Tag Archives: nature study

Spring at the Virginia Living Museum

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Planning a Day at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News, VA Well, I had a bit of time with the kiddos while they were on spring break last week and we headed to the Virginia Living Museum–which we’ve been enjoying often since becoming members last summer!

It was fun to see it in Spring, before everything blooms, but when everything is just coming awake.We’ve visiting in Summer, Fall (boy these pictures take me back a bit!), and Winter now and not only have we gotten to see different exhibits, we’ve gotten to see the animals and habitats change for the season.

Here were some fun things we notice and talked about on this trip…

  • Ducklings!
  • Loud high school girls that scared the ducklings over to our side of the boardwalk.
  • Apparently Virginia is home to a lot of turtles. 24 different species according to the VLM website.
We saw lots (and LOTS) of turtles basking in the sun.

We saw lots (and LOTS) of turtles basking in the sun.

  • They just opened a new Children’s Garden. It’s meant for 2-5 year olds, but our munchkins enjoyed it too. There’s simple climbing structures, a touch and see plant garden, and a fun building table with blocks of wood and stones. There’s also a rain barrel with little watering cans for them to fill and water the plants. My crew were professionals at that part! They explored it for about 20 minutes and then were ready to move on. (I think it would definitely keep younger visitors busy longer!)
They thought this was just as fun as legos!

They thought this was just as fun as legos!

  • The honey bee hive is waking up and busy again. This is a fun indoor-outdoor exhibit with a clear-cased hive for the children to observe as the bees come in and go out of the second story window. Last time we were here was over Christmas break and the bees were pretty much in hibernation.
  • The beautiful flower gardens are just starting to grow. Not many blooms yet. They are beautiful in full summer growth–I could take 100s of pictures just of flowers, so we’re definitely coming back in a few months!
We got up close with a Peregrine Falcon, a Corn Snake, and a Horseshoe Crab this time.

We got up close with a Peregrine Falcon, a Corn Snake, and a Horseshoe Crab this time.

  • It’s not gosling season yet. But it will be soon. (Another reason to come back soon!)
  • Geese make me nervous. They’re unpredictable and when it comes to protecting their nests, young, or territory they fear nothing. This is just my personal observation, but we hustled right on past that goose after I snapped a few photos–even though there was a boardwalk and a pond between us and her. (Which probably means we’ll have some at the farm at some point because my life seems to be nothing so much as a study in eating my own words.)
Mother Goose was turning her eggs as we walked by.

Mother Goose was turning her eggs as we walked by.

3 hours seems to be a good visit for us. It’s long enough to see all our favorite parts without the kids getting too tired and crabby and we have the privilege of coming back again to see anything we missed. (The Cowboy loves the World of Darkness exhibit–which I didn’t know until we missed it one trip.)

Summer is coming up and we’ll definitely be renewing our membership. But if you’re going to be in Hampton Roads this summer, you should think about visiting too! (We’re not affiliates or anything, we just love this museum and think it’s a bit of a hidden gem here in Hampton Roads–especially for nature lovers and homeschoolers!)

Our kids LOVE the discovery centers--kid-friendly, hands on science areas.

Our kids LOVE the discovery centers–kid-friendly, hands on science areas.

If you’re planning a one-time visit, here’s how I’d do it…

1. Check and see if you have any memberships from a home museum that share benefits with VLM and could get you discounted tickets. They are part of the ASTC passport program–which is not the same as most local zoos, but is the same as a lot of local science and history museums. (We’ll be getting in free to a couple museums by my sister-in-law with these benefits.)

2. If you’re a family of 5 or more, consider the family membership rather than individual tickets–especially if any of your children are over the age of 12. Once you pay for 2 adults and 3 children (under 12) your almost at a family membership and membership includes ALL minor children (under 17) at the same address, a guest pass, planetarium passes, discounts at the cafe and gift shop (which is also pretty reasonable for little souvenir hunters), their quarterly newsletter (which our munchkins love) and all those ASTC passport benefits.

3. Definitely pack a lunch to eat there (they have a picnic spot by the parking lot) or plan to buy lunch at their little cafe. We ate at The Wild Side Cafe when we were there in January and the prices are very reasonable, but the food was only so-so. It’s a kid-friendly menu, but I would have preferred something a little more fresh and healthy focused. (Although I’m sure that would raise the prices as well.)

The boardwalk has kid-friendly telescopes along the way for visitors to check out!

The boardwalk has kid-friendly telescopes along the way for visitors to check out!

