• Blog
  • Contact
  • About
  • 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
  • FREE PRINTABLES
    • MONTESSORI
    • READ FOR A REASON
    • THEME BASED
    • JUST COLOR!
    • CALENDAR CONNECTIONS
    • ALPHABET
    • NUMBERS
    • SCIENCE
  • 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
  • Homeschool Curriculum Reviews

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

Black History Flashcards

Peek & Find Heart Theme Game for Kids

Christmas Theme Kindergarten No-Prep Activity Pack

8th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Picks, Round 3

Thanksgiving Theme Kindergarten No-Prep Activity Pack

Ivy Kids Kit Review – Love From Giraffes Can’t Dance

Footer

1plus1plus1

Carisa Hinson
My Fern is so beautiful. Still my favorite cat eve My Fern is so beautiful. Still my favorite cat ever. And that’s saying a lot!

I’m not very active on this account anymore mostly because my older kids don’t like to be photographed. I am passionate about fostering kittens and my foster kitten account @crazy_foster_kitten_lady is where I spend most of my Instagram time now.

I’ll share here every now and then, but I’m on the kitten account daily!
Have you ever seen Ivy Kids Kits? There are SO man Have you ever seen Ivy Kids Kits? There are SO many monthly kits for kids on the market now, but this one remains my favorite! We have partnered with @ivykidskits for many years and although my kids are now too old for them, I still spread the word!

This video shows a peek inside of a recent kit they sent us, Kermit the Hermit. You can buy individual kits or buy a monthly subscription!

#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
It was an awesome day of gymnastics! We are in Tex It was an awesome day of gymnastics! We are in Texas for a big meet. We have been here many times but this is the first time he won! 1st All Around, and 1st on floor, pommel, and high bar! He was a part of the NC Elite Team, they won 1st place team also. He hit all time high scores for all around and floor! We head to state championships in a few weeks for his next meet!

#krashthegymnast #region8mensgymnastics #ncmensgymnastics
Homeschool writing class with Fern. Always a fabul Homeschool writing class with Fern. Always a fabulous teacher. Not distracting at all. 

#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 #iew
Yes, we still walk our cat in a stroller. Mabel ev Yes, we still walk our cat in a stroller. Mabel even posed for the picture. Our other cats go in the stroller sometimes too, Mabel is the frequent stroller-er.

#calicocats #fluffycalico #catsinstrollers
Swipe to see the books I read this year! Lots of m Swipe to see the books I read this year! Lots of middle grade books last summer (many reviews are on my blog, I linked them in the “2022 Books” highlight above). Did you read any of these? See my ratings on my goodreads profile! I will link in my stories, I am Carisa Hinson on goodreads.

#middlegradebooks #middleschoolbooks #mglit #middlegradebooksuggestions #readinginthemiddlegrades #2022goodreadschallenge #2022yearinbooks
It was a Christmas filled with many emotions. Joy, It was a Christmas filled with many emotions. Joy, happiness, excitement, surprise, sadness, longing, and a bit of emptiness. 

We celebrated with my parents on the 24th, and that was a very joyous celebration. We enjoyed church, gifts, food, and mostly one another. 

On the 25th we celebrated with my husband’s family and sadly we are missing our beloved Nana who went to be with Jesus a few weeks ago. We all did our best to honor her love for fun last night. We played games, we laughed, we ate well, but it was all mixed with a longing sadness, wishing we had her with us. 

The next to last photo is it Kyler and my father in law, who lost his very best friend. We just love him so much and pray for his continued healing as he grieves this horrible loss and emptiness. 

The final photo is of Nana’s grandkids each holding their collage of photos of them and their Nana. This gift brought some tears, but we can tell will be treasured by each of them. She was one of a kind, and so special to all six of them.
Paxton won the gift award this year. Swipe to see Paxton won the gift award this year. Swipe to see what he bought his little sis! She was SO surprised! He loves giving gifts and having a job the enables him to do surprises like this is a gift to him. Sweet moments. ❤️
Not posed. Our foster kitten Jolly posed herself i Not posed. Our foster kitten Jolly posed herself in the perfect spot! See more of her and her sister Holly here: @crazy_foster_kitten_lady Merry Christmas Eve! 

