Homeschooling tips Incorporating Art in your Nature Studies: Wildlife Wednesday

I participate on Wednesday with Kathy Balman @Kathy's Cluttered Mind and Master Books at Creation Conversations to bring you Wildlife Wednesday. We share our adventures in nature and information about encounters with God's beautiful creation.

*affiliate links may be present in this post - see disclosure page

We do a lot of different nature & wildlife activities. One of the best things we've incorporated into our homeschool nature studies - is art. It's fun and interesting, it helps the boys remember what they have seen. It reinforces what they have learned either out in the field or in studies afterward.

Incorporating art into our studies adds another layer of depth to our adventures outdoors. Our art can be very simple - in the form of a drawing or sketch in a simple notebook. Or it can be as extravagant as a sculpture, painting, or recreation/model about our experience.

Students can create a collage out of natural elements, or they can put one together from pictures in magazines (great for little ones). Art is a wonderful way to bring geography into your studies as well. You can learn a lot about culture, climate, and the people from any area on the globe, by studying the animals who call it home.

Using art in your nature studies requires the participants to take a closer look at the subject and allows for in depth discussions about God's incredible creation. It gives the opportunity to stop and appreciate the intricate details implemented by a loving and omniscient Designer.

You don't have to have a lot of complicated supplies to enjoy art and nature with your children. Start with a few basics such as a sketch pad and an art set with various mediums to try.

Suggestions:
Simple art tools
Sketch pads & Journals

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word!

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Wildlife Wednesday - Nature study link up for Master Books

I participate on Wednesday with Kathy Balman @Kathy's Cluttered Mind and Master Books at Creation Conversations to bring you Wildlife Wednesday. We share our adventures in nature and information about encounters with God's beautiful creation.

This week:

Are you getting out to the beach this summer?
It's a great opportunity to take a closer look at God's Creation with the kids

Read full article and get FREE: Florida from Aa-Zz Printable Unit Study

on the Creation Conversations site here

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word!

Grab the button below or use a text link back please:

Wildlife Wednesday: Close encounters (a little too close)

I participate on Wednesday with Kathy Balman @Kathy's Cluttered Mind and Master Books at Creation Conversations to bring you Wildlife Wednesday. We share our adventures in nature and information about encounters with God's beautiful creation.

Also participating with Real Life Homeschooling

This week:

Our friendly neighborhood gopher tortoise paid us another visit. This time he actually got in the house. He's been trying for quite awhile (kidd you not). He came up onto our back porch and scratched at the glass door (again) and then walked on down the patio.

I went out to take his picture and shoo him off my porch. I squatted down to take his picture . . . and he charged right at me - past me and right into the house! I was so shocked, I couldn't hardly get out of his way. I was tripping over myself to keep from stepping on him.

My son grabbed him for me and put him out. He'd been digging in the yard. You can see all the dirt on his back. I think he just decided he'd had enough and wanted in the "ready made" house. I am not sure why he isn't afraid.

It is not the first time he has paid us a visit. But, it is the first time, and hopefully the last time he actually got in the house!

We love our nature studies, but next time we'll study with the door shut. We always love exploring God's Creation - and that is working for us. I just have to remember wildlife is NOT predictable, and if a tortoise is scratching at the door like he wants to come in . . . he does!

Real Life opportunities like this are not to be missed. We take full advantage of them and dig in to our studies to learn more about the creatures we find on our adventures. This one found us!
(Linking with Real Life Homeschooling here)

Free wildlife resources:

Gopher Tortoise coloring page here

Gopher Tortoise burrow coloring page here

Read more about the Florida Gopher Tortoise here

Kathy @Kathy'sClutteredMind has written a beautiful post all about spring and summer babies you'll not want to miss. Our summer baby was a baby gopher tortoise. As always - Kathy has wonderful freebies for your homeschool included!

Our baby:

Visit the Creation Conversations Wildlife Wednesday group page to read Kathy's new article and to find valuable resources for your homeschool.

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word!

Grab the button below or use a text link:

Wildlife Wednesday: Leaping Lizards . . . and other such wildlife in my house!

I participate on Wednesday with Kathy Balman @Kathy's Cluttered Mind and Master Books at Creation Conversations to bring you Wildlife Wednesday. We share our adventures in nature and information about encounters with God's beautiful creation.

This week: 

Ll is for . . . Leaping Lizards . . . in my house! 
#letter of the week with Ben and Me

I'd love to tell you that our house isn't always full of bugs, reptiles, and amphibians - but to my chagrin, it would simply not be truthful. With 3 little boys running in and out of the house throughout most of the day, and with all the exploring I've encouraged, coupled with the hands on learning style we enjoy - I suppose it was inevitable that I would amass a collection of God's rather "interesting" critters. 

Um, yes, that is my lovely Daysprings lantern . . . with a lizard in it. 

Believe it or not, it wasn't all that long ago we had several scorpions as family pets. No, I'm not kidding. They actually turned out to be pretty interesting. 

Did you know that scorpions give birth to about 25 - 35 babies at a time?  They live on the mother's back for a couple of weeks until after the first molting. Interesting, huh? 

Read more about these critters, get links with free videos and information about how these critters of ours  point to the design of the Creator - on the Creation Conversations Wildlife Wednesday site here. 

