How To Do Nature Study: The What & Why + Seasonal Ideas

If you’re wondering how to do nature study, why you should, or what it even is, I’m here to help. Read about my eye-opening experience with nature study plus get loads of seasonal ideas to study nature throughout each wonder-filled season, each with beauty of its own.

One of the first things that drew me to the Charlotte Mason homeschool method was the concept of nature study. I intrinsically knew that spending time outdoors, seeking out animals, insects and plants, each in their own season, was important and formative for my children, though I couldn’t exactly tell you why. Miss Mason helped to put words around this:

“The child who sees his mother with reverent touch lift an early snowdrop to her lips, learns a higher lesson than the ‘print-books’ can teach. Years hence, when the children are old enough to understand that science itself is in a sense sacred and demands some sacrifices, all the ‘common information’ they have been gathering until then, and the habits of observation they have acquired, will form a capital groundwork for a scientific education. In the meantime, let them consider the lilies of the field and the fowls of the air.”

Home Education, page 63

“From the flower in the crannied wall to the glorious firmament on high, all the things of Nature proclaim without ceasing, ‘Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty’ ”

Ourselves, Book 2, page 100

“We were all meant to be naturalists, each in his degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things.”

Home Education, page 61

What Is Nature Study?

To cut right to the point, nature study is being in nature, taking notice and making observations. It sounds so simple and yet, we tend to make things harder than they need to be don’t we?

The idea of nature study has captivated me and, at times, come easily. Maybe everyone has seasons they gravitate to and others they struggle with. But during those times when things were more challenging than going outside and stumbling across something interesting right away, I struggled to keep the overarching goal in mind.

The goal isn’t to start lecturing the moment you see your child has taken notice of something.

It’s not to bring along leather-bound journals, water colors and brushes, and create something straight out of The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady (as much as we’d all love to!)

The goal is to notice, observe and reflect. You can make beautiful journal entries, or simply jot down what you where and when, maybe noting the weather conditions.

You don’t need to be an artist or an ornithologist to journal about birds.

Keep reading good sources until it resonates with you in a meaningful way. For me, those sources have been the Simply Charlotte Mason podcast, the words of Charlotte Mason herself, and lots and lots of living books. I’ll also suggest visiting Wonder-Filled Days for some delightful and easy-to-implement resources, especially where winter studies are concerned (and so affordable too!)

Reflect and Get Planning

In addition to that, don’t forget to spend time reflecting on the things you’re learning, and writing down quotes and your own thoughts in a Commonplace Book, or Book of Mottoes (or any old journal ;))

Once you feel comfortable with the concept, it’s time to start planning your excursions, or “rambles”, your topics of study and any object lessons you want to plan into your term.

If you’re following a Charlotte Mason-based curriculum this might be outlined for you. Even so, there will be times where you want to tweak things or you’re feeling a little uninspired. And here’s where a list comes in handy!

I’ll briefly note here that these ideas won’t apply to everyone in every climate. I’m writing this as an encouragement to get outside in every condition the weather throws at you. Take this post and “mix it with brains”, as the wise woman said. Keep reading for lots of ideas and inspiration, sorted by the seasons!

Spring Nature Study

Spring is a wonderful time for nature study. I mean it is literally wonder-filled! Everything is waking up and coming back to life. We have long winters here in Michigan and spring is a welcome change.

You don’t have to look far for interesting things to study in spring, although it isn’t completely without its challenges. And where you live might present its own set of challenges.

For instance, while we Michiganders eagerly await the spring, we can’t count on it being consistently warm ’til June or later. Pair with that the usually relentless rain and the undeterred mosquitos and it doesn’t exactly make for a picturesque ramble.

Even so, with the words “Never be indoors when you can rightly be without” ringing in my ears, we don our rainboots and see what wonders we can observe.

Here are a few of our favorite spring objects and activities.

1. Birds Returning North

Check out Audobon.org for great ways to learn about and track the birds returning to your area!

Once you know what to look out for, try these ideas:

1. Set up a bird house or feeder somewhere easy to observe and track the birds that visit over the course of an afternoon.
2. Learn to identify a bird– or several- by their songs (This is one of the “Formidable Outcomes” Charlotte Mason laid out for children as young as 6!) There are apps and web resources to help with this. We love the book Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song , which has a built-in player!
3. Start a feather collection and sketch your findings in your nature journals (check state guidelines before taking home any specimens).

2. Ponds, Streams, Bodies of Water

Spring is my favorite time to visit the lake. The shallow banks are rich with things to observe- tadpoles, dragonfly nymphs, painted turtles- and the deeper water attracts fish and waterfowl. We love checking back often to watch goslings grow up.

I can say from experience that you might be surprised at what a seemingly small, boring pond has in store. Look around on Google Maps, ask for recommendations on your County Facebook Group, or ask around at church or your homeschool co-op for hidden gems you might be missing out on.

Besides the critters you’ll come across, the body of water itself is a fascinating study! Check the Simply Charlotte Mason Book Finder or The Handbook of Nature Study (available online for free) for ideas to go deeper. Some of our favorite topics include:

1. The dragonfly life cycle
2. Amphibians- especially newts
3. The water cycle- Water Dance by Thomas Locker does a beautiful job of explaining this concept.

3. Trees

While wildflowers are still a month or two away, it’s a perfect time to start learning to identify trees by their leaves, bark and flowers.

My family really enjoyed the book Crinkleroot’s Guide to Knowing the Trees by Jim Arnosky. We’re also implementing The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown-ups this upcoming year. I’ll let you know how we like it but it’s worth looking into!

The main way Charlotte Mason laid out nature study was to study an object closely until one is very familiar with it. You should be able to later identify that object in other settings in future. It’s also a great idea to choose a “friend” to revisit throughout the year to see how it changes over time, and a tree is a perfect candidate for this, seeing how they don’t move and all 🙂

A few more ideas to narrow this amazingly broad category are:

1. Compare and contrast deciduous and coniferous trees.
2. Collect several leaves and identify them- challenge yourself by using field guides instead of a Google image search.
3. Do a bark rubbing– place a piece of paper up against a tree or bark specimen and drag a crayon with the wrapper peeled off over the surface until the print appears.
4. Over the course of a week or two get to know a handful of trees and pay special attention to the animals that frequent each one.

Summer Nature Study

Summer might be the easiest time to study nature. Ironically though, it’s the time most people are on an extended break from studies! That being said, nature study doesn’t need to be limited to the school year. I highly encourage you to get outside and try your hand at some less formal nature time, if you don’t happen to be year-round homeschoolers. Here are some subjects to dive deeper on and a few activities for summer.

1. Wildflowers

This might be my favorite topic for Nature Study…but don’t quote me on that. I have a lot of favorites!

1. Press flowers– an oldie but a goodie. If you haven’t tried it, you need to!
2. Make a wildflower bouquet and identify all the flowers back at home.
3. Plant your own wildflower garden (a small area will do fine) and see what pollinators stop by.
4. Learn about the medicinal and health benefits of different wildflowers in your area.
5. You could spend a lot of time on dandelions– lifecycle, anatomy, medicinal and food uses, etc.

2. Insects

This could go hand-in-hand with other studies or stand alone. There are so many fascinating insects that are easily found in the summer. June bugs, fireflies, grasshoppers, dragonflies and damselflies, BUTTERFLIES. Choose a favorite or one you happen to see often and run with it. Some further ideas on insects include:

1. Go on a bug scavenger hunt- keep a list and see how many different types you can spot in the allotted time. You could make this a competitive game as well!
2. Observe spider webs up close and personal- then talk about why spiders *aren’t* insects 🙂
3. Spend an afternoon looking for butterflies- note what flowers they frequent, name the ones you know, identify the ones you don’t later. Butterflies make great nature journal (and photography!) subjects.
4. Choose a new hiking destination to mix things up- again, ask around and strike out of your comfort zone to find new and interesting subjects to observe in this beautiful season.

