what’s available to you. Take stale bread to the pond to attract ducks and birds. Look along the water’s edge for frogs and their eggs. Toss bread or popcorn into the water for the fish.

Choose a spot to observe for a year – the same pond or the same tree in the park, for example. Each time you visit, sketch your spot and note the changes that you observe throughout the year.

You might also check with local colleges to see if they have any helpful resources available to the public.

3. Bring nature to you.

Bring nature home to study. No, don’t go out and capture random creatures! Instead, consider ordering an ant farm or butterfly house. You can even try a roly-poly farm.

Consider unusual pets such as snakes, lizards, mice, or crabs. Just do your research first and make sure you’re prepared to care for them.

You can also try getting some frog eggs or tadpoles to watch their metamorphosis into frogs. You may be able to find eggs near a pond – just make sure it’s legal to take some – or check with a pet store about tadpoles.

4. Make use of the Internet.

Supplement your nature study with internet resources. Try live streaming nature study webcams. (The previous link ends in a plug for home security systems, but they really have put together a great collection of links to various nature webcams.)

Watch documentaries on your Netflix or Amazon Prime account. Don’t forget about YouTube! You can find both National Geographic and National Geographic Kids channels with some fantastic resources.

Check out your state 4-H website. They often have some fantastic resources such as this virtual bug collection from the Oklahoma 4-H page.

5. Nature study pen pals.

Finally, consider looking for some nature study pen pals. We put together a nice rock collection by doing a rock exchange when my kids were younger.

Nature study pen pals can agree to exchange photos and videos of birds, insects, trees, and animals that each finds in their area. You can also send packages with specimens such as feathers, leaves, flower, rocks, or preserved insects (preferably those that have died of natural causes).

You may wish to preserve leaves before mailing. They’ll hold up better in shipping, and it will be a fun science project for your family.

Each family can either research their findings and send those along or just send the pictures and videos for the receiving family to investigate.

Even if you live somewhere that seems extremely unconducive to regular nature study, there are ways to ensure that it happens.

If you live in an area that isn’t especially nature-study-friendly, what workable solutions have you discovered?

5 Ways to Sneak Learning into a Neighborhood Walk

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Written by Tara Mitchell of Embark on the Journey.

The weather has been so pleasant lately that we have wanted to spend as much time outdoors as possible. My six-year-old nephew spent a few days with me recently. One evening after dinner, we spent some time walking around my neighborhood. I was able to sneak learning into our walk simply by noticing and discussing the things around us.

5 Ways to Sneak Learning into a Neighborhood Walk

Next time you take your young children on a walk around the neighborhood, see if you can naturally introduce some of these ideas. Your kids will have so much fun they won’t even realize they’re learning.

Math

Have your child look for items of a particular color or number. Can he find a red car or three flowers?

Talk about size as you look at the things around you. Ask your child to look for an item that is smaller than he is. Or, find something that is larger than his hand. That leaf is big. Can he find one that is bigger?

Distance is another topic you can discuss. Use the words near and far as you describe things you see around the neighborhood. The dog is near the fence, and the creek is far away.

Reading

Have your child look for letters on street signs and mailboxes as you walk around the block. She may want to look at letters on license plates or work truck logos, as well.

If your child can already identify her letters, you could ask her to find something that starts with a certain sound or find things that rhyme – tree and bee, cat and hat.

Science

Science is so easy to teach as you walk around the block. Kids are fascinated by what they see around them. Point out the color of the sky and the shape of the clouds. Talk about animals you see and hear or insects that are flying by. Identify flowers and trees in a neighbor’s yard.

5 Ways to Sneak Learning into a Neighborhood Walk

Social Studies

Does your child understand that the world is bigger than he can see? Start by discussing where you live. Teach him your address and show him the name on your street sign.

Once he’s got that down, explain that your street is part of a bigger city. Then, the city is part of a larger state, and the state is part of a bigger country.

These concepts may be more than your child can understand, but it’s important to plant seeds of knowledge that he can build on as he gets older.

Vocabulary

Use specific names for items you see on your next walk around the neighborhood. Teach your child the real name for things. It’s not just a flower; it’s a tulip. That dog is a Husky. The neighbor’s tree is an oak tree.

This specific naming helps young children expand their vocabulary and helps them begin to see differences in the things around them.

What is your favorite way to sneak in a little learning as you walk around the neighborhood with your kids?

5 Fabulous Summer Activities to Enjoy with Kids

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Written by Sara Dennis of Classically Homeschooling.

Are you looking for a few fabulous and educational activities to enjoy with your kids this summer? Try these!

Summer Activities for Kids

1. Nature Hikes

Nature walks are the perfect summer activities for families. The weather is warm and pleasant to be outside. Both teens and preschoolers enjoy the outing. You get to see and hear local wildlife.

Kids become familiar with local trees, wildflowers, and birds. You don’t even need to do a different hike each week. Taking the same hike several times in a season allows kids to see the changes from the beginning of the summer season to the end of the summer months.

2. Gardening

Gardening is an excellent activity to do with kids. Plant vegetables for the table, flowers to spruce up the house, and melons for dessert. You can start your plants from seed or pick up starters at the local gardening stores.

If you don’t want to dig up the lawn, try container gardening. Tomatoes, lettuce, and basil do well in containers, and you can enjoy a homemade spaghetti sauce and salad from food you grew yourself.

Go all out and grow several dozen plants in a large garden or keep it small and just grow one or two of your favorites.

3. Study Butterflies

Study butterflies this summer. Take a look at what types of butterflies live in your area. Carefully catch them with a net and examine their wings. Give your kids the quick tip that butterfly wings fold upright when they’re not flying while moth wings stay extended. It’s an easy way to tell the difference between the two.

You can encourage your kids to keep a nature journal of the different types of butterflies they find. What kinds of flowers do butterflies prefer? Are you able to attract many to the flowers in your yard?

And don’t forget to pick up a butterfly kit while you’re studying butterflies. Kids love watching butterflies change from a caterpillar to a butterfly.

4. Bird Watching

While you’re heading outside this summer on nature hikes, keep an eye out for the different kinds of birds you see. Does your area have waterfowl, hawks, eagles, or seagulls? Also, keep an eye out for the baby birds in the early summer months.

There’s nothing as much fun as seeing the baby ducks following their mother on the local lake and watching them slowly age into full grown ducks.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on your yard for birds. Quite a few different birds wander through my yard looking for juicy worms or crunchy seeds for breakfast. Encourage the kids to keep a journal next to the window to write down their observations. Try making bird feeders from recycled materials or making homemade bird treats to attract birds to your yard.

5 Fabulous Summer Activities to Enjoy with Kids

5. Astronomy

Summer is warm enough to stay outside comfortably all night. You can even sleep under the stars! Give it a try this summer. See if you can find the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, and Orion. If you’ve been able to see the constellations in the winter, be sure to point out how the stars move as the season progresses.

Orion won’t be in the same place twice!

6. Berry Picking

Look for local farms where you can go berry picking with your kids. Often kids get the mistaken idea that berries come from a container at the store. Don’t let it happen at your house!

Head out and pick the berries off the vine this summer. And don’t worry about picking too many. Fresh berries are delicious and tend to disappear quickly with kids around.

7. Make Jam

If you do have any extra berries, make jams, jellies, and preserves. Take the kids into the kitchen with you so they can help wash, dry, and cook the berries.  You’ll enjoy the taste of summer in the middle of winter!

Summer is an excellent time to enjoy nature studies. The weather is warm, you can stay outside for hours, and plants are in full bloom.

What are your favorite summer activities to enjoy with your kids?