A Wildflower Nature Study

There's a spot just inland of us that boasts the most beautiful meadows of wildflowers.  We look forward to visiting it every year, and after such a wet winter we knew it would be amazing. This year the creek was flowing and full of tadpoles,  the fields were carpeted with yellow, purple, white, and blue flowers, and we were basically in wildflower heaven.

Bouquet of Tidy Tips, Lupine, Owl Clover, and Blue Eyes. A Wildflower Nature Study!

A Love of Nature and Learning

Visiting and interacting with beautiful places is the best way I know how to instill a love of learning in my girls.  I don't put any expectations on what they will take away from the experience, but rather provide what I can to make the most of it.  I do my part by equally being involved with the wonder around us.  

One of my daughters really enjoys capturing the beauty of the day with her camera.  My other daughter can sit and watch the flowers blow in the breeze for hours, listening to the bugs and observing things others may pass by.  I really love learning the names of the plants and flowers and birds, etc.  I feel like I've made a new friend when I learn the name of a flower.  And then I can introduce my new friend to my girls so they can now be friends too.  

We also all enjoy drawing and painting in our nature journals and enjoying the moment with each other and our nature loving friends, who always make our adventures that much richer.

A patch of Goldenfields and Tidy Tips.  Sunbonnet by Blue Corduroy.

To get the most our of our outdoor adventure, I like to follow up where I see more information would really round out our experience.  Since this particular adventure was mostly about admiring the wildflowers, we took some time the next day to study the parts of a flower.  We  might find poems about springtime, or be inspired to write a poem ourselves. Or we may find out a handy medicinal use for our flower, or that it is even edible.  

The books we used this particular day were a handful of local wildflower guides and a few nature book staples:

Chumash Ethnobotany by Jan Timbrook.

 How the Chumash People of Southern California used the local plants for medicine, food, etc.  I didn't know that Chia Seeds came from a Sage plant, and that they grow here and that the Native Indians used them as a quick and lasting energy source of protein.

California Spring Wildflowers by Philip A. Munz.

A large variety of plants, organized by color which I find very helpful.  Includes photographs and simple line drawings.

Central Coast Wildflowers by Mary Coffeen.

Mary has an intimate knowledge with the Central Coast and her love for it shows in her beautiful descriptions.  I would use this book for her memories alone!  Organized by habitat which I found very helpful.

Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman.

My go to nature book!  This book covers basically everything and is so simple, in a good way.  We always gain a concrete base of knowledge we can then build upon where interest leads.  The simple drawings are also always inspiring for our nature art journaling.

Drawing and Painting Plants by Christina Brode.  

Not only is this book filled with amazing tips on how to draw what we find.  It is also an incredible botany study book.  It teaches us how to identify plants by learning parts of a flower,  leaf and fruit identification, vein patterns and more.

Botanicum by Katie Scott and Kathy Willis.

 Talk about flower art inspiration!  This book is stunning!

I've added plant and flower names to my knowledge base, one or two at a time.  And as the years add up, I'm so happy to discover how many my girls and I have learned!  I also am finding that the more time we spend observing nature, the more we crave it.  And how wonderful it is that this is something my daughters and I can do and enjoy together!

The Importance of Play

When my girls were little I felt it was an important skill for them to learn how to entertain, or play by, themselves.  It mostly started as a need for myself to get some downtime, but I soon saw the many other reasons why this would be an important skill for them to master.  

Why is it important for children to have unscheduled time to just play?

"Play has another important role in development: it helps expand a child's ability to learn.  As they play, children learn how to solve problems intuitively rather than according to set rules.  Because they enjoy the experience, they are motivated to use these problem-solving skills to process any later knowledge they acquire.  That's a good thing.  After all, we don't want our children to simply gain some sort of database of knowledge through education, and we don't want to simply indoctrinate them with our platitudes.  We want them to understand the information they've taken-- to actively engage in it, not just compile the information.  Enjoyment is a catalyst for owning what one is learning."- Sally Clarkson.

