A Magical Homeschool: Nature Studies: 52 Wonderful Ways to Use Nature Studies in Every Season to Teach Science, Math, Art and More Kindle Edition

The author lists why nature studies are an excellent way to start science instruction:1. It's an easy way to teach science2. It lays the foundation for higher learning3. It gets kids outside4. It can be done anywhere5. It's free6. It can help put the fun back into learning7. It works with other subjects8. It gives children a sense of stewardship for the earth9. It develops critical reasoning skills10. Children find it magicalWhile points 9 and 10 might seem antithetical to each other, the author is talking about how much fun children have in doing nature studies and how well it works to do, rather than to read about something like a life cycle of a frog. She makes things magical - when talking about edible flowers, she suggests putting mousse into tulips. How can that not seem magical to a child?The author suggests many of the nature studies my kids loved doing: worm calling, soil pH vinegar testing, testing natural insect repellents, a weed lab, telling the temperature with crickets, making fruit leather in cars to demonstrate how hot closed cars get, and cloud making.When applicable, the activity comes with directions for the child to use the scientific method, which gives an excellent start for budding scientists.I particularly like how there are sections for which nature study is best for which season. That makes life so much easier for the parent leading the study.I cannot recommend this highly enough for every homeschooler of younger children. Anything that brings science alive deserves five stars!

Fans of Alicia Bayer's work will recognize her easy style and her fantastic grasp of how to engage children young and old in Nature Studies. Her much awaited book puts so many of her ideas at our fingertips and allows us to quickly, cheaply and easily open our children's eyes to what fascinatons Nature holds. A must have addition to your library for homeschoolers and public schoolers alike.

I love Alicia Bayer’s books - easy to understand, informative, and insightful.

I was expecting something a bit more. It is ok, I’m not terribly disappointed, I just expected more I guess.

This is a gem of a book. I would recommend it for anyone who spends time with children, whether you are learning together in a homeschool setting, doing childcare, parenting, or just hanging out with kids. The activities described in this book are simple enough to recreate with minimal cost, but they all seem to have been thoroughly tested by the author. I like that the book divides the activities seasonally, since one of the biggest considerations for nature learning is the weather.Many of the activities are open-ended, which allows the child to guide the direction and process. I appreciate that since I feel some of the best learning happens when a child's interest guides the process. The book could be a jumping-off point for more intensive scientific study, or it could just be used to inspire fun seasonal activities and nature-themed crafts. This was well worth purchasing.