• START HERE!
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

1+1+1=1 logo

Never planned to homeschool, now wouldn't trade it for the world

  • 1+1+1=1 logo
  • HOME
  • Homeschool Curriculum Reviews
  • CURRICULUM BY 1+1+1=1
    • COUNTRY BY COUNTRY
    • ANIMAL ABCS
    • TOT SCHOOL PRINTABLES
    • KINDERGARTEN @ HOME
    • KINDERGARTEN LITERATURE UNITS
    • YOU CAN READ SIGHT WORDS
    • YOU CAN READ WORD FAMILIES
    • RAISING ROCK STARS PRESCHOOL
    • RAISING ROCK STARS KINDERGARTEN
    • RAISING LIL’ ROCK STARS THROUGH THE BIBLE A-Z
  • FREE PRINTABLES
    • MONTESSORI
    • READ FOR A REASON
    • THEME BASED
    • JUST COLOR!
    • CALENDAR CONNECTIONS
    • ALPHABET
    • NUMBERS
    • SCIENCE
  • START HERE!

10 Tips for Studying Nature with Tots & Preschoolers

The following is a guest post from my friend Maureen {Spell Outloud} she has a natural gift for bringing nature into the lives of her young children, I pray her words bless and inspire you!


Do you love the idea of doing nature study with your toddler and preschoolers but aren’t sure where to start? Or do you think the idea is admirable but totally impractical to implement with your toddlers and preschoolers? I understand. As a mom of 7 children ages 14 down to infant, I know that it can be overwhelming to go on excursions with toddlers and preschoolers. Here are some of my tips (in no particular order) for getting out and observing nature with young children:

backyardanimals

1. Go with an interest. My 14 year old was recently studying about birds in her biology class. She downloaded several bird apps and bird books which made my younger children curious. They asked if they could study birds too. I took my toddlers and preschoolers to the store to pick out birdseed and a bird feeder. We hung it up so we could view the birds from the comfort of our own home. They loved having some ownership in our nature topic. I would find them sitting at the window watching the birds and naming them correctly!

2. Be aware of every-day situations that could be turned into science or nature experiences. Many of our science and nature activities weren’t planned at all. I would be going through my day as usual and something would either cause my child to ask a question, or I would find something to show my child. That spider I just trapped in a cup? A science discussion. That dead plant I forgot to water? Science discussion. That moldy food I pulled out of the fridge. Science discussion. That baby robin hopping on the ground? Science discussion.

3. Go on local nature walks.

Fall-Neighborhood-Walk2

My favorite place to observe nature is our own back yard. I’m in a neighborhood in a suburban area, yet there are so many things to find! Many times I will go look out in the backyard for something to point out to my kids. For instance, I found some shelf fungi growing on our garden box. I brought the kids over to see it. We looked at the colors and I asked them if they thought it was a plant or an animal. This led to a discussion about mushrooms and how some mushrooms found in the wild can be dangerous but the ones at the store are fine. In addition to our own backyard, our city has several parks that are perfect places for young children to learn about nature. Many times we’ll go on a short nature walk and then head on over to the playground.

4. Train kids to observe things around them.

Nature Study with preschoolers Observation is an important skill to teach young children. Just like you wouldn’t expect a young child to ride a bike without learning to balance first, you should not expect your child to be observant without teaching them observation skills. In order to help develop this skill, I created a series of printable I Spy cards for us to take along on our nature walks. These cards help the kids look for something specific and give us a goal to reach on our walks.

5. Have helpful science tools on-hand. I like to keep a pair of binoculars, several magnifying glasses, large plastic tongs, and large eye droppers on hand. That way when an opportunity for observation arises, you know right where to find the right tools for the job. We also have a high-quality microscope that is fun to use periodically.

6. Keep it short and simple. When first starting, make the nature walks/nature observation times short. Many of our walks are less than 10 minutes. Mix in ways for the kids to be moving, exploring, digging, or collecting in order to help keep them on task. Often I’ll tell my kids, "Run to the tree with the rough bark," or "Find 3 different sizes of pinecones."

7. If you can’t get out, bring nature in.

Observing Ants

Every spring we bring various insects and animals in for closer observation. It is the perfect time to watch a caterpillar turn into a butterfly, see a tadpole change into a frog, observe ants, start a worm farm, and observe ladybugs! Don’t limit yourself to animals-you can also bring in rocks, sticks, leaves, flowers, and dirt. Kids love to be able to see things up-close and use their senses for observation.

8. Read quality literature that teaches science in the context of the story. By pairing hands-on activities and observations along with great literature and songs, young children learn and can retain much of what was taught. There are so many great literature options that this would be a whole separate blog post.