4. Check the Planetarium programs for the dates you plan to visit. It’s a nominal additional fee and members even get a couple vouchers! (Just be conscientious of content in these programs for your own family. A few of the descriptions I’ve seen indicate some mythology and evolutionary teaching that you may not feel is appropriate for your family. I’m sure you could ask the staff for clarification.)

5. Check the Teacher Resources page for fun learning guides to the exhibits.

6. I would try to get there at 9 or 10 am, enjoy the whole place for a few hours, then have lunch. After lunch I would plan to give myself another hour or two to hit any thing you missed or go back and explore the discovery centers more.

7. This is definitely a rain or shine option!

And if you’re going to be in Newport News visiting the museum–be sure to email us and stop by the farm!

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They Will Soar–Backyard Wildlife Adventures

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Ever have one of those moments when something just stops you in your tracks and changes your everyday moments to not-so-everyday moments? Something exciting suddenly swoops in and the joy lasts long past when the moment is gone?

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Yeah, bald eagles do that for me. {grin}

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We had one visiting the back field for about 30 minutes or so last week after Annabelle had her new calf. We’ve come to expect a certain conglomeration of turkey buzzards to show up after a birth looking for any buzzard-ly “treats.”

But every once in a while we get an eagle as a guest instead.

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We’ve actually had eagles try to snatch still-wet newborn lambs before, so it’s not always a welcome sight. But if the baby is on its feet and fine, well, then it’s pretty cool. Annabelle actually wasn’t concerned about the visit at all.

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And boy, I love to see those frustrated buzzards just circle, and circle, and eventually go away.

They’ll buzz a juvenile eagle away with their pestering, but not a mature adult. They wouldn’t even swoop down over the field while he/she was here.

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The kiddos actually lost interest long before I did. Mr. Fix-It has to take over making dinner because I was busy snapping pictures.

This was one of those times when I think growing up in the country might be making them a little less sensitive to the natural world–extraordinary nature and wildlife starts to become common place. Growing up in the city, that’s never been the case for me. The most wildlife we ever saw was grey squirrels. The occasional raccoon or red-tailed hawk was a special treat for a nature-buff like me. We had to drive an hour out just to start running into deer-sightings!

One reason I took up an interest in birdwatching and song-birds was because that was the only thing around! {smile}

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But Mr. Fix-It told me I don’t need to worry about it because it’s still extraordinary to me, and I’m sure to make them understand that as well. (Wasn’t that a nice thing to say?!) And he’s right, of course. It’s something that I nurture in them, but they are just extra blessed to get to see things in real-life, sometimes daily, that I only read about in books.

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And it’s not about what nature you see–it’s about whether you fully appreciate it when you see it! Even a garden mole is exciting when you see one for the first time.

What exciting natural adventures have you had lately?

See where I’m sharing…

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Winter Nature Study Ideas

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Winter in south-eastern Virginia is a toss-up. Sometimes we get snow. Sometimes we just get ice all winter. And sometimes we get, well, not much of anything. This year has been pretty mild, which has been nice since we got so much outdoors-y stuff for the family this year. The kids have been loving our backpacking “practice hikes” around our fields–which is just our normal walks, but with our new gear on. (Well, Mr. Fix-It just puts his pack on to be a good sport with the family–but the rest of us can use the exercise!)

And now that hunting season is over around here, we’ll be able to get off our regular loop and out into the woods even more.

winter nature study 7And since we love nature study so much, you know I just couldn’t let all those moments out in God’s great creation slip by! Here’s some fun nature study opportunities that winter brings along…

  • What’s up in the trees? With the leaves gone, you can see mistletoe; hanging nests for squirrels and bees; bird nests; seed pods (especially with sweet gum and tulip poplars!); vines and ivy; and other things that are harder to spot with full growth. This is also a great time to see things like trees that are growing into each other; which trees are straight and which are crooked; where trees have been damaged and healed; compare big trees and little trees; and compare bark–because all these things are much more visible.

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  • What’s blooming now? What grasses and shrubs are still around? What trees still have leaves (oaks are usually one of the last to lose their leaves!)? How do you tell dead growth from live growth that’s just brown for the winter? What happens to seeds, flowers, and leaves as they freeze or decompose over the winter months?

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  •  Tracks! Winter clears a lot of ground and either mud or snow are great for finding tracks! We see turkey and deer tracks the most, but all bird tracks are pretty easy to spot. More urban areas would probably also still have squirrel, possum, and rabbit tracks. (Here’s a great, outdoor-hardy, field guide for beginning trackers that we use!)
  • Scat! Yeah, that’s a more “scientific” word for…um…droppings. {smile} Winter really opens up the ground with the underbrush dying off and grass dying back. This is another great way to teach your kiddos how to read animal signs and find animal travel trails. (And here’s another great book to help beginners–including mom’s that are new to this like I used to be!)