Learning how to entertain yourself, to be content when there's "nothing to do" builds important skills such as leadership, independence, and creativity.  To be able to think for oneself, problem solve, build confidence and self motivation.  To learn HOW to learn.

But it does take work on our part to make sure we find those empty afternoons with "nothing to do".  Here's a list of Do's and Don'ts when it comes to intentional free time:

1. DO intentionally schedule time where the kids have "nothing to do". 

2. Don't give in to their cries of boredom! This is part of the process.  Often, when the word bored is uttered, or the phrase "there's nothing to do" , I will respond with some ideas for them, and those ideas are usually in the form of chores.  It's amazing how quickly my girls find something else do to!

3. DO provide materials and space for whatever catches the child's heart at the moment.

4. Don't help them through problems or obstacles more than necessary.  Part of the beauty of free play is for them to exercise their own freedom, creativity and problem solving skills.

5. DO let them see you "play". Being able to set the chores aside and enjoy some time just for yourself to explore whatever it is that puts a smile on your face does more than just fill your own soul.  It is healthy role modeling mamas!  Let them see you reading a book just for fun, knitting a scarf, drawing in your sketchbook, trying out a new recipe, tending your garden....

6. DO be patient.   If we have been going from one busy afternoon to the next with non stop obligations and activities,  my girls can easily get out of the practice of knowing how to find their own things to do with an unscheduled afternoon.  It can take a few days or even up to a week before they start craving those empty hours rather than expecting for some external entertaining force to show up.  Give it some time, and make it a priority, and soon your children will be masters at play. 

Being entertained from outside sources (i.e. organized sports, music lessons, art lessons, etc) can be highly profitable pursuits.  And they can be stepping stones and skill builders to use during unscheduled time. For example, the child who is taking violin lessons can now, in his free time, play around with the new chords he has learned and create a new song! Or the girl who's Grandma spent some precious bonding time teaching her to crochet, can, in her free unscheduled time, create a new dress for her doll.

But don't let these "lessons" and other time obligations take over your days! Being careful to not over schedule your calendar is a very important part to insure that "free" time happens.  It's a balance, and it's a lesson in recognizing your priorities, and learning to not say yes to ALL those great opportunities that come your way, just the ones that fit in with your priorities during that season.

I'm noticing that "play" starts to look different as my girls get older.  What once was playing baby dolls, has turned into miniature doll house homemaking and spinning wool.  What once was scribbling, has turned into beautiful works of art.  What once was running in the grass, has turned into being able to identify all the native wildflowers.  What once was organizing her things, has now become running her own business.  I would love to hear what kind of play your child likes best right now!

I am writing this post as a stay at home mom who also homeschools my children.  I spend ALOT of one on one, special time bonding with and educating my girls and am assuming that your scheduled free time is in balance with building a personal relationship with your children.

Interest Led Learning in Homeschool

I was recently asked how I find the balance between "interest led" education vs. "requirement focused" as a homeschool mom.  I know that every home educator will answer this question differently, that is the beauty of the personalized approach to educating at home.

If you follow me on Instagram, you will notice that we spend a lot of our time outside on adventures, or at home you'll see the girls being super crafty and creative making up their own "interest led" projects.  From Ruby running her own business to Ginger making paper dolls, I feel like this is where the real learning happens.  Not in finishing workbooks or following the same topics the local public schools are teaching.

"The world is the true classroom.  The most rewarding and important type of learning is through experience, seeing something with our own eyes." -Jack Hanna

How do we find the time to spend so much time outdoors in nature, when there's other necessary school work to be done?  I feel like being out in nature IS necessary schoolwork!  But if you mean, learning to read and write, etc. vs. playing outside,  I find a way to make "playing outside"  a learning experience.  If, for example, we discovered a cute little caterpillar in the backyard, the girls (at whatever level they are in) can retell the story of the metamorphosis in their journals (language arts).  We can also research his name and learn his characteristics (science).  We can read books about butterflies (literature).

