I recently had the opportunity to read the new E-book titled “Creative Nature Study – Ideas to Jump-start or Invigorate Nature Study in Your Homeschool”. I was excited about being able to read this before it becomes available on The Old Schoolhouse store.
What a book! I love it. It is actually pushing me to go out more with the kids. We are so blessed in our city to have a multitude of walking trails in what is known as the green belt! I wonder why I didn’t go explore these trails more with my children – ok I know why a little bit 1) I hate mosquitoes in the springs (my kids have some sort of reaction to their bites and I hate bug spray) and 2) I’m lazy. There I said it! Isn’t the first step to change is admitting it? Here you go… I’m going to change in 2009!
I honestly love the various articles in this e-book. However, I especially enjoyed the one about nature study through the seasons. I’m the kind of person who will delights in all the seasons. It’s something that we in Ontario go through every year – spring, summer, autumn, and winter. There is something to enjoy no matter what the season. So why not taking advantages of them? This year, we are not planning to park the trailer at a specific campsite. Consequently, I need to explore more the forests surrounding our city. I love bird watching and this will give me the opportunity to teach my kids about birds. I even learned some things from the bird watching articles! You are never too old to learn new information on a specific subject.
While reading the e-book, I also learned to create a scavenger hunt while exploring nature. I never thought of that! Geeez! I discovered the wisdom in having a nature bag with us and a perpetual journal to note specific nature sighting or discovery. These are wonderful ideas and I can’t wait to try them.
I also enjoyed the article “I See God” Walks. God created everything and I’m excited to see how creative He was when I see the trees, birds or animals. He thought about everything didn’t He? Just watch a blue jay diving in a pine tree or explore a beach in the fall to find a turtle nest… these are teaching moments!
One of my dreams would be to have a little garden in the backyard so the kids can grow flowers and vegetables in it. Our problem right now is that there are “wild” rabbits living around and last time we had tomato plants…. Well let’s just say they enjoyed them before we did!
The little e-book is packed with wonderful ideas like listening walks, taking a walk during nighttime or creating a nature bracelet using masking tape. The article Nature Study with Food in itself is a little gem of discovering nature where food is involved… 2009 will be a stepping stone for me. I have no honest reasons not to go out more and explore the nature trails in our city. Nature activities will become a regular thing to do – I promise! My kids are used to go fishing with dad… now it will be discovering the nature around us with mom. *grin*
I will also make the effort to bring them strawberries picking for a new tradition to start. We already did the blueberries and apples picking but we never went to pick strawberries and then make jam… New adventures and discoveries await us in 2009! I’m excited about it. Can you tell? And coming from a former girl guide, who used to be able to tell the difference in the kind of clouds in the sky and found some constellations in the night, it means a lot… I will rediscover my lost skills and find new ones on the way...
Thank you so much for all the writers in this e-book for pushing me to go out more and enjoy the nature around me (mosquitoes and all!).
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