One Mind to Another: Outdoor Activities and Learning

Posted by Karen | 0 comments

Spring has sprung! The weather has finally gotten warmer and the sun is shining longer. For me, it is my favorite time of the year. I love the anticipation of summer, the accomplishment of another school year almost behind, and the joy of being outside! This time of year means planting in our garden and getting active outside! Bike riding at night becomes a family ritual, and eating on the back deck becomes the norm.

The outdoors is a great classroom! We love to use nature and all of God’s creation to teach us at this time of year.

For instance, we have had bird nests right outside our window at times to teach us about birds. We have put out bird feeders and kept a log of what types of birds have visited, as well as how many. Many days I will plan a “scavenger hunt.” I ask the kids to find certain things in nature and then they either check it off a list or sketch it. Sometimes, I give them the camera and ask them to take pictures of what they found. We also have a garden and grow different types of vegetables. Last year we kept a “garden journal.” Each day we measured and recorded the growth of our plants as well as sketching our plants. We all helped in the garden, watering, planting, weeding, and harvesting when the time came.

Sometimes we use the outdoors just to do our usual lessons. I mean isn’t reading a book in a hammock under a tree so much more fun than sitting inside? Or doing math at a picnic table using sticks as manipulatives to do subtraction? The possibilities of outdoor lessons are endless!

Share your favorite outdoor lessons…do you do nature study? Do you take advantage of an “outdoor classroom?” What are your favorite activities to do outside?

Karen is married to the love of her life, Steve, and a homeschooling mom of 4 children ages 9,7,5, and 1. She was called to homeschool when her oldest was kindergarten age after thinking, “I could never do THAT!” Now she is passionate about encouraging others on their homeschool journey, as well as learning all she can along the way. She sees her kids as her mission field and loves the verse in Romans 10:15 that says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who carry the good news.” Follow her blog at Beautiful Feet Bring Good News.