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word!

Grab the button below or use a text link:

Wildlife Wednesday: Incredible Luna Moth

I participate on Wednesday with Kathy Balman @Kathy's Cluttered Mind and Master Books at Creation Conversations to bring you Wildlife Wednesday. We share our adventures in nature and information about encounters with God's beautiful creation.

I is for Incredible! 

The Incredible Luna Moth 

The male have thicker and fuller, feathery antenna so they can find the female. The Luna Moth caterpillars are found in North America and eat a variety of trees. They eat hickory, sweetgum, pecan, and walnut trees (to name a few).  

They have a 4-5 inch wing span. 

Our female Luna Moth: 

We found this beautiful female at the Sheltowee Trace Outfitters in Southern Kentucky. There are plenty of hickory, sweetgum and other trees around for the luna caterpillars to eat in the wooded area near Cumberland Falls. The details of the fine, thin wings are incredibly beautiful. The "eye" shapes on each of the 4 wings are striking as well.

As excited as we were about our whitewater rafting adventure with Sheltowee Trace Outfitters, I was thrilled to see the boys get just as excited about this beautiful moth. God's creation never ceases to amaze. If He has created such beauty here on earth, how much more must be waiting for us when our "life cycle" is done!

1 Corinthians 2:9 

 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,

 neither have entered into the heart of man, 

the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

We do not know if this female has yet laid her eggs, but if so, she will not live much longer, as she will have served her purpose. The eggs are medium sized, dark brown, and circular.  Laying her eggs will complete her life cycle.

For you: 

Luna Moth printout - from Enchanted Learning 
You Tube video about the life cycle

*Enter the Master Books Giveaway here to win The Ecology Book 

Don't miss out! Join our Wildlife Wednesday group here on Creation Conversations to share information and discuss God's Creation, hear from the experts, and gain more insight, freebies, and fellowship.

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word!

Grab the button below or use a text link:

Wildlife Wednesday - Nature post link up & a giveaway

I participate on Wednesday with Kathy Balman @Kathy's Cluttered Mind and Master Books at Creation Conversations to bring you Wildlife Wednesday. We share our adventures in nature and information about encounters with God's beautiful creation.

This week: Kathy Balman is hosting the WW post here

Around our place - we are always on the lookout for a new critter to observe! 

Are you finding any fun critters around your place for some up close observation? 

We are giving away The Ecology Book from Master Books!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word!

Grab the button below or use a text link:

Wildlife Wednesday - Master Books Giveaway & our wildlife adventures

I participate on Wednesday with Kathy Balman @Kathy's Cluttered Mind and Master Books at Creation Conversations to bring you Wildlife Wednesday. We share our adventures in nature and information about encounters with God's beautiful creation.

This week:

We've had a funny experience with wild animals wanting to come in to the house and to our tent while camping!

This neighborhood Gopher Tortoise has been determined to come in for a visit. We put him back in the yard, and he would come right back up on the porch to scratch at the sliding glass doors. He wanted in.

We also had a determined raccoon who actually did come into our tent while we were camping. He stole our bread, and then came all the way in and hauled out a bag of trash!

We were camping in an area of Florida where there are no bears, and we've always been comfortable putting the food and cooler in the tent at night. We've had raccoons and animals come into the camp area at night, that is normal, but having them come right into the tent was a new experience.

Experience with wildlife can be incredibly interesting and entertaining, but requires a respect for nature and a careful approach!

We also had the opportunity to go kayaking and fishing. Spence caught and released a pretty blue crab he was very proud of. These interactions with nature build confidence and self esteem in our children. They learn about themselves, their Creator, and the world around them as they investigate and explore creation.

Animals aren't the only wildlife to explore. Spring is a wonderful time to learn about flowering plants as well. The picture below is a Coral Bean plant. It will drop it's seed pods soon and reproduce more little coral beans in the area.

Exploring God's creation is a wonderful way to teach your children more about their Creator. Everything in nature points to an intelligent Designer.

Master Books is joining me and giving away a copy of The Ecology Book:
(perfect for your home or homeschool)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word!

Grab the button below or use a text link:

Wildlife Wednesday - Backyard ecology and Giveaway!

I participate each Wednesday with Kathy Balman @Kathy's Cluttered Mind and Master Books at Creation Conversations to bring you Wildlife Wednesday. We share our adventures in nature and information about encounters with God's beautiful creation.

This week:

Backyard ecology

You don't have to take a trip or head for the wilderness to study wildlife with your kids. You don't even have to be especially "outdoorsy". We love our nature walks, camping and outdoor adventures - but sometimes we have the most fun right in our own yard!

If you have a pond or water nearby - you can collect tadpoles. After a good Spring rain is a great time to go for a tadpole search.

Please go here to the Creation Conversations Wildlife Wednesday page for full article and suggestions on how you can enjoy some backyard science with your kids!

Exciting giveaway:

Master Books is giving away The Ecology Book  to one of my readers in honor of Wildlife Wednesday!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Link up your own wildlife and nature posts and be Pinned to the Master Books Wildlife Wednesday pinboard and shared around the web. Please provide a link back to this post in order to spread the word!

Grab the button below or use a text link: