I hope that this September Nature Note finds you ready for a new year of nature study!
So many of you are new to Exploring Nature with Children, and are joining us for the first time. I’m thrilled that you’re joining us! If you subscribe to the blog posts on the website, You’ll receive the monthly Nature Note, which will give you an overview of the month ahead, and also the weekly Exploring Nature with Children theme posts, which I hope will be helpful to you in your studies.
Many of you have written to let me know that you’re joining us again this year (for some families, it will be their ninth year!)
ENWC is written to be used year upon year for layered learning, giving you the opportunity to build your knowledge and experience of the natural world again and again. I am truly honoured that ENWC has been a part of your home education.
A quote to carry with you this September:
As you begin to explore nature with your child this year, I would encourage you to keep this quote close to your heart. Children often jump right into nature walks and nature study wholeheartedly. They’re able to move their bodies, explore, ask questions, and make discoveries. Some children are more hesitant, and the parent feels despondent, and sometimes, even as if they have failed their child. May I offer this quote from Miss Mason as a gentle reminder that your child may need time to develop the joy of the natural world, and studying nature. Consider what you would do if your child was resistant to their maths lessons, or learning their times tables. You would encourage, be kind, but nonetheless press firmly on…
On Monday the 4th of September, we jump right into a new year of Exploring Nature with Children with Seed Week!
We then move on to study Minibeast Week from the 11th to the 17th, Autumn Equinox Week from the 18th to the 24th, (the equinox itself falls on Friday the 23rd) and we finish up September’s topics with Harvest Moon Week from the 25th of September until the 1st of October. The Harvest Moon itself falls on Saturday the 29th of September this year.
As always, please feel free to adapt the dates to suit the needs of your own family, and whatever is happening in the natural world around you.
I’m extremely thrilled and honoured to have so many new families joining us this year!
4th ~ 10th Week 1: Seed Week #ENWCseedweek
11th ~ 17th Week 2: Minibeast Hunt Week #ENWCminibeastweek
18th ~ 24th Week 4 The Autumnal Equinox Week { The equinox itself falls on the 23rd } #ENWCautumnequinox
25th ~ 1st Week 3: Harvest Moon Week { The full moon falls on the 29th } #ENWCharvestmoonweek
As always, please feel free to schedule the weeks in any way that serves your own family best, these are just my own suggestions.
If you’re over on Instagram, do pop over and say hello! The Instagram page is very much about community; think of it as your virtual home school co op! Our community uses the #exploringnaturewithchildren hashtag, & also specific weekly hashtags { see above } to enable you to connect with other families working through the ENWC curriculum.
There’s a free ENWC calendar for the year to download here.
Warm September brings the fruit,
Sportsmen then begin to shoot.
~ The Months by Sara Coleridge
Special days this September:
- 4th: Labour Day (CAN) Labor Day (USA)
- 17th / 24th Harvest Festival: the traditional dates that churches hold their services. You may wish to use the RLS resource to help your own family celebrate this special season of the natural & Christian year.
- 23rd The Autumnal Equinox
- 29th Michaelmas & The full Harvest Moon
As the season of bounty is upon us, you may enjoy using Celebrating the Seasons with Children : : The Harvest Festival
A handbook written to guide you, step by step, in creating a meaningful and authentic celebration of the Harvest Festival for your own family. Find out more by clicking on the above link.
Happy exploring!
