4 Secrets to a Successful Backyard Nature Study
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Most of us are spending more time at home these days, so now is a great time for a backyard nature study. A nature study is a great low-pressure way to teach science.
So many lessons can be taught just through careful observation and reflection!
My kids have always enjoyed nature studies. I think it is due to children’s natural curiosity. They are just wired to be outside turning over rocks, chasing butterflies, and splashing in mud puddles.
The years we lived in Washington contained some of our best nature studies. We were able to explore a variety of environments without going far from home.
We could take day trips to the timber-filled shore of the Pacific Northwest, snow covered mountains, and forests so green and mossy they looked like they were right out of a fairy tale.
However, our best nature studies took place right in our very own backyard.
I would send my kids out to explore anytime the weather was mild. They would each go off in their own direction, following whatever caught their attention. Frequently they would call the other over to see what they had found.
It was a peaceful, gentle way to learn. Through our backyard nature studies they learned about:
- Various types of plants native to WA
- The life cycle of our garden – an Asian pear tree, blackberry bushes, a blueberry bush, strawberries, carrots, tomatoes, and kale
- The food chain – the slugs ate our garden and the garter snakes ate the slugs
- Wildlife that lived in our region of Washington – we even watched a cougar walk near our backyard one day (watched from a window – we definitely did NOT want to get an up close view)!
As my kids have gotten older though, I stopped making a dedicated effort to send them outside to quietly listen and watch. We moved from Washington to North Carolina and in the busyness of getting settled we stopped paying attention to our natural surroundings.
The pandemic changed that.
Like many families, we are going on more neighborhood walks than ever. We have developed a specific route that lets us check on the geese in one pond and the tadpoles in another.
When the weather is just right, we spend hours outside quietly observing.
Secrets to a Successful Backyard Nature Study
All you really need for a backyard nature study is:
- A backyard or convenient outdoor space
- A curious child
- Time
There are a few extra tips that can make a backyard nature study more enriching though.
Have the Right Materials
Having a variety of exploratory materials available can help create interest.
Kids might not be excited about the idea of sitting quietly in the backyard while they observe their surroundings, but a neat pocket microscope or magnifying glass might change their mind.
Our favorite backyard nature study materials include:
- Sketchpad, colored pencils, pencil
- Magnifying glass
- Binoculars
- Field guides (make sure to choose ones for your region)
- Pocket microscope
Keeping all of the materials together in a backpack means that you are ready for a nature study anytime.
Be Consistent
Go outside to observe on a regular basis – at least weekly, but ideally a few times each week. There is so much to notice that it is hard to see it all if we don’t go out very often.
While you are still getting into the nature study habit, check the weather each weekend and write the backyard nature study into your lesson plans.
Look for Change
Change is exciting to witness. It also gives us a sense of the bigger picture. Kids can watch a blossom on an apple tree turn into a delicious apple.
Look for:
- Flowers blooming
- Leaves changing
- Grass (or weeds) growing
- Water or mud levels changing after a storm or dry spell
Find Your Animals Neighbors
Your family is not the only one enjoying your backyard.
Find the animals that share your space:
- Insects
- Squirrels
- Snakes
- Rabbits
- Birds
My kids have always been huge animal lovers, so this was frequently their favorite part of our nature studies.
They named all of the animals living in our Washington backyard (snakes, lizards, and bunnies). We left that backyard two years ago but my kids still talk about Blackberry the bunny and Harry the lizard!
How often do you go on a backyard nature study with your kids?
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