"All children respond to an abundance of free time with ideas, plans, imagination, playing.  They solve problems, think, grow. Children respond to life by living.  They need this time to grow.  Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life" -Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

We do still have a structured morning of math, history, science and language arts.  But I definitely don't feel the pressure that my girls need to be in a certain grade level in math, for example, or need to finish their book by the end of the year.  What I'm more concerned about is if they are understanding the concepts being taught, and if they have a good attitude when things get tough.  I believe this will serve them far better than being able to tell people they finished Algebra by ninth grade.

Once an atmosphere of education takes root in your lifestyle, I really believe that fundamentals are getting taught, but more so wrapped up in a package custom fit for each child.

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment" -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Finding the delicate balance between interest led learning, and educational fundamentals can take time and patience, with plenty of mistakes.  But as long as we continue to try to find the right combination for each child, I feel they can only prosper.

How to add Paper Dolls to your Homeschool

Making paper dolls is such a rich way for the kids to really get to know any character they are learning or reading about.  It really forces the child to pay attention to specifics such as hair color, facial features, dress style, and habits.  It also makes them feel very acquainted to the character after "making" them all afternoon.  The familiarity they feel becomes a lasting knowledge of the person.  All the more reason to surround your child with books full of characters worth getting to know. 

“What kind of books? "Sories that make for wonder. Stories that make for laughter. Stories that stir one within with an understanding of the true natures of courage, of love, of beauty. Stories that make one tingle with high adventure, with daring, with grim determination, with the capacity of seeing danger through to the end. Stories that bring our minds to kneel in reverence; stories that show the tenderness of true mercy, the strength of loyalty, the unmawkish respect for what is good.”
― Gladys M. Hunt, Honey for a Child's Heart

When we were still a part of a homeschool co-op, Ginger learned how to make paper dolls.  It was a craft that went along with a book they read in first grade, "The Prince and the Pauper" by Mark Twain.  She kept those paper dolls in a little brown paper bag fixed into her notebook and fondly visited those paper dolls often.  Every now and then she adds to her collection of characters, usually from history readings or favorite story personalities.  

How to Paper Doll Like a Pro: 

1) Find a template you like.  (I've included one at the bottom of this post) Print it out on thick paper and cut out.

2) Decide what character (fictional, historical, or totally made up) and gather supplies to inspire your vision.

3) Draw on a face.

4) Yarn makes great hair. Ginger has had lots of fun designing new yarn hair styles.

5) For clothes you can draw directly on the paper doll, you can cut out clothes to stick onto your paper doll, using paper, tissue, fabric, etc.  Also here is where the sky is the limit as far as accessories and embellishments.  Just grab all your craft supplies and go crazy!

It's been so fun to watch Ginger's paper doll making skills grow the more she makes them, and I always remind her to write her name, the date, and the name of her character on the back of her paper doll so that when we look back through them, we're reminded of these times.

The Doll ginger is making today was inspired by our history reading about the first settlers of North America from England and how they met Pocahontas and her family.  Pocahontas by the D'Aulaire's is a beautiful book for inpsiration.

She also put to good use some of the feathers we painted a while back.  Here's the How to Paint Feather's blog post I did to see how we made the painted feathers.

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Nature Journaling and Foraging Elderberries

This year we are going to be studying the science (or is it the art) of wild edible and medicinal foraging in our homeschool.  I'm slowly gathering resources to support and guide us through.  But to start with, we had to learn the rules of foraging.

RULES OF FORAGING

• Never forage closer than 100 feet from a road or parking lot
• Never collect from areas treated with herbicides
• POSITIVELY identify ALL plants
• Avoid burning plants, smoke may irritate
• Teach children thoroughly

As we discover new plants we will be adding them to our nature journals. Each plant and each experience will warrant different journal entries.  Here are a few ideas if we don't know where to start:

JOURNAL ENTRY IDEAS

• Drawing! Probably always a drawing. It will help us see our specimen in more detail not to mention remind us in the future of what the specific plants look like.
• Labeling of botanical parts, learning new terms as we go.
• Health benefits of each plant or part.
• Which parts are edible, which parts are poisneous. 
• How to use or prepare edible and medicinal portions of plants.
• Recipes we use or want to use
• Locations of where we found the plants, or may be likely to find the plants.
• A narrative about an actual experience in finding or preparing the plant.
• A poem either of our own, or by a famous author that speaks to us about the plant.
• Scientific vocabulary terms that apply

