We had our annual Nature Study meeting last week and our first Nature Study day for 2011 this week at the creek. It turned out to be 97 degrees, which wasn’t so bad until we started trekking up the creek to a point I blogged about here. The creek was rather parched and the heat was very intense. We were all dripping with sweat!
Some things we decided on for this year are to do our nature journals in the first half hour and to reserve that time for nature journaling only so the kids could better focus on their drawings instead of getting distracted by others who may be up and poking around, playing already.
We also will have recitation in place of nature journaling, the last week of the month. The Moms are continuing finishing up The Screwtape Letters, then reading The Great Gatsby while we save our pennies for Norms & Nobility to follow.
We’re planning on starting a book club of sorts for the kids with the Peterkin Papers but it’s still a bit fuzzy.
Another idea we were tossing around was to find a central online location where the kids could collaborate and share their nature observations. Obviously, the Moms would have to post the info for the kids at this age still, but I thought it might turn out to eventually contain a significant body of observations and encourage more interest and closer observation. The idea is still just that – an idea so we’ll keep you posted on how that goes.
Here are pictures from our day. Did I mention one Mom almost slid off a slippery rock, toddler in arms, into a pool of algae covered water? Praise God she didn’t and both made it back safe. Her comment later was “Way to bring in the new year with a bang!” What a great attitude. Glad to have such troopers in the group.
How awesome!
How awesome!