The Art of Nature Study

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with Tricia Hodges

Welcome to The Art of Nature Study! Each issue features an article by Tricia Hodges about either art or nature study. These two subjects really do go hand-in-hand. Learning doesn’t fit into neat little boxes, so combining them is a wonderful way to show your children how connected everything really is!

With both art and nature study, children develop observational skills and eyes to see the beauty around them. Drawing, painting, and chalk pastels give kids a creative way to fill their nature journals with flowers, trees, birds, and more.

polaroid pictures of a girl doing nature arts and crafts and of autumn leaves

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An Autumn Walk

Ahhh, it’s time for autumn nature study. With the crisp, cool air rustling the changing leaves, it’s as if we’re being invited to watch winter’s slow approach.

There are so many different things you can do and see and experience in the fall.

In the spring issue, we talked about choosing one thing to focus on to build a habit of nature study.

So try it. Just focus on one afternoon activity.

Take an autumn walk.

Observe the colors around you. Sit and just watch a tree on a breezy day. When the leaves fall, how would you describe it? Do they float or drift or fall like rain?

Wander through a bed of fallen leaves. Jump into a pile of them. What does it feel like? What does it sound like? How would you describe the smell?

If you have little learners, that is enough. Just walk, look, ask questions, and enjoy your time outdoors as a family. The memories you are making help young children develop a love of learning because they associate it with you.

If you have older children, take some crayons with you and nature journals. Draw the different shapes of leaves you find. Search for just the right crayons to match the colors you see in nature. Do some leaf rubbings.

Collect leaves and bring them home. Label the parts of a leaf in a journal. Watch videos about why leaves change colors, and take a trip to the library to find more books about trees and leaves and read them aloud together.

Go as deep as your children want to go.

Nature study is more than science. It’s the appreciation of creation and the God of creation. An act of worship in many ways. Listen to this beautiful hymn and meditate on God’s incredible handiwork.

Consider these words from
All Things Bright and Beautiful
by Cecil Frances Alexander:

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.

The rich man in his castle,
The poor man at his gate,
God made them, high and lowly,
And ordered their estate.

The purple headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning,
That brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one.

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water,
We gather every day.

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell,
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.

If you do nothing else… simply take a walk this fall. Breathe deeply, play, laugh, and just look. Worship the Lord of creation.

ricia Hodges and her family fell in love with the Handbook of Nature Study and the accompanying Outdoor Hour Challenges early in their homeschooling. The simplicity and ease of the weekly outdoor hour challenges brought joy to their homeschool and opened their eyes to the world right out their own back door! She shares the art and heart of homeschooling at You ARE an ARTiST and Your Best Homeschool plus her favorite curricula at The Curriculum Choice.

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