A few nature journaling books that might also help get you started are: 

Keeping a Nature Journal by Claire Walker Leslie

The Laws Guide to Nature Journaling and Drawing by John Muir Laws

Drawing and Painting Plants by Christina Brodie 

The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden

Our First Lesson: Elderberries

What perfect timing, as our school year was about to begin, that my friend gets word from her friend that the elderberries on her parents property were ripe and ready! We had a great tour of a section of their 100+ acres and collected from the many elderberry bushes/trees scattered throughout the property.  We got to touch, see, smell, and taste first hand this magnificent wild medicinal edible, always making sure to only harvest the ripe berries, and leaving plenty for the birds.

Elderberries have been called a complete medical chest unto themselves.  They are high in vitamin C and iron and strengthen your immune system.  The berries work to remove viruses from the body and remove deep congestion, whether it be in the lungs, kidneys, or joints.

Foraging and Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi and Wendy Hollender has a gorgeous botanical print of this powerhouse along with an elderberry syrup recipe on their Botanical Arts Press website.

I've begun collecting resources and information on foraging and using wild foods on my Pinterest board Wild Weeds.  And am still in search of more helpful books and guides to learn from.  If you have any favorites, please share!

Just add Watercoloring: and Other Great Art Books

A lot of our homeschool involves art.  We can't help ourselves.  Thankfully all three of us learn well this way, so it's an easy tool for me to use in presenting lessons.  We use art in our history lessons, drawing characters and scenes, we use art in our nature journals, and just this morning, Ginger got our her colored pencils to help with her math fraction work that was puzzling her.

Most of the time, I let the girls experiment with their art supplies and skills, but every now and then it's fun to sit down and intentionally try some new techniques with them.  I didn't hesitate when I was offered the book "Just Add Watercolor" from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.  This is a beautiful little hard back book!  Filled with "inspiration and painting techniques from contemporary artists", it really has endless ideas and tips for us to feast on.

Each page has a fabulous painting on it, while the opposite page teaches us about the artist, the style and techniques used, visual elements employed, and even a quick tip on how to try this method yourself.

This sweet book didn't make us feel all confined to watercoloring either.  Ruby enjoyed finding subject matter to practice her drawing skills as well.  What better way to learn art, then from the masters!

My favorites on our art/nature journal shelf at the moment are:

Just add Watercolor by Helen Birch

Drawing with Children by Mona Brookes

Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman

Animalium by Katie Scott and Jenny Broom

This blog does contain affiliate links, where if you choose to purchase, a bit comes back my way at no additional cost to you.  I appreciate your support in this way.

 

Our Nature Pal Exchange

We spend a lot of time exploring outside and collecting natural treasures.  When I discovered the Nature Pal Exchange on Instagram I was like "no way!  look at all the other families who like to collect nature!".  It took no time at all to decide we needed to sign up and it only cost $5, which actually goes to benefit an orphanage in Uganda, such an awesome thing!

I must admit, that I was a bit nervous that signing up for an extra thing to do was going to be a burden to our schedule, which I purposefully keep simple and free.  What I discovered, though, was that we were already going on nature explorations, and we were already collecting treasures.  Now we were just adding in thinking of others as we collected, rather than ourselves.  Even better!  We also began to see our "ordinary" discoveries through new eyes.

The girls thoroughly enjoyed finding special things to send their new friends in Georgia, and even thought of specific things they wanted to include in the package, like sea glass and tiny shells from our favorite beach. The lessons learned were countless...names for things we hadn't thought to look up before, following though in a timely manner, presentation, even geography!  

The whole process was such a great experience, and then as a reward, to receive a package in the mail from Georgia full of unknown treasures was a real treat! 

Nature Pal Exchange Christmas sign ups will be starting  November 17th, 2015.  It's going to be a nature inspired Christmas craft exchange!  I can't wait to start putting glitter all over EVERYTHING!  I've actually already started collecting some nature craft ideas!