9. Set up observation centers that can be used independently.

bird science basket from Spell Outloud Give your child the opportunity to learn on their own. Periodically I set up nature themed baskets for my toddler and preschooler. It usually contains books on the topic, pictures, objects, tools such as binoculars or magnifying glasses, stickers, magazines, games, stuffed animals, or any other item that goes along with the topic. We are not "teaching science" but rather letting young children explore and observe nature and science principles in action. Now is the time for the young child to learn by playing, observing and using their senses. Make a basket that allows them to do just that.

10. What nature study tips do you have?


Maureen SpellMaureen Spell is a former elementary school teacher who now has a classroom of 7 at home. She blogs at Spell Outloud, a blog that has nothing to do with spelling and everything to do with learning. With kids ranging from toddler to teen, she highlights many homeschool activities, toddler and preschool crafts, and free printables. Stop by her blog for more preschool science activities.


This post is #5 in my series, “Homeschooling Tots & Preschoolers,” for the iHomeschool Network Spring 2013 Hopscotch. Visit other bloggers participating here!

Hopscotch-With-iHN-Spring423

 

Homeschooling-Tots-and-Preschoolers_[1]Day 1 ~ Where to Begin with Tot School eBook

Day 2 ~ You Don’t Have to Do it All!

Day 3 ~ Developmentally Appropriate Practice

Day 4 ~ Time Invested in Tot Schooling

Day 5 ~ 10 Tips for Studying Nature with Tots

Day 6 ~ Exposure vs. Mastery

Day 7 ~ Why Themes?

Day 8 ~ Teaching Tots in a Large Family

Day 9 ~ Our Favorite Learning Tools for Tots

Day 10 ~ Early Childhood Theme Printables A-E

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
0 Shares

Filed Under: Homeschooling Tots Tagged with: Guest Posts, Homeschooling Tots, Science

Newer Post
Tot School Gathering Place ~ Week 15
Older Post
Time Invested in Tot Schooling

Primary Sidebar

oneplusone300x150
ABC Crafts for Uppercase Letters-300x250

Recent Posts

10th Grade Mid-Year Homeschool Curriculum Changes

Free Easter Printables for Kids – I Spy

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Kindergarten Literature Unit

Bear Wants More – Free Printable Collection

Free Spring Printables for Kids – I Spy

Bear Wants More Kindergarten Literature Unit

Footer

1plus1plus1

What a day! We moved @kyler_hinson into college to What a day! We moved @kyler_hinson into college today at @greenvilleuniv! Such a fun new chapter beginning for him! He moved out here a couple of weeks ago to train with his gymnastics team so I got my crying out then. I’m purely excited for him today!!! 

So thankful for this awesome school, everything about today was just perfect! We are all so happy with his choice and future here. 🧡🧡🧡
Kyler leaves tomorrow to head to @greenvilleuniv t Kyler leaves tomorrow to head to @greenvilleuniv to begin his NCAA gymnastics journey with @gupanthersmgym and I am beyond excited for him, although it is bittersweet, of course. 

His amazing coach for the past 10 years has been such a constant in Kyler’s life and it’s hard to imagine him not having by a daily place in Kyler’s life. 

His gym had a little surprise goodbye party for him and one of the awesome gym moms made the sweetest video filled with memories of Kyler’s gymnastics journey. The love for him  from our gym family just blows me away. We have been so blessed to be surrounded by many families and teammates through the years who have been amazing. He truly has had a home away from home for the past 10 years.

Thanks @lisabethcooper for EVERYTHING you did. ❤️
My daddy left this earth to be with Jesus on July My daddy left this earth to be with Jesus on July 9. It has been a rough couple of weeks to say the least. It was a shocking end although he had been sick and was in the hospital. We fully expected to bring him home but septic shock stole that from us. 

The first photo is my final photo with him, taken on our cruise back in late May. The rest are a few favorites of mine from my childhood and another from a cruise.

Although things have calmed, nothing feels right. My momma lives close to us now (she is 6 miles from us) and soon will live in the house she and my dad were building in our backyard. Praise God we got them moved into their rental back in April, His timing is everything. We got to have our final cruise as a family right before daddy got really sick. On the night we lost him, we were all able to stand around him and pray together and share our hearts with him before his body was done. 

Oh how I wish he would be living in the house being built in my backyard and that we would have had the years we expected and hoped to have. I trust God’s timing while also being devastated. I miss him terribly.
Happy graduation to Kyler! So thankful my graduate Happy graduation to Kyler! So thankful my graduate chose a family cruise for his graduation celebration! He traded a party and family grad gifts to be able to take his lifelong best friend with our family! (That’s the “extra” kid you’ll see in our photos)

My parents generously took our family on @royalcaribbean Wonder of the Seas and it was incredible! We went to Coco Cay, Honduras, Costa Maya, and Cozumel.