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  • Nest! And what makes tracks and scat so interesting anyway? Because it can lead to other cool stuff–like finding bedding-down nests from deer. You follow their regular travel paths, then carefully go off the path and scope out nearby thickets for ground nests–which are really just mashed down spots in the grass in a protected spot where the animal rest. We found two the other day, less than 20 feet off of those tracks above.
  • Rubs/Scrapings! Ok, I’m not sure what the scientific word for this is (I probably need to skim one of our books for myself again!) but these are places on trees where deer have rubbed the bark off scraping their antlers. In other areas you might also find claw scratchings (bears!) or other signs on the trees. We almost never see these in the summer because the undergrowth is so thick!

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  • Hair/Fur! This can be a little trickier, but since all the leaves are gone it’s much easier to spot any hair or fur that get’s caught on stiff winter branches and brambles. I also find that the kiddos are not as distracted by all the fall colors, and once the leaves all turn brown they really concentrate on seeing something different, so they spot things quick. (We found a big tuft of deer hair the other day!)
  • Feathers! Again, a lot of times feather are easier to spot in the winter because you’re not as distracted by all the greenery and colors.

winter nature study 3Some other interesting winter lessons we’ve had while out walking around include how and where to shelter in cold and bad weather; how to find food in bad weather and winter time; how winter changes animal travel habits; how cold affects your need for food and water; what materials insulate, and what materials draw heat out; and just general weather and climate conversations.

What I think I love most about nature study as a family is the way it can cross all age groups and snag a broad spectrum of interest for deeper study. The Ladybug is big into clouds and weather vocabulary right now because she’s studying it in school. The Cowboy is interested in finding (and following!) tracks. And Speedracer is big on things he can pick up and touch, like leaves, rocks, fur, feathers, etc. Plus, you can find all these elements to some degree or another in any neighborhood or setting.

Do you get out for nature study much in the winter?

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10 Nature Journaling Notes

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We started nature journals with the kiddos over the summer. While I haven’t been completely faithful with them, they’ve been a great activity and we catch up every couple of weeks. We’re certainly not stopping and they’re not just about nature now. We’re recording gratitude lists, family trips, and just snippets of our everyday life together.

Here’s a few tips I’ve picked up over the last couple months…

1. Take lots of pictures. This way you don’t lose things just because you don’t draw well or you forgot in the moment to write something down. I print out the pictures later and the kiddos glue them in and write more notes.

Here’s the Cowboy cutting and laying out pictures from one of our field trips.

2. Get pictures underneath! Butterflies, flowers, plants, even birds–sometimes the identifying details are on the underside of the wings or body. The color markings or male/female markings tend to be hidden.

3. Get pictures of details! Zoom in on eyes, legs, wings, stems, or roots. We’ve gotten pictures of butterflies where you can see their long tongues out sipping nectar. We’ve gotten pictures of tree frogs close enough to see spots on their skin. These are cool things to kids.

This angle lets you see the butterfly’s feet, mouth, and antenna in action.

4. Look at different times of day! We’ve found that bright green tree frogs come on our porches at night–right about bedtime! Early morning is the best time to see fancy garden spider webs with the dew on them. Hottest part of the day is when the butterflies really mob the butterfly bushes.

5. Note the habitat. When we document something, I often have the kiddos (especially the Ladybug) copy some notes from one of our field guides. And we’ve noticed that a lot of times we don’t seem to have the habitat described in the guide (it is just a generalization!). So we make notes of where we found the item/specimen.

6. Go multi-media. We’ve added crayon rubbings, magazine clippings, real photos, hand-drawings, wax preserved leaves, and pressed flowers to our notebooks. I made simple paper pockets for ticket stubs, brochures, or museum maps, and used 2-sided tape to add them to the notebooks as needed. We also used scrapbooking adhesive to fix clear plastic (cut from page protectors) over top of fragile items to hold them in place and preserve them.

Here’s another great angle for catching body markings.

7. Note places on your pages or pictures. It can be kind of hard to tell whether that brown duck in the pond was from the zoo, the farm park, or the City park 6 months later.

8. Note people on your pages. Sometimes the kids are so focused on pictures of their favorite things, they don’t include pictures of people. It’s nice to look over your memories and see a note that reminds you that Grandpa was there that day too.

