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nature study

Beautiful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Fun Unit Study

December 8, 2023 | 6 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a free Northern Cardinal lapbook today. The cardinal is a fun colorful winter bird easy to study. Also, look for more lapbooks on my page Homeschool Lapbooks – Powerful Tools For Mastery Learning.

It’s easy to see why young and old fall in love with studying the Cardinal for nature.

Beautiful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Fun Unit Study

It’s such a beautiful and bright bird during winter and because it doesn’t migrate, it’s a great bird to study really at anytime.

Colorful Winter Bird Northern Cardinal

Here are some things you’ll love to enhance your unit study.

  • Grab this one page pdf with helpful information to study about the cardinal.
  • Grab this four page pdf with facts and information.
  • Northern Cardinal coloring page.
  • Upcycled Hanging Bird Feeder.
  • Life in a Nest.
  • Free printable cardinal craft.
  • Yarn wrapped cardinal.
  • Cardinal in the winter hand art.
  • Free bird nature study printables.
  • Step by step easy tutorial to draw a cardinal.
The Northern Cardinal bird is such a beautiful and bright bird during winter and because it doesn't migrate, it's a great bird to study really anytime. Click here to grab this free Northern Cardinal Bird Lapbook and Unit Study!

Free coloring page of a Northern Cardinal that would make a great cover for your lapbook or just for fun.

Northern Cardinal Lapbook

  • Black and white clip art to add to the outside flaps of your lapbook or to add to your notebooking page.
  • Craft – make a cardinal in a pine shadow box.
  • Northern Cardinal Field Guide.
  • Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeder Craft.
  • Birds Printables. Bird communication 22 page pdf download.
Beautiful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Fun Unit Study
Beautiful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Fun Unit Study

Also, we have been using this Beautiful Birds Unit Study. I know you’ll love it.

More Northern Cardinal Hands-on Learning Activities

  • Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity
  • How to Make a Chalk Pastel Bird Nest Easy Drawing
  • Free Bird Journal – Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages)
  • Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests
  • How to Paint a Cardinal Bird With Kids
Beautiful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Fun Unit Study

Finally, add some of these books to your reading list.

Books for Kids About Northern Cardinals

I lean toward living books first, then add in reference type books when assisting my kids to learn.

12 Northern Cardinal Bird Books and Resources For Children

Add a book or two to your unit study or to your learning day. Cardinals are fun to study anytime of the year.

Wild Bird Guide: Northern Cardinal

Packed with information, the writing is clear and direct and accessible to bird watchers at every level.

Backyard Birding for Kids

With bird facts, an identification guide, and how-to instructions, this is a perfect children’s introduction to bird-watching.

Albert

The morning begins like any other. Albert reaches out the window to check the weather. But from the moment a twig lands in the palm of his hand, life is never the same

Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

One of my go tos for nature study.

Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more.

Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the

Toy Bird Figures Kids

Because children's thinking is more visualized, the intuitive demonstration of the model can better help children construct in the brain. This birds playset can help children get a more direct understanding of real birds world and stimulate their interest in exploring nature.

Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves

One autumn evening, Little Redbird settled down for one last sleep before flying south for winter. As he slept, a strong gust of wind shook him from his cozy nest . . .

. . . Little Redbird hurts his wing and misses his chance to fly south for the winter. As he searches for a new home amongst the trees, he begins to realize that not all trees are fit for the winter cold. As more and more trees refuse him shelter, too preoccupied with their preparations for the frost, Little Redbird fears the worst. That is, until he comes across a friendly bunch of evergreens.

In the spirit of Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince, Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves is a timeless story of kindness and why the fir, spruce, and juniper trees are evergreen all winter long. 

Backyard Birding Flashcards: 100 Common Birds

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds is now transformed into 100 easy-to-reference cards housed in one handsome pull-drawer gift box. Divided into one stack of 50 common Western and Eastern North American birds, and one stack of 50 common birds found across North America, each card features precise illustrations and text concerning habitat, behavior, and voice description necessary for easy identification.

Attracting & Feeding Cardinals

The vibrant red of the male Northern Cardinal is stunning any time of year—and nothing is more beautiful than the early spring duets of cardinals singing their hearts out. You love these beloved birds, and you want to see them visiting your backyard or garden. Professional naturalist and award-winning author Stan Tekiela teaches you all that you need to know about cardinals.

Cardinals (Backyard Bird Feeding Guides)

The vibrant red of the male Northern Cardinal is stunning any time of year. And nothing is more beautiful than the early spring duets of cardinals singing their hearts out.

Authentic Bird Sounds, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, Chickadee

Kids and adults of all ages love these birds, and are captivated by their sounds. They also make great baby toys, and sensory toys for kids any age.

Includes 3 Realistically designed bird toys that produce authentic bird calls from the Cornell lab of ornithology archives of bird recordings.