#hollyandjolly2022fosterkittens #orphankittens
#kittenseason2022 #fosterkittens #fosterkittens4thehinsons #fosterkittensofinstagram #fosterkittenlove #kittenfostering #kittenfostermom #kittenfoster #fosterkittenlove #kittenseason #tinybutmighty #fostercatsandkittens
Tree decorating night! Goodness I love my kids. Tree decorating night! Goodness I love my kids.
I know many of you don’t know many of the people I know many of you don’t know many of the people in this photo, but I know many of you pray. The beautiful woman on the far left of the couch is my bonus-momma, my husband’s mom. She has stopped all treatment for her cancer and is going home to be with Jesus soon. We prayed for her to feel well enough to be with us at Thanksgiving, and though she felt pretty crappy, she was there. 

If you know her, you know what I mean when I say this is one of the kindest, most joyful, selfless people I have ever known. The world won’t be the same without her. We are devastated and hurting. We pray for her peace, her comfort, her pain, and for God to relieve her of the suffering. 

Last night was a huge mixture of pure joy and devastating sadness. We celebrated and hugged, and laughed, and we cried. It’s just so hard. Thanks for praying for our family. ❤️
We decided to decorate with a polar bear this year We decided to decorate with a polar bear this year. ❤️ 

#🐶baxter❤️ #pitmix #pitmixes #sleepydogs #marshmellie🐶 #greatpyrenees  #greatpyreneesofinstagram  #greatpyr  #greatpyreneeslovers #greatpyreneesfamily #doggo #rescuedog #adoptdontshop #doglife #pyreneesofinstagram #dogsofinsta #doglover #instadog #gentlegiant
Webby and the lizard. Swipe for the video version Webby and the lizard. Swipe for  the video version. 🐱 🦎
I love my Christmas birds. We love having the deco I love my Christmas birds. We love having the decorations complete before Thanksgiving so we can relax and enjoy our home with our favorite decor of the year! I got started today, not close to done, but enjoying my adorable birds. A lot. Do you decorate early?
Mabel has turned out to be the most entertaining c Mabel has turned out to be the most entertaining cat we have ever had. She is sweet and sassy, mischievous and marvelous. Equal parts of each. She annoys all of our other animals just like a little sister should and keeps the humans on our toes too. She LOVES Lili, and is still BFF with Pebbles (Lili’s cat). So glad we decided to add this rambunctious ball of fluff to our crew!
Fun night celebrating my momma’s birthday and tr Fun night celebrating my momma’s birthday and trick or treating in her neighborhood with Lili and her friends! The gum ball machine costume made it back for another year!
My amazing bonus-momma, my husband’s momma, is f My amazing bonus-momma, my husband’s momma, is feeling good today so we met for lunch. She hasn’t had many good days lately so we take the moments when they come!

She has cancer and chemo is making her sick, it’s been a long hard road as any of you who have dealt with there horrible C word know. We don’t know what the future holds, so we cling to today! I loved sitting by her and laughing together. I am so blessed to have her as my mother in law! ❤️

Sadly since it was last minute, my boys couldn’t make it to lunch.
Every year they drive up to the mountains for the Every year they drive up to the mountains for the day and just spend time together. It’s their thing and I love it. Today they hiked, that’s Lili laying on the rock! She’s not much of a hiker but she loves the mountains, the leaves and her Daddy!
Goodness they are cute. Love them so much! 🧡🧡🧡
Totally thought I would hate it. It’s not that b Totally thought I would hate it. It’s not that bad. Reading it for chemistry this year, and I have to admit I am learning a LOT, and it is interesting! 

We are using @guesthollow Chemistry in the Kitchen, this is one of the many books we are reading and will read.

#homeschoolchemistry #napoleonsbuttons #guesthollowchemistry #homeschool #homeschoolers #homeschoolingrocks #homeschoollife  #homeschoolfamily #homeschooliscool  #homeschooldays #homeschoolblogger 
#homeschoolteacher #homeschoollookslikethis #homeeducation #homeeducator #howwehomeschool #homeed #homeschoollifestyle #thisishomeschool
#homeschoolcommunity #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschooled #homeschoolcollective #homeschoolideas #homeschoolinspiration #homeschooladventures #homeschoolhighschool
Load More... 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 © 2023 · 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