Best part about family cruise is the laughter and time away together. It truly is unlike anything else and I’m so so grateful! I took hundreds of photos, narrowing it down to 10 was hard!
His final state championship meet! Still so hard t His final state championship meet! Still so hard to believe our boy is a senior and moving on to college gymnastics next year at Greenville University in Illinois. We couldn’t be more excited for him and the journey ahead while soaking in these final moments with him as he closes out his final season as a junior gymnast.

He is the NC state champion one final time and hit an all time high score at this meet. We have regionals next and then nationals, and then his junior gymnastics career is done!

#krashthegymnast
Merry Christmas! We enjoyed the past few days so v Merry Christmas! We enjoyed the past few days so very much. So much laughter and joy. Christmas with littles is fun but Christmas with bigs is a whole different joy I love these kids of mine! ❤️❤️❤️
It’s the beginning of an emotional year as a gym It’s the beginning of an emotional year as a gym mom. His final season as a junior athlete has begun with his first meet this weekend. He’s been doing the sport he loves since he was 6 and here we are starting the final year before he competes in college! He had a great first meet hitting 4/6 events and winning the all around and several events. I just love watching him, I’ll miss being able to go to all of his meets next year so I am soaking up the moments this year!

#krashthegymnast
Back together again! I’m so happy for these two! Back together again! I’m so happy for these two! My oldest son Paxton has not been able to have his dog Melody in the rental house he has been in due to issues with his roommate’s dogs. But he has a new rental home and Mel will be the only dog! He just picked her up and they are both so so happy! A day they have been waiting for for way too long. We adore Melody and don’t mind her being with us at all but the bond between these two is indescribable so we are happy they get to be together again! ❤️
Their annual trip to the mountains! I just love th Their annual trip to the mountains! I just love their tradition and love that it was enhanced by going with Pop Pop (my husband’s dad) in his RV this year! They sent me these great photos! 🍁🧡🍁
His final region 8 gymnastics camp. So many “las His final region 8 gymnastics camp. So many “lasts” occurring this year. Swipe to see his first region camp back in 2017! 

His final competition season begins in November!
We are a little over 2 weeks in with @studydotcom We are a little over 2 weeks in with @studydotcom and I wanted to share a small update. 

Click the link in my profile to read my blog post: Why We Chose Study.com for Homeschool. In that post I promised to be transparent and give updates along our journey. Consider this the first update! We switched courses for 9th grade science already! I originally had her in Physical Science and honestly it was too much, too fast - even I was a bit overwhelmed when I went in and did some of the lessons and quizzes. We have switched her to earth science for now. All other courses are going really well and both of my kids like the format. I LOVE the parent dashboard and how easy it is to keep up with them. 

I’m thankful so far because my life is busier now and my kids are older, having something they are independent with is so helpful for them and for me. We communicate often and I’m checking in and very involved but I don’t do the actual teaching. 

So, overall it’s going well so far. Stay tuned, I’ll continue to share!

#homeschoolhighschool 
#homeschool #homeschoolers #homeschoolingrocks #homeschoolingmama #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife  #homeschoolfamily #homeschooliscool  #homeschooldays #homeschoolblogger 
#homeschoolteacher #homeschoollookslikethis #homeeducation #homeeducator #howwehomeschool #homeed 
#homeschoolcommunity #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschooled #homeschoolcollective #homeschooladventures #affiliate #sponsored #studydotcom
I can’t believe my youngest child is entering th I can’t believe my youngest child is entering the high school years. We have made some changes and choices that are totally new to us! Click the link in my profile to read more!

#homeschool #homeschoolers #homeschoolingrocks #homeschoolingmama #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife  #homeschoolfamily #homeschoolfun #homeschoolkids #homeschooliscool  #homeschooldays #homeschoolblogger 
#homeschoolteacher #homeschoollookslikethis #homeeducation #homeeducator #howwehomeschool #homeed #homeschoollifestyle #thisishomeschool
#homeschoolcommunity #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschooled #homeschoolcollective #homeschoolideas #homeschoolinspiration #homeschooladventures #homeschoolhighschool
Missing two kids (working) but had a fun night out Missing two kids (working) but had a fun night out to eat with my parents to celebrate my husband’s birthday a  couple days early! Love my time with them! ❤️
Around this time last year I shared the first phot Around this time last year I shared the first photo. I was prepping @compassclassroom History. We ended up using American and Modernity and today I published my full review on my blog! Link in profile!