The Burgess Bird Book for Children

The Burgess Bird Book for Children (1919) is a classic nature book by Thornton Burgess, who introduces young listeners to the subject of bird life by means of a series of interviews within a story. Peter Rabbit and Jenny Wren interview Slaty the Junco, Redwing the Blackbird, Melody the Wood Thrush, Spooky the Screech Owl, and many other common birds to learn about their appearance, their eating, mating and nesting habits, and their songs and calls. The text remains popular as an exceptional combination of information and entertainment.

Cardinals (Backyard Birds)

Whos that singing in the backyard? Its a cardinal! Find out where cardinals live, what they eat, and how to identify the birds and their eggs.

Minibooks Included in the Free Cardinal Lapbook

  • Pieces to glue on the front outside cover
  • Do Northern Cardinals Migrate in the Winter
  • Cardinal Facts
  • Seeds, Grains, and Legumes
  • What is the difference between Song and a Call?
  • Eggs
  • Chicks
  • Juveniles
  • Range and Habitat
  • Did You Know
  • About nest building
  • John James Audubon quote

How to Download the Lapbook

This is how you get access to this form quickly.
1) Sign up on my list.
2) Grab the freebie now.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

The Nature Book Club is brought to you by these nature loving bloggers which are your co-hosts! Are you following them? If you don’t want to miss anything, be sure to follow each one.

The Northern Cardinal bird is such a beautiful and bright bird during winter and because it doesn't migrate, it's a great bird to study really anytime. Click here to grab this free Northern Cardinal Bird Lapbook and Unit Study!

Here are the co-hosts, their choices of books, and activities for the month.

Something 2 Offer
Birds, Nests, and Eggs Nest Scavenger Hunt

Hide The Chocolate
Those Darn Squirrels Fly South – Free online book club.

The Homeschool Scientist
Birds, Nests, and Eggs – Make a Suet Feeder

Forgetful Momma
Snowy Owls Snowy Owl Craft

Table Life Blog
A Nest is Noisy – Art Project.

Eva Varga
Ravens in Winter: Nature Study Activities and Lessons for Teens –  Winter Bird ID

Rainy Day Mum
Coming Home – Needle Felted Robin

6 CommentsFiled Under: 1. My FREE Learning Printables {Any Topic}, Lapbooks, Science, Science Based Tagged With: birds, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolinginwinter, lapbook, life science, nature study, The Nature Book Club Link Up, winter season

Frozen Nature Ice Sun Catcher for Preschool Play and Fun

November 15, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Create a beautiful nature-filled ice sun catcher with your preschooler by taking a nature walk in the woods, a local park, or even your backyard. Also, look at this Simple and Easy Instant Ice Kids Activity Homeschool Science Experiments post and my page How to Homeschool Preschool.

It is a fun way to explore the outdoors and finish up with a neat nature-filled ice sun catcher to remember it (at least as long as the ice lasts).

Frozen Nature Ice Sun Catcher for Preschool Play and Fun

Fill it with colorful flowers, berries, small pinecones, interesting pebbles or twigs, and leaves.

You can use your ice sun catcher to learn about the objects that they find but also as a different science lesson talking about ice and why and how it melts.

The best part about this activity is that it can be repeated over and over with different results each time.

For example, add food coloring, different items, and different types of water and explore the various results with your preschooler.

Books About Winter

While exploring nature, don’t forget to take along a favorite resource book like Nature Anatomy and see if you can spot any of your finds in the pages.

Preschoolers really love looking through books with good illustrations to compare to.

29 Winter Books to Read to Kids and For Kids Who Love to Read

Add in a few books to make your winter unit study complete. Add books for all ages.

Winter Is Coming

Day after day, a girl goes to her favorite place in the woods and quietly watches from her tree house as the chipmunks, the doe, the rabbits prepare for the winter.

As the temperature drops, sunset comes earlier and a new season begins.

Hanna's Cold Winter

Hanna was a hippopotamus in the Budapest Zoo. Hanna and the other hippos thrived in the warm springs which flowed from the ground. One winter, however, it was so cold that the river froze.

Over and Under the Snow

Part of the acclaimed nature book series that includes Over and Under the Pond, Over and Under the Rainforest, and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, this volume takes readers on a cross country ski trip through the winter woods to discover the secret world of animals living under the snow.

Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow lies a secret world of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals making their winter home under the snow. This beloved nonfiction picture book reveals the tunnels and caves formed beneath the snow but over the ground, where many kinds of animals live through the winter, safe and warm, awake and busy, but hidden beneath the snow. 

ENCHANTING AND EDUCATIONAL: A charming story and beautifully rendered illustrations invite readers of all ages to explore and learn about the "subnivean zone" (the space between the colder snow and the warmer ground) where many animals live in the winter, opening a fascinating window into the natural world.