You can find out more about Hope Children's Home in Uganda here.  

For more information about Nature Pal Exchange and to sign up.

Follow along with the Nature Pal Exchange on Instagram!

10 Best Ocean Lovers Read Aloud Classics

Even before I lived by the ocean, I was always captivated by any story that took place in or near the sea.  There's just something so mysterious, vast, and adventurous about it.  Here is a collection of our favorite ocean classics that you may want to add to your summer reading list this year.  Most likely, they're already on your bookshelf, at Grandma's house or in your local library.  These books are suitable for upper elementary aged kids and older to read themselves, or to be read out loud to younger listeners.  Let them take you away to tropical islands, adventure, and lots and lots of water. I have other book lists if your looking for more ideas.

Moby Dick: or The White Whale (Oxford Illustrated Classics)

By Herman Melville

Buy on Amazon

Moby Dick by Geraldine McCaughrean (I recommend this version for the kids, it's written very well and true to the original text by Herman Melville but more suitable for children and with beautiful pictures).  Captain Ahab sails the seas in his relentless hunt for his enemy the white whale, Moby Dick. (3rd grade and up)

Treasure Island

By Robert Louis Stevenson

Buy on Amazon

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.  A classic tale of buried treasure, pirates, mutiny, tropical islands and X marks the spot.  Long John Silver as a main character in a plot full of action, and a study of morality. (5th grade and up)

The Swiss Family Robinson

By Johann David Wyss

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Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss.  Shipwrecked and stranded on a desert island, the Swiss Family Robinson have learn how to survive amongst dangers and delights in their new world.  Also, so fun to read first and then watch the movie! (5th grade and up)

Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling, Holling C. 1st (first) Edition [Hardcover(1941/9/9)]

By Holling C. Holling

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Paddle to the Sea by Holling Clancy Holling.  The story of a hand carved little canoe, made by an Indian boy and it's journey through the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.  A fabulous study of the geography and history from that region.  A Caldecott Honor book. (3rd grade and up)

Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea

By Jules Verne

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20,000 League's Under the Sea by Jules Vernes.  A classic science fiction novel of Captain Nemo and his submarine, the Nautilus.  This story is about their adventures as they travel around the world underwater and the companions they meet. Ginger is reading this one right now, and keeps me up to date on the amazing adventures happening under the sea. (5th grade and up)

The White Seal

By Rudyard Kipling

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The White Seal by Rudyard Kipling.  Such a sweet story of a rare white seal, and his search for a new home for his large family of seals.  Many fun facts about the lives of seals and how their environment is affected by man.  This is one of the many stories that make up the complete Jungle Book. (3rd grade and up)

Island of the Blue Dolphins

By Scott O'Dell

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Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell.  The story of an Indian girl, Karana, and how she lived alone for many years on an island off the coast of California, watching season after season for a boat to come take her away. While she is there she learns how to survive by making shelter, making weapons, and fighting the wild dogs on the island.  A story full of adventure and natural beauty.  Winner of the Newberry Award. (5th grade and up)

The Voyage of the 'Dawn Treader' (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 5)

By C. S. Lewis

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The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis.  Book five in the series The Chronicles of Narnia, a fantastic tale of a king and his companions on a voyage beyond all known lands.  As they sail further and further towards the worlds end, they come across many challenges and adventures. (3rd grade and up)

The Cruise of the Arctic Star

By Scott O'Dell

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The Cruise of the Arctic Star by Scott O'Dell.  A true story of the author and his crew as they sail up the coast of California.  We loved the historical anecdotes told about the places they cruised through on their voyage. (5th grade and up)

The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (Great Illustrated Classics)

By Daniel Defoe

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Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel DeFoe.  The only survivor of a shipwreck, he is cast on shore of a tropical island.  He encounters cannibals, captives, and mutineers before being rescued after 28 years of living on the island.  He acquires a companion, Friday, who becomes his humble and devoted slave.  A tale of survival and providence. (5th grade and up)

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