Guest Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I am going to sound so stupid here, so please humor me. I decided to switch out a suggested activity in one of our lessons for a nature walk. Okay, so... what do you do on a nature walk? I'm looking for ideas for a non-writer. I am SO not an outdoors type and we live in the desert. Everyone's front yards are rocks. The lesson was originally on creation, so I'd like to focus on that which God created. I could use some help. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelanieMac Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I went on my first nature walk with my 4 yr old ds. I carried around a pad of paper and a few colored pencils. We just walked for a while then I would stop and ask what he heard, saw, smelled, felt. I wrote it down. I then had him draw a picture of anything he liked that he saw below what I wrote. The next walk, we did the same thing. After a week, we read over what he had told me and looked at the pictures. We talked about the changes in what he observed. Then we started over. Hope this helps- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kls126s Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Probably one of the easiest ways to start this without a lot of stress or planning is to visit the Outdoor Hour Challenges blog. That link gives you the basics of getting started, and then if you scroll down on the page you'll find the list of challenges in the right sidebar. She recommends that you do challenges 1-5 first, then just pick up where they are. You'll be on target for weather/seasons, etc, that way. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Alfred Academy Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Great suggestions! I was going to say something very similar, but you hit it right on the head! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 We just go for walks and naturally notice things. I have tried to do formal nature walks and it doesn't really click for us- but just going for a walk, the kids will see all sorts of things, so we take time to stop and look. Regular walking out in nature is just wonderful- you notice the subtle changes- yes, even in the desert. The desert is full of wildlife. I live in Australia- lots of desert, but it's so alive. Sometimes the kids and I take some pencils and paper into the bush and just sit and draw whatever we choose. Sometimes dd14 brings a camera and takes dozens of photos of wildflowers and puts the best ones on her MySpace page. Sometimes we notice a bird we dont know the name of, and we look it up when we get home. Sometimes, we just walk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 We just walk. I see your kids are little too. I've found with my own at that age they are usually good about noticing little things. The challenge for me is to slow down and let them look at the things they naturally want to and that usually I'm too busy to stop and see. The bug on the sidewalk, the weird rock, the tree roots that make a good climbing patch, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Walk slowly and quietly, stop frequently, and share what you see. That's all you need to get started. From there, as they get older, you can add in using binoculars, taking photographs, sketching what you see, collecting items to examine or draw at home, using field guides, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Probably one of the easiest ways to start this without a lot of stress or planning is to visit the Outdoor Hour Challenges blog. That link gives you the basics of getting started, and then if you scroll down on the page you'll find the list of challenges in the right sidebar. She recommends that you do challenges 1-5 first, then just pick up where they are. You'll be on target for weather/seasons, etc, that way. HTH! That is a great link! Thank you so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I've gone walking with Alice, and she has it just right. Our little group went to the same park once a month, and walked the same path. We noticed changes, enjoyed the little things all around, and generally had a great, unhurried time. Do you have parks near you? I would just...go! Do not expect your child, at 3.5, to draw a picture yet. Many kids that young are pre-pictoral. You could, however, do some process art with the natural objects you find. You can paint on rocks, use branches to paint, print with nuts and roll them in a box w/paint (like marble painting), and you can also take photos to remember your walks. Love the idea of taking dictation, also. We do a lot of that at preschool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonia Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Do you have parks near you? I would just...go!You could, however, do some process art with the natural objects you find. You can paint on rocks, use branches to paint, print with nuts and roll them in a box w/paint (like marble painting), and you can also take photos to remember your walks. Great ideas! We don't really "plan" our walks either. We just go for a walk and take our time to look at things. Once in awhile I'll flip through a few books (Handbook of Nature Study, field guides, etc.) before we go and get a few ideas of some simple things to point out. Maybe you could pick up some simple field guides - my daughter loves to look at the pictures and usually grabs one to take on our walk. Keep it light and natural and let them lead :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryRon Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Oh thank you! I love love love the outdoors, but am not really sure what to do on "nature walks". I mean, I can point to a tree and say "that's a tree and it gives oxygen" or whatever, but new ideas are soooo welcome! I am going to sound so stupid here, so please humor me. I decided to switch out a suggested activity in one of our lessons for a nature walk. Okay, so... what do you do on a nature walk? I'm looking for ideas for a non-writer. I am SO not an outdoors type and we live in the desert. Everyone's front yards are rocks. The lesson was originally on creation, so I'd like to focus on that which God created. I could use some help. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Just walk. You don't need anything. If you happen to notice a pretty flower, say to your kids "Wow, look at that flower. Isn't it beautiful?" Or if you see a tree that you are able to identify, point to it and say, "See that tree? That's an oak. You can tell because the leaves are shaped like this." (Or whatever. I see you are in the desert. You may not have many trees.) We started going on nature walks with a purpose when my daughter was about 5. We would set out with the goal of looking for mushrooms, deer, or eagles, depending on the season. I also bought her a notebook and she really enjoys writing down the date, what we saw, and sometimes drawing a picture. But I don't force it. I say, "Do you want to put that in your nature book?" and so far she has always said yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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