The Snow Day

A young rabbit wakes up to wonderful news: A snow day! School is canceled, and the day that follows is rich with the magic and delight of the falling snow.

Animals in Winter

This is a clear and appealing book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. Introduce kids to basic science ideas as part of discussions about the seasons and animals.

Miss Maple's Seeds

What happens to seeds that don't sprout? Fortunately, they have Miss Maple to look after them.

Every year, she rescues orphan seeds, taking them to her cozy maple tree house. All winter long, she nurtures them and teaches them the ways of seeds and the paths.

Breadcrumbs

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen,"

Brave Irene: A Picture Book

This winning heroine will inspire every child to cheer her on as she ventures through a bitter cold snowstorm in William Steig's classic Brave Irene.

Icefall

Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig, along with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors, anxiously awaits news of her father's victory at battle.

Poetree

The poem is indeed about the yearly cycle in the life of a tree. But it is also an intriguing poetic concoction.

The initial letters of each line in each stanza spell out a word that pertains to that tree's life cycle - SEED, GERMINATE, SHOOT, ROOTS, LEAVES, FLOWERS. It's a kids' acrostic.

Moominland Midwinter

Everyone knows the Moomins sleep through the winter. But this year, Moomintroll has woken up early.

So while the rest of the family slumber, he decides to visit his favorite summer haunts. But all he finds is this strange white stuff. Even the sun is gone! Moomintroll is angry: whoever Winter is, she has some nerve.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Blessed--or cursed--with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she's known to her family) has always been seen as strange.

And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn't hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servants

If Polar Bears Disappeared

The freezing ecosystem in the far north of the globe is home to many different kinds of animals.

They can be Strong, like a walrus Tough, like a lemming Resilient, like an arctic fox.

But no arctic animal is as iconic as the polar bear.

The Very, Very Far North

An inquisitive polar bear named Duane befriends an array of animals as he discovers where he belongs in this charming classic-in-the making

The Longest Night

It is the longest night of the year, and the snow lies deep. All through the forest, animals long for dawn's warmth.

Strong and clever creatures boast that only they can bring back the sun. But the wind knows better.

The Adventures of a South Pole Pig: A novel of snow and courage

Flora the pig was born for adventure: “If it’s unexplored and needs to get dug up, call me. I’m your pig,” she says.

The day Flora spots a team of sled dogs is the day she sets her heart on becoming a sled pig.

Before she knows it, she’s on board a ship to Antarctica for the most exhilarating—and dangerous—adventure of her life.

Wolf in the Snow

A girl is lost in a snowstorm. A wolf cub is lost, too. How will they find their way home?

The Snowflake Sisters

Crystal and Ivory snowflake take full advantage of this beautiful snowy evening in New York City as they travel to the park, fly through Time Square, journey past the Statue of Liberty, and more before coming in for their final landing of the day.

Mr. Popper's Penguins

A classic of American humor, the adventures of a house painter and his brood of high-stepping penguins have delighted children for generations.

One Snowy Night (Percy the Park Keeper)

Percy the Park Keeper always feeds the animals in the park where he lives.

But one cold winter’s night Percy discovers that his little friends need more than food and he must find a way to help them find a warm place to sleep for the night.

Dog Driven

From the author of Ice Dogs comes a riveting adventure about a musher who sets out to prove her impaired vision won't hold her back from competing in a rigorous sled race through the Canadian wilderness. Perfect for fans of Gary Paulsen.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

There are more animals to find among the trees, and the kindly figure with his "promises to keep" exudes warmth as he stops to appreciate the quiet delights of winter.

Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy (Nature)

Forest animals, awakened by the birds' warning that there is a stranger in the woods, set out to discover if there is danger and find, instead, a wonderful surprise.

Owl Moon

Late one winter night a little girl and her father go owling. The trees stand still as statues and the world is silent as a dream.

Whoo-whoo-whoo, the father calls to the mysterious nighttime bird.

Here Comes Jack Frost

One cold morning a lonely boy wishes for something to do. His animal friends are hibernating, and he has nobody to play with―even all the birds have flown south.

When he meets Jack Frost, the last thing he expects is to make a new friend . . . or to discover how enchanting winter can be!

Twelve Kinds of Ice

With the first ice—a skim on a sheep pail so thin it breaks when touched—one family’s winter begins in earnest. Next comes ice like panes of glass. And eventually, skating ice! Take a literary skate over field ice and streambed, through sleeping orchards and beyond.

Blizzard

With accounts from the survivors and period photos, a tale by the author of the Newbery Honor book, The Great Fire tells what is was like to live through the Great Blizzard of 1888 that crippled New York City with its fierce winds and blinding snow.

Grandmother Winter

Grandmother Winter lives all alone with her snow-white flock of geese. All through the spring, summer, and fall, Grandmother Winter tends her geese and gathers their feathers. Why?