#homeschool #homeschoolers #homeschoolingrocks #homeschoolingmama #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife  #homeschoolfamily #homeschoolfun #homeschoolkids #homeschooliscool  #homeschooldays #homeschoolblogger 
#homeschoolteacher #homeschoollookslikethis #homeeducation #homeeducator #howwehomeschool #homeed #homeschoollifestyle #thisishomeschool
#homeschoolcommunity #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschooled #homeschoolcollective #homeschoolideas #homeschoolinspiration #homeschooladventures #homeschoolhistory #compassclassroom
I tried explain these friends to my daughter last I tried explain these friends to my daughter last night. It was hard to find words. 

They have been a huge part of our life since before having children, and we have walked through life together, even when they all lived here in NC and we lived in Philly for 11 years. We began as the “young married couples Sunday school class.” We have been back in NC for 8 years and although we live an hour from all of them, it’s still the same. We get together every month or so, and although we were missing a few last night, we are always thankful for everyone who can make it. 

Lili, being our youngest, doesn’t know them as well even though she has been around them on and off her whole life. She’s finally old enough to really get it and appreciate how much they mean to us. Last night as we drove the hour home we explained the long story of our deep friendship and how thankful we are. ❤️ 

Love y’all beyond words and missed those of you who weren’t there last night. ❤️
Our 8th grade year-end post is up on my blog (link Our 8th grade year-end post is up on my blog (link in profile). I definitely didn’t like all of our choices, but I loved most of them. 

Lili was pretty independent this year for homeschool, but we did a few subjects together: logic, government, writing. I loved the addition @compassclassroom for history and vocabulary. We always love @teachingtextbooks for math. @iew wins for writing and grammar with us. You’ll see in the post I didn’t like what I chose for science. She took another course from @theanimcourse and continues to love them. We loved the books we read for logic and government, see post for those!

#8thgradewithladybug #8thgradehomeschool #middleschoolhomeschool 
#homeschool #homeschoolers #homeschoolingrocks #homeschoolingmama #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife  #homeschoolfamily #homeschooliscool  #homeschooldays #homeschoolblogger 
#homeschoolteacher #homeschoollookslikethis #homeeducation #homeeducator #howwehomeschool #homeed #homeschoollifestyle #thisishomeschool
#homeschoolcommunity #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschooled #homeschoolcollective #homeschoolideas #homeschoolinspiration #homeschooladventures
Athlete of the Year! Kyler’s end of year gymnast Athlete of the Year! Kyler’s end of year gymnastics awards ceremony was today and once again he received this award from his coach! It still means the world to me, knowing the bond these two share and how blessed we are to have him as Kyler’s coach. He’s been his coach since he was 8, and we enter their final year together in the fall. Time flies. 

#krashthegymnast
My parents took us on a cruise. It was amazing and My parents took us on a cruise. It was amazing and we are so thankful! Ten pictures barely sums it up, but Instagram won’t let me share a thousand. So here’s a tiny peek into our fun week.

Sailed on @royalcaribbean Harmony of the Seas and everything was outstanding except for the teen program - it sucked (compared to Carnival). But the rest was wonderful! We love cruises and the last one they took us on was in 2019, it was so fun to be back on a ship!
Silver medal at nationals on parallel bars in the Silver medal at nationals on parallel bars in the Junior Elite 17 year old division! So so proud of his fight! 

He had a fall on his first day(Thursday) of competition and sprained his thumb/hand and we weren’t even sure he could compete day two. He competed today and hit all 6 events! He pushed through and really focused on parallel bars since he was sitting in 6th after day one. Well, he did even better and pulled his placement to 2nd!! 

#krashthegymnast #region8mensgymnastics
Birthday dinner with the grands. Celebrating my Ap Birthday dinner with the grands. Celebrating my April/May babies! Pax is 21, Lili is 14, and Kyler will be 17 next week!
Follow on Instagram

Terms of Use & Copyright Info

The content (including photos) within this blog are not to be used without my permission. You ARE allowed to pin photos on Pinterest with a link back to the post. I appreciate pins!

I am honored when others post about my blog with links back to it, please leave a comment and link back to where you did this, I'd love to see your blog or website!

If you have questions about copyright in terms of my printables, please see a more detailed Terms of Use here!

Disclaimer & Privacy Policy

Some posts on this blog contain affiliate links.

1+1+1=1 is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Occasionally I receive products in exchange for a review or giveaway post. These posts are always labeled as reviews and/or giveaways. I never feature a product we don't use and enjoy ourselves.

Any advertisers I feature as sponsors are also only companies I stand behind.

All opinions expressed on 1+1+1=1 are solely mine.

Please see our Privacy Policy here!

Copyright © 2025 · Darling theme by Restored 316

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT