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4 Reasons To Incorporate Nature Hikes Into Your Homeschool Week

Nature hikes are one of my family's favorite activities. My kids love them, which is great because they're educational and it gets them up and moving.

In this post I will share 4 reasons to incorporate nature hikes into your homeschool week.


#thebarefootmom

Learn About Local Plant And Animal Life:

Nature Hikes are a great way to teach your children about the plants and trees that grow in your area. Check your local library or used book stores for a local plant ID book or just do a little online research and learn to identify local plant life. There's also a great app called iNaturalist that helps you identify plant and animal species. Many wild plants have nutritional and/or medicinal value and some are poisonous so being able to identify them is a great life skill to have.


Bring your binoculars and watch for birds, insects, and other animals you might see on your hike. Then go home and do a little research and try to identify the species you saw.

Learn About Geology:

One of our favorite things to do on our nature hikes is collect neat rocks that we find and then take them home to identify. Learn to make you own rock and mineral identification kit here.

There are often other neat geologic features to see while hiking, like places that have been eroded by rain or flowing water, lava caps, etc... Read about a recent geology hike my family took here.


Connect With Nature:

Spending time in nature can help children develop respect for our planet and it's delicate ecosystems.  Spending time in nature can also reduce stress levels and help maintain healthy circadian rhythms. Our bodies are deeply connected to the sun and the natural world.

 My daughters like to do an occasional "clean up hike" where we pick a trail and bring garbage bags, and pick up any garbage we see. I think this is an especially great way for kids to connect with nature and give back to our planet.


Get Some Exercise:

Nature hikes are a fun way to add some activity to your week, plus they can count for P.E. time for those of us who have to log P.E. hours.

 Many kids spend far to much time doing sedentary indoor activities these days. Nature hikes are a great way to get your kids outdoors and being active. 




If you enjoyed this post, check out:

 -Backyard Nature Activities For Kids

-DIY Kid Safe Bug Repellant

-Our Geology Hike

 -Make Your Own Mineral Identification Kit

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Comments

  1. Susan EvansJune 26, 2018 at 10:11 AM

    I need to go out on nature hikes with my kids more--they always love it, and so do I! One time we found several kinds of mushrooms, and another time we found interesting types of ferns. There's always something in nature to investigate!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brandy NicoleJune 26, 2018 at 10:30 AM

      Always neat stuff to see and learn about when out in nature! On our last hike my daughter found an old abandoned finch nest :-)

      Delete
  2. Joanne June 26, 2018 at 1:56 PM

    Oh yes! We also like to invite friends and then get in that much talked about socialization time too. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Love to Learn. Pinned.

    ReplyDelete
  3. jhonJuly 3, 2018 at 3:19 AM

    In my blog I talk about the reality of being a parent with a mental illness, trying to parent and everything in between. Take a read and subscribe!best double jogging stroller

    ReplyDelete
  4. kewkewJuly 3, 2018 at 12:13 PM

    Definitely some great benefits to taking nature hikes. Now, if I could get myself out there and do this with them more. I've always been an indoor sort of person. Thanks for sharing over on Littles Learning Link Up at Tots and Me

    ReplyDelete

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