May Nature Calendar
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May is a new month filled with opportunities to be intimate with nature and learn outside.
Charlotte Mason believed that children (I believe this is true for adults as well) learn most from what they are intimate and close to. Nature study is not a one-time event, but a new habit to form.
When I first started homeschooling 14 years ago, we were just getting started with nature journaling. We didn’t learn to form the habit yet. As the weeks went by, we added Friday as our more focused day to study nature. It turned out, that was the perfect routine for us. By Friday afternoons, we were outside journaling with a specific focus. All week leading up to Friday, the children still spent ( we still do!) time outside but Friday was our focused day.
Our nature calendars mimic my own routine that worked. On Friday you will see “NATURE JOURNAL” labeled on your calendar. If Friday isn’t a day that works, switch the day of the week to work for you.
If you are new to our Nature Calendars, we study a new scientist each month. Some ideas I have for studying a scientist are:
- Reading about him/her
- Learning what their contribution to the science field
- Learning more about the time period in which they live
- Look at a portrait of the scientist ( what he/she looked like)
- Learn about their early life
- Read a paragraph about the scientist then the child narrates ( retells ) that paragraph back to you as best as possible.
This month we are learning about Michael Faraday, who led the discovery of electromagnetic induction.
Here is an article in the Britannica about Faraday.
Books I recommend:
Nature Study Routine
Every family is different with varying priorities and ages of children. I have found that after our morning time, breakfast, and chores, my children like to spend a few minutes outside before formal studies. While I think a set time to go outside can add too much pressure on you (the mom or dad) having a flow or rhythm is very helpful. It’s easier because children are less frustrated when they know what comes next at home. It took me a long time to fully realize how much easier it is to homeschool when we embraced a natural rhythm.
Keep Your Days Simple
Realize early on that the priority you are placing on nature study isn’t something our culture naturally promotes. Instead, we are encouraged to take our children OUT of our homes as much as possible. We are encouraged to live hectic lives. I have found the glory of living a simple life at home, and my children have benefited in ways that are hard to put into words. My mission here on this platform is to call us back to simplicity. To live more intentionally in our moments and focus on what really matters.
When I first began homeschooling, it wasn’t simple. It was so stressful for me. I tried to do way too much. We were gone all the time so we could be involved in everything.
I’ve learned to pick one day a week for extracurricular activities. The other four days, we need to be home. This changed my life.
I started creating seasonal bundles to encourage living in a seasonal way. I love to read the emails from moms that say, “Thank you, I feel so much pressure off as I try to live a more simple lifestyle”.
Download your free May Calendar HERE
