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I hope that this December Nature Note finds you & your loved ones well.

If you are new here, and to Exploring Nature with Children, 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.

For those of you who are using Exploring Nature With Children, the weeks for December fall as follows:

29th ~ 5th Week 1 Christmas Plants Week #ENWCchristmasplantsweek 

6th ~ 12th Week 2: Winter Bird Study Week #ENWCwinterbirdweek 

13th ~ 19th Week 3: Winter Solstice Week #ENWCwintersolsticeweek  

(The Solstice actually falls on Monday the 21st. Because of the way the Solstice falls in relation to Christmas this year, I thought it best to study the Winter Solstice in the week leading up to the day to give you enough time to spend time learning all about the special event in the natural year. Please feel free to adapt the schedule for your own family!)  

20th ~ 26th Week 4: The Twelve Days of Christmas Week  #ENWC12daysofchristmasweek 

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.

As always, please work the weeks to suit your own circumstances best; these are just my own suggestions! 

Seasonal notes:

Chill December brings the sleet,
Blazing fire and Christmas treat.

~ The Months by Sara Coleridge

Special days this December:

• 5th: The Second Sunday in Advent 
• 6th: Saint Nicholas’ Day
• 12th: The third Sunday in Advent
• 19th: The Fourth Sunday in Advent
• 21st: The Winter Solstice
• 24th Christmas Eve
• 25th Christmas Day
• 27th Saint Stephen’s Day / Boxing Day
• 31st New Year’s Eve / Hogmanay

Happy exploring!

A bundle of beautiful resources, from over 25 creators is our gift to you. Our hope is to spread a little joy, and give back to our community this season.
The very best news is that it is free! Available until the 1st of December, you can download here: Treasury of Beauty

Happy exploring!

This week in Exploring Nature With Children is ‘Christmas Plants Week’.

Here are some helpful links to ghelp with your studies:

• Holly, Ivy, and Christmas Plants
• How to Draw Plants Video series: John Muir Laws
• How to Choose a Christmas Tree
• The Holly and the Ivy. Christmas carol video
• Making Your Own Christmas Wreath: Video
• Christmas wreath printable: Twinkl

Exploring Nature With Children is an open and go curriculum. To make it even easier, I have created a free calendar for you to download. There’s a direct link in my profile.

If you’re following along with the community over on Instagram, do pop over and say hello! Think of it as your virtual home school co op! 

To enable you to connect with other families working through the ENWC curriculum, this week’s hashtag will be: #ENWCchristmasplantsweek 

Happy exploring!

Sunday the 28th of November heralds the arrival of Advent, a time of anticipation and preparation.

My new guide: Celebrating the Seasons with Children: A Nature Advent Calendar is a simple, open and go format that gives you all the information you will need to celebrate this season of the year, both the natural rhythm, and also the season that we celebrate as a church.

You will be introduced to the season of Advent, then guided daily with the following daily structure:

Create an Atmosphere of Reverence, Wonder, and Devotion

Scripture reading

Moment of Silence and Prayerful Response

An Outdoor Activity and an Indoor Activity

The Advent Journal

The Nature Advent Calendar is multi-age, in the same sort of style as Exploring Nature with Children, so that children of all ages can enjoy celebrating the seasons. A child that is old enough to keep a nature journal will get the most out of the Nature Advent Calendar, but it can be used by families with much younger children too.

My hope is that you will return to this resource year upon year, for layered learning. That it will ‘grow’ with your family as you establish your own traditions, and that you will experience the season in a deep, connected, and authentic way.

This 90 page guide is only $12. Click here: Nature Advent Calendar to find out more, download the sample, and purchase the guide.

Are you joining us this year?

Tomorrow is Stir Up Sunday! 
Always the Sunday before Advent, Stir Up Sunday falls on the 21st of November this year. It’s one of my most favourite days of the year!

It’s the day when, traditionally, families would gather to make their Christmas puddings and cakes, giving the flavours plenty of time to develop before Christmas begins.

The name for Stir Up Sunday comes from the opening words of the collect (prayer) for the day read from the Book of Common Prayer used in the Church of England:
“Stir-up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

It’s such a jolly day; we listen to Christmas carols, and everyone helps with the baking.

The Celebrating the Seasons with Children: A Nature Advent Calendar has a page devoted to the British tradition of Stir Up Sunday, to get you in the spirit of togetherness and creating family traditions. You will be introduced to the season of Advent, then guided through Advent with the following daily structure:

Create an Atmosphere of Reverence, Wonder, and Devotion.

The atmosphere of home is an important part of childhood. As you approach the daily scripture reading and prayers with your child, you are encouraged to create an atmosphere of reverence, wonder, and devotion. You will find practical suggestions in the introduction to the guide.

Scripture reading

This is included in the text and uses the ESV translation. Please feel free to use your own preferred translation of the Bible.

Moment of Silence and Prayerful Response

Take a moment to ponder the scripture reading, then pray the included short prayer together with your child.

An Outdoor Activity

An Indoor Activity

The outdoor and indoor activities are often linked, so please be sure to check both.

The Advent Journal

Keeping an Advent Journal is an important part of this curriculum. I would heartily recommend this practice, for the parent as well as the child. These journals become real treasures, capturing moments in time, and are such a pleasure to revisit.

Supplies for Today

Each day has its own list of supplies that you may need.

I have written this guide to help you explore Advent in a meaningful way with your own family. Please do not add pressure to what is often an already busy season by trying to squeeze in all of the activities. You will begin by printing out the included Advent Calendar and planning the season in a way that will work for your own family. Be prepared to make adjustments as required; It is highly unlikely that you will follow this Nature Advent Calendar exactly as it is written.

My hope is that you will return to this resource year upon year, for layered learning. That it will ‘grow’ with your family as you establish your own traditions, and that you will experience the season in a deep, connected, and authentic way.

To find out more, download the sample, and purchase the guide, click on the link here: Celebrating the Seasons with Children: A Nature Advent Calendar

Here’s to a joyful, peaceful, nature-rich Advent!

Next week in Exploring Nature With Children is ‘Weather Week’.

Here are some helpful links to support your studies:

• Snowflake Anatomy
• Storms: Bill Nye the Science Guy (Video)
• How to Draw Cloud Shapes: John Muir Laws
• How to Draw Clouds in perspective: John Muir Laws
• How to Paint Skies in Watercolour I: John Muir Laws
• How to Paint Skies in Watercolour II: John Muir Laws
• Painting Shadows on Snow: John Muir Laws
• Come Outside : A Windy Day
• Come Outside : A Rainy Day

Exploring Nature With Children is an open and go curriculum. To make it even easier, I have created a free calendar for you to download. There’s a direct link in my profile.

If you’re following along with the community over on Instagram, do pop over and say hello! Think of it as your virtual home school co op! 

To enable you to connect with other families working through the ENWC curriculum, this week’s hashtag will be:  #ENWCweatherweek 

Happy exploring!

This week in Exploring Nature With Children is ‘Lichen Week’.

Here are some helpful links to help with your studies:

What is lichen?

Bill Oddie Goes Wild: Lovely Lichens (BBC video)

Beautiful Lichen sketches, by Claire Kathleen Ward

Getting Started With Lichen Dyes by Alissa Allen

Foraging in Winter

Exploring Nature With Children is an open and go curriculum. To make it even easier, I have created a free calendar for you to download.

If you’re following along with the community over on Instagram, do pop over and say hello! Think of it as your virtual home school co op! 

To enable you to connect with other families working through the ENWC curriculum, this week’s hashtag will be: #ENWClichenweek 

Please note that lichens are a very delicate structures so should always be collected responsibly.

Happy exploring!

This week in Exploring Nature With Children is ‘Moss Week’.

Here are some helpful links to help with your studies:

• Mosses life cycle (video)
• Moss life cycle under the microscope (video) 
• A general introduction to mosses and how to identify them (video)
• How to create realistic textures (video) This is helpful for not only moss, but all areas of keeping a nature journal.
• How to preserve moss.
• Moss-filled clear Christmas baubles (scroll)

Exploring Nature With Children is an open and go curriculum. To make it even easier, I have created a free calendar for you to download.

If you’re following along with the community over on Instagram, do pop over and say hello! Think of it as your virtual home school co op! 

To enable you to connect with other families working through the ENWC curriculum, this week’s hashtag will be: #ENWCmossweek

Happy exploring!

As the season of Advent swiftly approaches, I’m thrilled to introduce Celebrating the Seasons with Children: A Nature Advent Calendar! 

A simple, open and go format gives you all the information you will need to celebrate this season of the year, both the natural rhythm, and also the season that we celebrate as a church.

You will be introduced to the season of Advent, and the British tradition of ‘Stir Up Sunday’, then guided through Advent with the following daily structure:

Create an Atmosphere of Reverence, Wonder, and Devotion

Scripture reading

Moment of Silence and Prayerful Response

An Outdoor Activity and an Indoor Activity

The Advent Journal

The Nature Advent Calendar is multi-age, in the same sort of style as Exploring Nature with Children so that children of all ages can enjoy celebrating the seasons.  A child that is old enough to keep a nature journal will get the most out of the Nature Advent Calendar, but it can be used by families with much younger children too.

My hope is that you will return to this resource year upon year, for layered learning. That it will ‘grow’ with your family as you establish your own traditions, and that you will experience the season in a deep, connected, and authentic way.

This 90 page guide is only $12. You can find out more, download the sample, and purchase the guide here: A Nature Advent Calendar.

Here’s to a blessed, peaceful, and nature-filled Advent season.

I hope that this November Nature Note finds you & your loved ones well.

If you are new here, and to Exploring Nature with Children, 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.

For those of you who are using Exploring Nature With Children, the weeks for November fall as follows:

1st ~ 7th Week 1 Fungus Week #ENWCfungusweek 

8th ~ 14th Week 2: Moss Week #ENWCmossweek 

15th ~ 21st Week 3: Lichen Week #ENWClichenweek 

22nd ~ 28th Week 4: Weather Week  #ENWCweatherweek 

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.

As always, please work the weeks to suit your own circumstances best; these are just my own suggestions! 

Seasonal notes:

Dull November brings the blast,
Then the leaves are falling fast.

~ The Months by Sara Coleridge

Special days this October:

• 1st: All Saints’ Day 
• 2nd All Souls’ Day
• 5th: Guy Fawkes Night
• 7th:Daylight saving time ends (US)
• 11th: Remembrance Day, Veterans Day, Martinmas
• 14th: Remembrance Sunday
• 21st:  Stir Up Sunday The new RLS Nature Advent Calendar invites you to join in this traditional British Festivity!
• 25th: Thanksgiving Day (US)
• 28th: First Sunday of Advent Are you following along with the new RLS Nature Advent Calendar?
• 30th: Saint Andrew’s Day

Happy exploring!