To bring snowfall as soft as feathers and bright as a winter moon. To the woodland and all of its creatures, the arrival of winter is a gift.

Wild Child

Lynn Plourde's text snaps and crackles like the leaves of fall as Mother Earth gently gets her daughter ready for bed.

And Greg Couch's extraordinary illustrations take readers from the soft greens of late summer through the fiery oranges of a fall sunset to the peaceful blues of early winter's eve.

Also, look at these other fun sun catchers to do in winter.

6 Fun Sun Catchers to Do in Winter

While you may not think of sun catchers for winter there are plenty of engaging and pretty ideas for indoors and out and I have 6 more for you to check out

  1. I just love this Arctic Animal Sun Catcher Craft to go along with studying snowy animals like polar bears and penguins.
  2. These pretty Snowflake Sun Catchers are a great way to highlight how unique snowflakes are.
  3. Here is a completely different take on a sun catcher, using beads to reflect the light with this Pinecone Sun Catcher Craft.
  4. Mitten Sun catchers can launch a good discussion about what kind of clothing is needed for winter and how to protect ourselves from extreme temperatures.
  5. Make a Winter Tree Suncatcher using tear art for a lovely nature-themed craft.
  6. Snowman Sun Catcher is just too sweet and makes a simple but pretty craft to decorate your windows.
Frozen Nature Ice Sun Catcher for Preschool Play and Fun

Frozen Nature Ice Sun Catcher

You will need:

  • Nature items:  leaves, twigs, bark, pinecones, flowers, etc.
  • Shallow container
  • Water
  • Ribbon
Frozen Nature Ice Sun Catcher for Preschool Play and Fun

First, add a length of ribbon or rope to the top to hang it from.

Frozen Nature Ice Sun Catcher for Preschool Play and Fun

After gathering plenty of items for your ice sun catcher let your child lay them out however they like in your shallow container, you could even make multiple small ones by using a muffin tin.

Frozen Nature Ice Sun Catcher for Preschool Play and Fun

Once it is full of nature it is ready for the next step.

Frozen Nature Ice Sun Catcher for Preschool Play and Fun

Let your preschooler carefully fill with water.

Frozen Nature Ice Sun Catcher for Preschool Play and Fun

Place in the freezer overnight.

Carefully remove it from the container, you may need to flip it over and run warm water over the back for a minute or two to loosen it.

Frozen Nature Ice Sun Catcher for Preschool Play and Fun

Carry it outside.

Frozen Nature Ice Sun Catcher for Preschool Play and Fun

Hang from a tree and enjoy if the weather stays cold enough to keep it frozen!

Go back outside often as it melts and watch the changes.

Ask your preschooler how long does it take?

And ask your child questions like “Do you think the sun makes it melt faster?” to encourage critical thinking.

Here is how the backside looks with the sun shining through it.

Tip- for super clear ice use filtered water instead of tap water.

Frozen Nature Ice Sun Catcher for Preschool Play and Fun

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolinginwinter, ice, nature, nature study, preschool, seasons, winter crafts, winter season

Seashore Beach Watching Unit Study and Seashore Lapbook

August 25, 2023 | 5 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have a seashore beach lapbook and unit study. Grab more ideas on my lapbook ideas page and on my best homeschool unit studies page.

I can smell the beach from here! Okay, maybe not where I live now, but I feel that way since I grew up with the beach a short 30 minute drive. And we never missed a chance to go to it.

We would cook crab or gumbo, spend hours on the shoreline and build a fire.

Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook

Seashore watching was an activity I loved as a kid and I made sure my kids knew about it. I think you’ll love these ideas for a seashore watching unit study.

Super Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook. Whether you want to study the beach or seashore in the summer or winter, your kids will love this free super seashore watching unit study and free beach lapbook along with hands-on activities! CLICK HERE to grab it!

Note: My Seashore Lapbook was free for a limited time.

I gathered up several activities that I think you’ll love for an easy homeschool seashore watching unit study and then I have an easy lapbook about things you can find along the beach shoreline.

Seashore Beach Watching Unit Study and Seashore Lapbook

Like most all of my unit study resources I share multiple ages links so you can pick and choose links for your kids.

This one is no different. I have resources for kids from Prek to High School.

Seashore Kids Activities

Too, we love and used this book, Seashore Watcher, as a guide because we love it.

Also did I mention it has some easy hands-on activities in it also.

Super Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook

I loved the fact that the book came with a plastic water protector cover so you could pick up and go to the beach. It’s the little things that amuse me.

More Seashore and Beach Activities for Kids

  • How To Make Your Own Edible Beach Sand And Shells: A Creative And Delicious Recipe
  • 5 Tide Pool Facts and Create An Edible Tide Pool Diorama Ideas
  • Discover the Fun: How to Make Beach Sand Slime at Home
  • Free Art Lessons For 4th Grade & How To Make Easy Beach Glass Art
  • How to Make an Ocean-Inspired Sea Shell Necklace | 8 Summer Beach Crafts
  • 11 Awesome Beach Theme STEM Activities | Quick Sunscreen Painting Experiment
  • Fascinating Life Cycle Of A Sand Dollar & Hydro Dipped Craft

Seashore Lesson Plans, Printables, and Activities

  • Monterey Bay Aquarium, Curriculum preK-12, tide pools, crabs; claws and shells, beach in a pan to name a few you’ll love.
  • 70 page pdf tidepool guide.
  • Tide pool discovery.
  • Common seashore plants.
  • SeaCrets of tide pools.
  • Life at the seashore curriculum.
  • Free Under the Sea Worksheets : Dive into the Ocean’s Wonders
Super Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook

  • Match the seashells.
  • Rocky shore food Web Drama.
  • Life under the sea.
  • Sensational seaweed.
  • Gifts from the sea.
  • Kelp science activity guide.
  • Stranded along the coast.
  • How wealthy is your tide pool.
Seashore Beach Watching Unit Study and Seashore Lapbook
  • What the Sea Saw teacher’s guide.
  • Life on the Beach guide.
  • New Zealand Rocky Shore activities. Many can be used here in the states too.
  • Planning a trip to the seashore checklist.
  • Padre Island National Seashore.
  • 10 Nature Discoveries on the Sandy Shore.
  • Sand, sun and geometry.
  • Jumpstart Your Beach Unit with Free Lesson Plans.
Seashore Beach Watching Unit Study and Seashore Lapbook


(You can see why I loved this book, Seashore Watcher for an easy unit study. It has easy hands-on ideas.)

Seashore Watching Media 

Decorator Crabs Make High Fashion at Low Tide | Deep Look
Seaweeds powerpoint.

Seashore Watching Hands-on Activities

  • Make a ceramic starfish.
  • Fun coloring pages. Common seashore creatures.
  • Seaweed art.
  • Motion from the ocean fish mobile.
  • 21 fun and active games for kids to play on the beach.
  • How waves affect beaches hands-on activity
  • 25+ Beach Learning Activities to Build Background Knowledge Before Your Beach Trip.
  • 15 Seashore Inspired Kid Crafts.

Also, you’ll love this seashore lapbook.

Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook
  • Dynamic Seashore Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    Dynamic Seashore Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    $4.00
    Add to cart

Also, this is not our first time studying about the beach and ocean life.

You’ll love our hands-on edible geography where we made the tidal zones and edible ocean layers. (yum)

Seashore Beach Watching Unit Study and Seashore Lapbook


You’ll love my free ocean unit study lapbook and free coral reef lapbooks.

.

Note: My Seashore Lapbook was free for a limited time.

Free Super Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook

Look at these other links:

  • 30+ Summer Activities for Middle School Kids
  • A to Z List: 100 Fun Summer Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Homeschooling Through the Summer with My Highschooler
  • Seashells by the Seashore | Notebooking Pages from Jenny at Faith & Good Works
  • 10 Nature Discoveries on the Sandy Shore from Eva at Eva Varga
  • Turtle in the Sea Online Book Club from Dachelle at Hide the Chocolate
Super Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook. Whether you want to study the beach or seashore in the summer or winter, your kids will love this free super seashore watching unit study and free beach lapbook along with hands-on activities! CLICK HERE to grab it!


5 CommentsFiled Under: Geography, Hands-On Activities, Lapbooks, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}, Science, Science Based Tagged With: earthscience, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, life science, nature study, ocean, science, sciencecurriculum, The Nature Book Club Link Up

7 John Muir Environmentalist Facts and Fun Teaching Ideas

August 18, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have 7 John Muir environmentalist facts and some fun teaching ideas. You’ll also love the John Muir Spring Unit Study (and Hands-on Geography Ideas).

The national park system’s development is largely due to John Muir environmentalist, naturalist, author, mountaineer, and political activist.

It is widely agreed that he is the “Founding Father of National Parks”.

And his contributions are celebrated through many landmarks named after him like hiking trails, glaciers, highways, and monuments.

7 John Muir Environmentalist Facts and Fun Teaching Ideas

National Park Service Founders Day is August 25th and I can’t think of a better way to learn about the National Parks than through the man who helped found and educate people about them.

John Muir helped create several of our national parks like Sequoia National Park in California, Mount Rainier in Washington, and The Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

John Muir Environmentalist Books, Resources, and Teaching Ideas

Too, these are some of the books we’ve used and love to help teach about him or create your own unit study.

11 John Muir Resources

The mountains are calling, and I must go -John Muir

In observance of National Park Service Founders Day and the care and work John Muir put into helping it become a reality, put together a unit study with a book or two, a video, a game, and a few hands-on activities like visiting the closest national park to you. There is plenty to choose from below.

John Muir Wilderness Box Set

A collection of John Muir’s best-selling writings and essays collected in 1 set.

Part of John Muir's appeal to modern readers is that he not only explored the American West and wrote about its beauties but also fought for their preservation. His successes dot the landscape and are evident in all the natural features that bear his name: forests, lakes, trails, and glaciers. Collected here in 1 set are some of Muir's finest wilderness essays, national park observations, travels throughout Alaska, and writings about working in the Yosemite Valley. 

A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf

John Muir, one of America’s great environmentalists, has inspired nature lovers for generations with his writings.

A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf by John Muir is the adventure that started it all.

Walk with John from Indiana through Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. A story that is sure to inspire your own adventures and love for nature and the off beaten path.

John Muir: Candlewick Biographies: America's First Environmentalist

John Muir loved the land. Born in 1838, he was a writer, a scholar, an inventor, a shepherd, a farmer, and an explorer. But above all, he was a naturalist. John Muir was particularly devoted to the high cliffs, waterfalls, and ancient giant sequoia trees that, through his careful influence, were set aside as Yosemite, one of the first national parks in America. Here is the life story of the man who, moved by a commitment to wilderness everywhere, founded the Sierra Club in 1892, a conservation group that carries on his crucial work to this day. Back matter includes an epilogue, a bibliography, and information about the Sierra Club.

A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir

"I am hopelessly and forever a mountaineer," John Muir wrote. "Civilization and fever and all the morbidness that has been hooted at me has not dimmed my glacial eye, and I care to live only to entice people to look at Nature's loveliness. My own special self is nothing."In Donald Worster's magisterial biography, John Muir's "special self" is fully explored as is his extraordinary ability, then and now, to get others to see the sacred beauty of the natural world. A Passion for Nature is the most complete account of the great conservationist and founder of the Sierra Club ever written. It is the first to be based on Muir's full private correspondence and to meet modern scholarly standards. Yet it is also full of rich detail and personal anecdote, uncovering the complex inner life behind the legend of the solitary mountain man. It traces Muir from his boyhood in Scotland and frontier Wisconsin to his adult life in California right after the Civil War up to his death on the eve of World War I. It explores his marriage and family life, his relationship with his abusive father, his many friendships with the humble and famous (including Theodore Roosevelt and Ralph Waldo Emerson), and his role in founding the modern American conservation movement.

National Geographic Complete National Parks of the United States, 400+ Parks, Monuments, Battlefields, Historic Sites, Scenic Trails, Recreation Areas, and Seashores

National Geographic’s wide-ranging travel guide to recreation areas, trails, historic sites, nature hikes, seashores, camping, and campgrounds is geared to everyone who loves outdoor recreation. This 544-page reference is the ultimate travel planner for all things national parks, filled with full-color photos, detailed maps, historical background, and practical facts on the location of the park system properties, as well as the best times to visit and top-rated activities.

Our National Parks

ohn Muir (1838–1914) ranks among America's most important and influential environmentalists and nature writers. Devoted to the preservation of wilderness areas, Muir founded the Sierra Club and was active in the establishment of Yosemite National Park. Our National Parks, originally published in 1901, includes ten articles that previously appeared in The Atlantic Monthly. Muir wrote them in hopes of exciting interest in the parks, certain that visitors would fall in love with the scenic grandeur as he had—and that their enthusiasm would ensure the parks' preservation.

National Parks Scratch Off Map of United States Poster, ALL 63 Parks

UNIQUE DESIGN…ARROWHEAD SHAPES: Scratch off each beautifully designed US National Park as you visit them, like Acadia, Zion, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Olympic, Grand Canyon, Arches and others!

National Parks Trivia: A Card Game: 400 Questions

Get to know America's 63 national parks with 390 wide-ranging trivia questions that cover their iconic geography, ecology, geology, history, wildlife, and botany—from the authors of Scenic Science of the National Parks.

Professor Noggin's Wildlife of North America Trivia Card Game

  • PLAY & LEARN: Professor Noggin’s series of educational card games encourages kids to learn interesting facts about their favorite subjects.
  • FUN FACTS: Journey through the Wildlife of North America discovering facts about our continent’s most interesting animals. From Polar Bears to Pronghorns, from Alligators to Bald Eagles, this game is perfect for young nature lovers.

Our National Treasures Matching Game USA National Parks Memory Game for Kids. Yosemite, Yellowstone, Arches, Denali and More

What you get – Our National Treasures Matching Card Game comes with 52 tiles (26 pairs) and instructions

Clear instructions – Easy to learn memory card game. Learn to play in less than five minutes!

Develops critical skills – card games for kids help preschoolers practice their focus, memory, & matching skills.

Trekking The National Parks -The Perfect Board Game for National Park Lovers

Wildly Popular National Parks Game - Winner Of The Mensa And Parent's Choice Award

Created By National Parks Enthusiasts - This couple traveled to every single national park and then worked with their son to make the game.

Fun + Educational - It’s the perfect recipe for a family game night! Appeals to a wide range of people: outdoor lovers, board game players, and gift givers. A great board games for kids!

Next, look at some facts about the life of John Muir.

7 John Muir Environmentalist Facts

  1. John Muir traveled to every continent except Antarctica.
  2. John founded the Sierra Club, an acclaimed American conservation organization.
  3. Muir temporarily lost his sight due to an accident at 29 due to a factory incident that pushed him to make a  change and be a wilderness explorer.
  4. A 211-mile-long hiking trail in the Sierra Nevada was named John Muir Trail in his honor. 
  5. In September of 1867, John walked 1000 miles from Indiana to Florida, this journey is retold in his book- A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf. 
  6. Throughout his life, John Muir wrote 300 essays and 12 books.
  7. Because of Muir’s vision and work, you can now visit almost 400 National Park Service sites. What a legacy he left behind for so many generations to appreciate and enjoy.
7 John Muir Environmentalist Facts and Fun Teaching Ideas

Also, look at some videos..

Videos about John Muir

  • John Muir- Father of National Parks
  •  For a quick birds eye view of 25 Best National Parks at once check out this YouTube video.
  • Biography of John Muir   
  • John Muir Father of The National Parks- 1 Minute History
  • How The National Park Service Got Started

More John Muir Activity Ideas

Finally, here are some more fun ideas when learning about the life of John Muir.

  • Learn what an environmentalist is. An environmentalist is defined as one who is concerned with or advocates for the protection of the environment.
  • Grab ideas from John Muir Spring Unit Study (and Hands-on Geography Ideas).
  • Try using the John Muir Laws How to Teach Nature Journaling to improve sketching and watercolor skills combined with your nature walk. While this is not the same John Muir nor is he related to him, his appreciation for nature and its beauty reflects the same mindset. His mother was a lawyer for the Sierra Club, which the original John Muir was the founder of, and she insisted her sons middle name be Muir. Use the beautiful pictures for ideas for water coloring or nature journaling.
7 John Muir Environmentalist Facts and Fun Teaching Ideas
  • Learn the 7 principles of Leave No Trace, especially if you enjoy camping and hiking. Writing them down would make for an excellent copy work assignment.
  • Find ways that you can volunteer in your area to help the environment, beach clean-ups, park clean-up days, recycling, ways to reduce and reuse items, conserve water, etc.
  • Play nature-themed games to focus on the flora and fauna that he studied.
7 John Muir Environmentalist Facts and Fun Teaching Ideas

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Science, Teach Homeschool Science Tagged With: homeschoolscience, life science, nature, nature journaling, nature study, science

10 Egg Carton Crafts For 2 Year Olds and Fun Nature Color Match Activity

August 4, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have 10 egg carton crafts for 2 year olds and a fun egg carton color match activity. Look at this Cutest Ever Egg Carton Sea Turtle Craft and Learning Activities for Kids.

This easy and open-ended nature color match egg carton crafts for 2 year olds has several benefits to it.

First, they get to create a simple colorful craft and then use it to explore colors and nature while they get fresh air and exercise.

10 Egg Carton Crafts For 2 Year Olds and Fun Nature Color Match Activity

Simple fun activities are the way to go with toddlers, identifying and sorting colors is an important early math skill.

As children get older, they can have more ownership in their egg carton crafts by choosing them, cutting, and coming up with their own ideas.

Egg cartons make a great art supply item in either styrofoam or cardboard as they are a free resource and have so many great uses, especially for young children.

10 Egg Carton Crafts For 2 Year Olds

Start saving your egg cartons for this great list of egg carton crafts for 2-year-olds I have rounded up for you below. You might even ask friends and family to collect for you too so you try all of these ideas.

Egg Carton Crafts for 2 Year Olds

Here are 10 more precious egg carton crafts for 2-year-olds to explore together.

Photo Credit: buggyandbuddy.com

Egg Carton Bee Craft for Kids

Make this cute, little bee craft using an egg carton and yarn! This easy insect activity is great for preschool and kindergarten and perfect to do in the spring, summer, or for Earth Day.

Photo Credit: www.iheartartsncrafts.com

Egg Carton Flowers

I’m going to show you how to make these colorful egg carton flowers that are perfect to display or make as a gift.

Photo Credit: poofycheeks.com

Egg Carton Caterpillars

 I am sharing a super easy, completely kid friendly and very cheap craft – egg carton caterpillars.

Fun Kids Hands-on Egg Carton Sea Turtle Life Cycle Activity

I have a hands-on way to show a sea turtle life cycle activity. Add my fun From Egg to Sea Turtle Nature Unit Study & Lapbook to make it for multiple ages.

