I can hardly believe it, but we just wrapped up our ninth year of homeschooling. Wasn’t it just 2014? How can that kindergartener be entering his sophomore year in high school? Where is the pause button?!
If you can’t tell, I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately. I’ve been reflecting on our unexpected homeschool journey and feeling thankful for everything we have learned.
We’ve always referred to ourselves as “curriculum dabblers” because we are resource junkies and love to dip in and dip out of educational resources and materials, depending on what the kids are interested in at any given time. Because of this, we’ve sampled a lot of curricula over the years. It’s interesting to look back and see which resources you repeatedly return to. It says a lot about a homeschool resource or company if you return to it repeatedly over 9 or 10 years.
Beautiful Feet Books is one of those tried-and-true homeschool resources, and I am excited to share a brand-new study pack for science and nature fans!
Engaging Early Homeschool Science And Nature Study With Beautiful Feet
*Disclosure: I received Beautiful Feet Books’ Seasons Afield Nature Study Pack at no cost and was compensated for my time writing this review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I only share products and resources I would use with my family and those I believe other families will enjoy. Our family has loved Beautiful Feet Books for many years.
Homeschool Science and Nature Study: A Perfect Pair
It’s funny because, when I was in elementary school, science was one of my least favorite subjects. When I think back, I can only remember endless vocabulary lists, quizzes, and repeated bean-sprout-in-a-ziplock-bag experiments.
But in our homeschool? Science is incredibly fun. One of the unexpected gifts of homeschooling is my joy while learning alongside my children. We just completed our ninth year of homeschooling, and I am happy to report all three of my kids adore science. Part of that is because we were curious and allowed ourselves to dive down so many random science-y rabbit holes.
I loved those early years of exploration and discovery!
In the early years, most of our homeschool science was nature-based.
One of the [many] reasons we fell unexpectedly into the world of homeschooling is that I have a kiddo who can’t sit still. In kindergarten, he was the child who was always roaming around, falling out of his chair, fidgeting with things, speaking out of turn and off-topic, and climbing anything and everything.
This little guy needed to be outside and moving as much as possible. Now that he’s 15? NO REGRETS.
When we started homeschooling, I knew this little guy needed to be moving and outside as much as possible. And so that’s what we did. After our morning Coffee and Books ritual, we’d head outside as a family. We would wander in the woods leisurely or visit a local farm. We eventually traveled every trail in our local system. We learned about our local farms and farmers, their animals, and seasonal produce. As the seasons changed, so too did the natural world around us, and my kids were soaking it in and learning all the while.
If we were on a trail and saw a strange-looking plant or a salamander we’d never seen before, we would snap a photo on my phone and research it later. My kids built innumerable forts with friends. They climbed trees. They found animal tracks. They watched birds. They learned to love and care for the land around them.
Kids are learning all the time, especially in the early years.
And that little kindergartener who couldn’t sit in his seat? He’s now 15 years old and passionately involved in scouts. He loves hiking and camping and has climbed many of NH’s 4,000-footers. I am forever grateful my kiddos were given all that time to be outside and explore. I know it positively impacted the young man he is today.
He even went to Banff, Canada, with scouts last summer!
Honestly? Those were my favorite homeschool days. I loved the endless hours of exploration and discovery. I love tweens and teens, but they have fewer empty hours as they age due to classes, activities, and jobs. I find myself missing those afternoon wanders from our early years of homeschooling.
So much life to explore in the local pond.
So, if you’re reading this and have littles, please know that a fantastic read-aloud followed by a day outdoors is more than enough in the early years. With a little hindsight, you’ll see how impactful, precious, and educational that time was.
It’s true. A few fantastic read-alouds and time spent in nature are enough in the early years.
Frog-catching!
Today I want to share a science and nature study pack that I wish I could have used when my kids were little! But first, I want to introduce you to Beautiful Feet Books.