Autumn Nature Study

Again, I wouldn’t call this season difficult, yet towards the end of fall the temps dip low enough to make it quite unpleasant at times to practice nature study. The days grow much shorter and we find ourselves hunkering down, perhaps unconsciously. I know I find myself being less motivated to get outside and more motivated to bake pumpkin bread and drink coffee by a cozy fire. But autumn is so beautiful, even into December. Let’s talk about some ways we can keep that in mind.

1. Gather leaves for a craft- preserve them with mod podge, do a page of crayon rubbings, use them for a water color subject, and of course learn the names of each type of tree they’re from.
2. Visit a pumpkin patch– observe the pumpkins growing on vines at a U-Pick farm, learn the different varieties and compare them, dissect them at home, roast the seeds and make a pie if you want!
3. Observe how fallen leaves pile up densely towards the end of fall, especially in the woods, and ask, “Where do they go in spring and summer?” Use this as a launch into decomposers and consider reading “The Baby Plants’ Bed Coverings” from Outdoor Secrets.
4. At the end of fall, but before the snow, challenge yourselves to look for signs of life. Sometimes this can seem like the most lifeless time of year, yet if you look closely you’ll be surprised. Go on a ramble and note how plants might behave in preparation for winter and what the animals are doing to prepare, as well.

Winter Nature Study

And now the challenge. I don’t know about you but I’d much rather a 95 degree sweltering day than one that drops below 40. No excuses, though. We remember our motto and we press on. Even in Michigan.

A quick word of advice before getting into the ideas? Bundle everyone up well before heading out, so that you’re almost uncomfortably warm (although not sweaty!). Then, by the time you step out into the frigid air, it’ll be a welcome relief. Or at least not unbearable!

1. Lichen- I’ll admit I’d never heard the word ‘lichen’ before joining the Charlotte Mason community, but I’m so glad I did. Do a quick Google search for some info then head out to identify some. You’ll start seeing it everywhere! P.S. lichens are perfect for studying in the winter as they’re easier to spot on the bare trees.
2. Snow- don’t forget, weather elements are always great for nature study and the options with snow are endless.
3. Animal tracks- besides studying the snow itself, look for tracks in the snow as well as scat, and owl pellets which really stand out against a white ground covering.
4. Winter birds- find out what birds stay around where you live and keep a log or record what you notice about them in your nature journals. We also like to make ornament treats for the birds and decorate our cypress and yew.

Ok, a few more since this is where most of us need some help!

5. Squirrels- squirrel nests are easy to spot in bare trees.

6. Early bloomers- snow drops and crocus are both known to come up through the snow. We love studying them in February.

7. Rose hips– these have always been fascinating to me. Once you’ve identified and closely observed some, research what they’re used for.

8. Mushrooms- it’s a surprisingly good time to be on the look out for fungi. Shelf mushrooms have always been particularly interesting to my family, and usually easy to find. Just don’t eat any, promise??

9. The night sky- the skies are usually bright and clear in winter. This would be a great time to study moon phases, constellations, planets, the north star, and so much more. By the way, did you know some university libraries loan out telescopes? Check into it!

10. Christmas tree farm- Similar to a pumpkin patch, this is an easy, ready-made nature study location. Observe, identify, compare, and even count the rings on cut trees (that’s the advantage here over a forest). Hot cocoa afterwards never hurts.

So there you have it. I tried to keep these ideas to actual Nature Study, as laid out by Miss Mason; physically being outside, observing subjects closely, using the senses, recording or otherwise narrating those observations. I also sprinkled in a few “when you get back home” ideas and a handful of books for further study, but these are optional!

It’s tempting to chase down every rabbit trail and begin listing every cute nature-related craft and hands-on project I can think of, and those have their place! But Nature Study is just that; studying nature. And I find that to be a relief from all the extras most of the time.

Don’t forget to Pin this one for later!

I truly hope you found these ideas helpful. I know there are so many more. Remember we never want to become slaves to any subject. When all else fails, just go outside and look around.

-Tara