This sea turtle life cycle activity lets your child create a unique art project while also including some marine science in their lessons.

Photo Credit: www.momdot.com

Mess Free Painting with Egg Carton

My kids paint nearly every day. We have used all sorts of things to hold the paint: jars, paper plate, glass plates, the floor… but none work as well as a cardboard egg carton. We get the brown eggs from the store and they come in the cardboard containers. 

Photo Credit: taminglittlemonsters.com

Easy Egg Carton Color Sort Activity for Toddlers

This Egg Carton Color Sort is a fun and easy activity for toddlers. All you need are a few recyclables, craft supplies and 5 minutes in your busy schedule.

Photo Credit: mandapandaprojects.com

Egg Carton Pumpkin Wreath

Egg carton crafts are the perfect way to turn those empty cartons from trash into craft, and this Egg Carton Pumpkin Wreath is no exception!

Photo Credit: www.toddleratplay.com

Egg Carton Wildflower Garden

Do you save egg cartons? This Egg Carton Wildflower Garden is a fun recycled activity you have to try! 
Photo Credit: www.stillplayingschool.com

Egg Carton and Cupcake Liner Dinosaur Craft

Cutest Ever Egg Carton Sea Turtle Craft and Learning Activities for Kids

Create the cutest little sea turtles to put together a lesson that would be perfect for preschool or kindergarten.

Photo Credit: craftyartideas.com

Easy Egg Carton Butterfly Craft For Kids

Are you hoarding those old egg cartons for the next time you need them? We love making recycled crafts with kids and these egg carton butterflies are so cute. Learn how to make this fun butterfly craft with your kids with our simple steps.

Photo Credit: www.thecrafttrain.com

Egg Carton Monsters

There’s something about repurposing rubbish that makes me happy and these cute little monster treat holders are no exception.

Look at some more preschool resources and activities.

More Preschool Resources and Activities

  • Cute and Simple Snowman Story Stones Winter Art Activities For Preschoolers
  • A Unique Flexible and Beautiful Preschool Homeschool Planner
  • How to Teach Homeschool Preschool From the Inside Out (And Preschool Skills)
10 Egg Carton Crafts For 2 Year Olds and Fun Nature Color Match Activity

Finally, look at how to make this fun nature color match activity for your 2 year old.

Nature Color Match Egg Carton Crafts For 2 Year Olds

Now onto the directions for making and utilizing today’s craft.

Grab a colorful book to use as a field guide, even young children can flip through a nature book.

10 Egg Carton Crafts For 2 Year Olds and Fun Nature Color Match Activity

Nature anatomy is a fantastic option as it truly grows with your child and is appropriate for toddlers to look at the pictures up through high schoolers.

10 Egg Carton Crafts For 2 Year Olds and Fun Nature Color Match Activity

You will need:

  • Cardboard Egg Carton
  • 12 different colored craft paints
  • Paintbrushes

First, be sure that you are starting with a clean carton, free of dried egg. If you want to sanitize it you can spritz it lightly with a spray sanitizer.

Choose your 12 colors.

I like to use rainbow colors and then add white, black, brown, light blue, and light green.

If it is fall you might change up your colors a bit to more oranges, browns, and yellows.

Add a squirt of paint to the bottom of each egg cup.

10 Egg Carton Crafts For 2 Year Olds and Fun Nature Color Match Activity

Let your child spread the color around in the bottom of each cup, using a clean paintbrush for each one.

10 Egg Carton Crafts For 2 Year Olds and Fun Nature Color Match Activity

Allow the paint to dry completely, this might take a few hours, if you wipe out the excess paint you can speed up the process a bit.

If you want to start with a smaller goal for your child, you can cut your egg carton in half or just paint 2 cups each color instead of just 1.

Nature Color Match Egg Carton

If you like you can add the name of the “game” to the top with a permanent marker.

10 Egg Carton Crafts For 2 Year Olds and Fun Nature Color Match Activity

Get your book and your color hunt box and head out to the great outdoors, even your backyard is a great place to explore nature.

Let your little one fill each cup with matching colors- flowers, rocks, leaves, bark, eggshells, or whatever they can find.

10 Egg Carton Crafts For 2 Year Olds and Fun Nature Color Match Activity

Some colors may fit into more than one category, this is a great opportunity to develop language skills by talking about the colors and deciding where to sort it.

10 Egg Carton Crafts For 2 Year Olds and Fun Nature Color Match Activity

This was a completely unprompted photo where I laid Nature Anatomy out next to the book for him to look at and he pointed and said, “There’s a white flower like mine!”

We ended our little walk with a bounty of beautiful nature items and a sweet memory to store away!

10 Egg Carton Crafts For 2 Year Olds and Fun Nature Color Match Activity

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool preschool, nature, nature study, preschool, preschool skills

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