9. Record what they say! I try to sit down with each child and ask them questions and record what they say for them–in their own words. I’m sure it’s good for them to write for themselves too, but I don’t want them to get discouraged and write less just because the assignment seems overwhelming, so I help out. And it’s fun family time!

Speedracer gets a lot of help with his notebook, but it keeps him engaged.

10. Let the kids lead. I started out thinking I was going to tell them what to put in there because I didn’t want this to end up as just another coloring book of scribble-scrabble. I “loosened up” by making an agreement (mostly with myself!) to take pictures of whatever they pointed out to me and look up whatever they asked me to and let them include it–as long as they didn’t scribble-scrabble.

The Ladybug’s favorite page right now? A maple leaf we saved under plastic. (Like we don’t have 100,000 of those around here!)

The Cowboy’s? A blurry (really blurry!) picture of a poison dart frog in a tank at the zoo. (Honestly, the picture is so bad, I was going to delete it, but he was standing at my elbow at the computer and immediately started begging me to print it out!)

Speedracer’s favorite? A page he made that is just all pictures of ducks from the farm park–including multiple copies of the same picture that he insists are not the same. (Believe me, they are. I know, I printed them.)

Do you journal with your kids?

Some of our favorite nature journaling supplies…

 

Random Mondays

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Friday the kiddos finished up their last day at YMCA camp (we lost another towel and water bottle, and Speedracer’s lunchbox–although we found that again by the end of the week) and we packed up to head to Mimi’s house for a week. Well, they’re going for a week–Mr. Fix-It and I headed home on Sunday morning.

Here’s some randomness from my phone camera over the last few days…

We’ve been doing some nature studies and nature journaling and it’s amazing to see how the kids eyes have really opened up to everything around them lately. Birds, butterflies, leaves, it’s like they’re suddenly seeing everything! It’s wonderful! We even discovered an old bird’s nest–and they had used our wool scraps for the lining!

I’ve also really enjoyed using some of the drawing instructions in Keeping a Nature Journal with the Ladybug. I’m not much of an artist, but the simple prompts for birds and flowers have been a great way to build some confidence for both of us.

Thursday our box from Vision Forum arrived–yeah!! Since we don’t have a DVD player in our truck and the kids don’t have video games, Mr. Fix-It and I decided to try audio books or something in the car with the kiddos. My first thought was that we could all listen to some classic books on CD. The Vision Forum carries a lot of options for audio products with strong Christian themes, and we found these Jonathan Park radio dramas and decided to try them.  (Mr. Fix-It thought the sounded more interesting!)

I was impressed. I liked it better than Adventures in Odyssey–which is a solid family product, don’t get me wrong! But the voices in Odyssey tend to sound like adults trying to sound like children to me. Jonathan Park didn’t irritate me–as an adult listening to it for 3.5 hours!–and the stories were scientific and biblical at the same time. Definitely a good choice.

The kids seemed to really enjoy it too. Did it keep them silently enthralled for 3.5 hours? No. But nothing would have. I would say the first 2 hours they were solidly interested and the older two would have been even longer if Speedracer hadn’t started his annoy-everyone-because-I’m-bored routine.    

At Mimi’s house, we did get to see mule wagons, but we didn’t go for a ride. It was pouring rain and the kids were both too wound up and too hungry to make it work. But they also found this huge hornworm under a tree, and that seemed o interest them as much as the mules. I think it’s either a tomato or a tobacco horn worm. The picture is not great, but I haven’t found any images on the web that look just like it either–the colors really were that bright!

Coming home from Mimi’s, Mr. Fix-It and I took our time driving the “scenic route” and stopping to do some treasure hunting at antique stores and flea markets. We pasted a National Guard base and saw some tanks, personnel carriers, and a big equipment convoy coming in. Boy did I miss having the boys with us at that moment!

Talk about random, we picked up a gun rack, an old framed cowboy print, a sheep and barn ink sketch, and two old school books from the 1890s.  I had my eye on a giant, rusty old ship lantern that had been wired into a light fixture for the boys’ room, but Mr. Fix-It wasn’t seeing my vision on that one.

We have the whole week to ourselves and basically don’t have any plans, since we both have to work. I’m going to clean the house tonight so we can relax about it the rest of the week. And I’ve got some crafting and then some sewing to get started on in the evenings.

And how funny is this–I’ll be coming home alone (Mr. Fix-It doesn’t get home till an hour or later after me) and I’ll be doing all the farm chores by myself all week. I wonder if I can handle it all without my big helpers?!

If you unexpectedly have evenings all to yourself, what is your favorite thing to do with them?