Photo courtesy of Beautiful Feet Books
Learning with Beautiful Feet
Beautiful Feet Books is an award-winning company offering homeschool families a literature-rich, inspiring, easy-to-use homeschool curriculum, books, and teacher guides for grades k-12. The teacher guides are easy to follow and super flexible, so you can make the resources work for your unique family.
As mentioned, our family has loved Beautiful Feet Books from the get-go. In our 9+ years of homeschooling, Beautiful Feet Books has been a near-constant. To see what I mean, search “Beautiful Feet Books” in the My Little Poppies search bar and see how many results there are!
Looking back, here are just a few of the Beautiful Feet Books homeschool resources we have enjoyed:
- Early American History Primary
- Teaching Character Primary
- Around the World with Picture Books Part I
- Around the World with Picture Books Part II
- History of Science
- Teaching Character Intermediate
- History of the Horse
- Early American Intermediate
- Beautiful Feet Books Geography Through Literature Pack K-3
- History of Classical Music
Of note: I try to use secular curricula. Beautiful Feet Books is not secular, but it’s not overtly religious, plus the teacher guides are so flexible that you can make each resource work for your unique family.
Seasons Afield Nature Study Pack by Beautiful Feet Books
Beautiful Feet’s Seasons Afield for Homeschool Science and Nature Study
Beautiful Feet Books has a new resource called Seasons Afield Nature Study Pack. It is recommended for grades k-4, and the books included in this pack are fantastic!
This study pack was designed with a Schullandheim approach. This German educational approach to studying the natural world includes field trips into the natural world, nature study, and education. This study pack will help your family study the natural world, and the books will transport you through all seasons.
I wish the Beautiful Feet Seasons Afield Nature Study Pack existed when my kids were little!
The Seasons Afield Nature Study Pack includes the following:
- An easy-to-follow and super flexible teacher guide
- 1 student notebook
- 1 fieldnote and watercolor cards
- 15 science books
- 72 homeschool science lessons
This is yet another homeschool gem from Beautiful Feet Books. It’s the nature study pack I wish I had had when my kiddos were younger!
Seasons Afield Nature Study Pack by Beautiful Feet Books
The Seasons Afield Nature Study Pack is a one-year science course incorporating biology, chemistry, botany, geology, zoology, earth science, field science, watercolor artwork, music, art history, and hands-on projects.
Over a homeschool year, your family will learn about trees, plants, and mushrooms, and you’ll watch them change throughout the seasons. You’ll learn about various animals and their habitats and life cycles. In the winter, you will learn the science behind snowflakes, the science of hibernation, and so much more.
Your family will learn about the above (and more) through high-quality picture books and time spent in nature. Your kiddos will love using watercolors to paint what they see.
Seasons Afield Nature Study Pack by Beautiful Feet Books
Do you want a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of the Seasons Afield Nature Study Pack?
Watch the video below to hear my thoughts and get a sneak peek of the books included in this study pack.
Try Beautiful Feet in Your Homeschool
Our family has loved Beautiful Feet Books for almost a decade, and I honestly wish the Seasons Afield Nature Study Pack was around when my teens were little!
If you’d like to try Beautiful Feet Books in your homeschool, please note the following promos that are happening at the time this post was published:
- Customers get free shipping for all orders over $150
- First-time customers can use promo code IgniteWonder for free shipping on their first order of any size.
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Seasons Afield Nature Study Pack by Beautiful Feet Books
More Beautiful Feet Resources for Your Homeschool
If you’d like to read more of our Beautiful Feet Books blog posts, check out the following:
- Coffee and Books with Beautiful Feet Books: A Memorable Start to the Day!
- Beautiful Feet Books: Literature-Rich Learning for Book Lovers
- The Advantages Of Literature-Based Geography In Your Homeschool
- A Literature-Rich Geography Curriculum for Book Lovers
- History of the Horse: A Fun Homeschool Rabbit Hole!
Now, It’s Your Turn. Tell us: What is your Favorite way to homeschool science and nature study?
