Ok I admit it this unschooler likes Charlotte Mason. So I read a lot of her recommended books with my kids, or rather librivox does.....I have on my wishlists a lot of her living history and science books. More books. ACK! Anyways. I found an inspiring website at this blog. 
It's kind of funny really, here we live on a huge farm with nature all around us and I want to do Nature Study. For me it's not that my kids don't get nature, it's more quality time spent outside with them. So we did it. I am trying to drop everything and concentrate on the kids from 9 - 11 every day. Usually reading in their room, some letter play, some starfall, some journal writing....Two days ago they were getting restless after 1.5 hours of reading so out we went into the glorious sunshine. We walked down to the end of our driveway enjoying the balmy fall weather and looking around us. We headed back to the house with the idea of checking the douglas fir trees we planted after earth day. We stopped at the edge of the grass as there were birds - lots of birds - in our crabapple tree. We all sat down and watched as bluejays started eating crabapples - picking them up and flying with them. Some of them are rotting so we wondered if they would get drunk! (Ok there are bears that get drunk on rotten apples in Cumberland so we use the word......) We watched until the dogs joined us and our cats climbed the tree trying to get at the birds. Sometimes having social cats is great......Then we looked at the beautiful colors of our maple trees, listened to the frogs and crickets, walked up to top of our property to our trees - We planted 5 and only 1 died. Pretty good considering the hot hot summer. The next day August wrote in his journal and then illustrated it. I'm thrilled! (See above!)
It's kind of funny really, here we live on a huge farm with nature all around us and I want to do Nature Study. For me it's not that my kids don't get nature, it's more quality time spent outside with them. So we did it. I am trying to drop everything and concentrate on the kids from 9 - 11 every day. Usually reading in their room, some letter play, some starfall, some journal writing....Two days ago they were getting restless after 1.5 hours of reading so out we went into the glorious sunshine. We walked down to the end of our driveway enjoying the balmy fall weather and looking around us. We headed back to the house with the idea of checking the douglas fir trees we planted after earth day. We stopped at the edge of the grass as there were birds - lots of birds - in our crabapple tree. We all sat down and watched as bluejays started eating crabapples - picking them up and flying with them. Some of them are rotting so we wondered if they would get drunk! (Ok there are bears that get drunk on rotten apples in Cumberland so we use the word......) We watched until the dogs joined us and our cats climbed the tree trying to get at the birds. Sometimes having social cats is great......Then we looked at the beautiful colors of our maple trees, listened to the frogs and crickets, walked up to top of our property to our trees - We planted 5 and only 1 died. Pretty good considering the hot hot summer. The next day August wrote in his journal and then illustrated it. I'm thrilled! (See above!)
1 comment:
Welcome to the OH Challenges. I think your farm sounds like a wonderful place to be outdoors. :)
I think you are right about sometimes taking and being more purposeful in your observing things in nature...it is a great experience.
I would love to sit and watch birds in your crab apple tree.
Happy you shared your link,
Barb-Harmony Art Mom
Post a Comment