Seasons Afield: The Best Homeschool Nature Study Curriculum
As a homeschool parent, I have been looking for a great homeschool nature study curriculum that would not only spark my kids’ curiosity about the world but also include quality books into the learning process. That’s why I was so excited to discover Seasons Afield from Beautiful Feet Books. This curriculum uses gorgeous picture books and read-alouds to instill a deep love for nature and science in children. And, the lesson plans are flexible and easy to use as a busy homeschool family. In this post, I’ll share why our family loves Seasons Afield, and why it just might be the best homeschool nature study curriculum for your family too.
I received compensation and access to Seasons Afield from Beautiful Feet Books in exchange for my honest review, but all the opinions in this post are my own. This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when you purchase through the links.
Seasons Afield Curriculum for Homeschool Nature Study
Seasons Afield is an incredible homeschool nature study curriculum from Beautiful Feet Books. It follows the Schullandheim approach, which is a German educational philosophy that recognizes the importance of kids spending time in the natural world and using nature as a classroom. By blending the elements of school, nature, and home, this curriculum gets kids excited to learn about and spend time in nature.
Created for students in grades K-3, Seasons Afield focuses on exploring and discovering the wonders of the natural world. You’ll have the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities, conduct experiments, and spend a lot of time in the great outdoors to learn nature study lessons about plants, animals, chemistry, ecology, and more.
One of my favorite things about Seasons Afield is the way it covers a wide variety of subjects. From investigating the life cycles of plants and animals to diving into the mysteries of chemistry, botany, ecology, zoology, and earth science, this curriculum provides a well-rounded science education. It also aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for grades K-3, which means that completing the nature studies as a year-long curriculum is a great way to meet educational requirements for homeschooling too.
Reasons to Choose Seasons Afield Homeschool Nature Study Curriculum
My whole family is loving using Seasons Afield as our science curriculum. Here are some reasons why this is a fantastic resource for homeschool families.
Beautiful Literature
Seasons Afield stands out from other nature study resources because of the way it integrates literature into the curriculum. It includes a beautiful collection of 15 nature science books that complement the lessons. As a homeschooling parent, I have enjoyed reading these books with my kids and learning about nature together as a family.
Incorporating nature science books into the curriculum brings formal science information to life for my children. They can dive deep into specific topics, like the life cycles of plants or the shapes of snowflakes, through firsthand accounts and beautiful stories. These books provide a wonderful opportunity for my kids to get excited about learning beyond the standard textbooks.
Recently, we read Miss Maple’s Seeds by Eliza Wheeler. In addition to being a beautiful story, the book also has pictures of many different kinds of seeds. My son has enjoyed seeing how many of the seeds he can find in his own backyard, or along the trail as we take a nature walk. We are planning field trips to a farm and a plant nursery so we can study plants and seeds even further. I love the way that Seasons Afield incorporates books to enrich our learning experience and nurture a love for both reading and scientific exploration.
As a former teacher, I also love the way that the books in Seasons Afield cater to different learning styles and preferences. I appreciate that the curriculum offers a variety of nature books, which allows my children to choose their preferred way of engaging with the material.
Find a full list of the books that are included in Seasons Afield here.
Hands-on Nature Study Learning
One of my favorite things about Seasons Afield is its emphasis on hands-on learning experiences. The curriculum focuses on giving kids lots of opportunities to explore nature and conduct experiments. As kids learn through practical application, they develop a deep understanding of scientific concepts. Lessons are designed so that students will engage in first-hand experiences before reading the accompanying stories and materials. As a homeschooling parent, I love the way that these hands-on activities bring learning to life and make it both fun and interactive.
The curriculum offers a wide range of hands-on activities that cater to different learning styles and interests. From studying leaves to practicing cyanotype printing and exploring habitats, students have the chance to delve into the natural world through a variety of engaging projects. For example, my kids have loved observing and documenting the phases of the moon over the course of a month in our backyard using a nature notebook. We’ve also had a fun time exploring local parks, going on nature hikes, and conducting experiments to learn about the world around us.
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Nature Study Activities and Science Experiments for Homeschool
One of the activities we particularly enjoyed was a nature scavenger hunt. We took our colored pencils and our nature notebook on a walk, to see what we could find and draw. This was a fantastic way to study nature up close and develop a deeper appreciation for the environment. By engaging in hands-on activities, my children have developed a love of nature that makes them want to learn more about the things they are observing.
The inclusion of hands-on experiments is another highlight of Seasons Afield. With 18 different experiments, students have the chance to dive deep and study a wide variety of topics. These experiments encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and observation skills.
Read more customer reviews of Seasons Afield here.
Love of Nature
As a homeschool parent, I’ve realized that encouraging my kids to spend time outside in nature is not one of my strengths. That’s why I love that Seasons Afield is full of great ideas to help me encourage a love for nature in my kids. The curriculum focuses on the seasons. By studying different topics each season that relate to the time of the year, kids understand nature’s changes and cycles throughout the year.
Seasons Afield offers a thorough exploration of nature study topics, supported by beautiful picture books and engaging activities. As students progress through the curriculum, they have the opportunity to observe and understand how nature changes during different times of the year. My kids and I have taken a nature hike with our field guides in hand during the summer months, explored and identified leaves in the fall through nature journaling, and studied snowflakes in the winter.
I love that my kids are making so many wonderful memories of their time outside as we use this curriculum!
Strong Science Curriculum
Seasons Afield is not just limited to science studies. It offers a multidisciplinary approach that enriches your children’s learning experience across various subjects. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics in a variety of different ways throughout the school year, which means that both younger and older students are getting a well-rounded homeschool science education. As a homeschooling parent, I appreciate how Seasons Afield goes beyond science and incorporates English language development, art, music, handicrafts, and more, making learning engaging and comprehensive.
When homeschooling, it’s always important to make sure that your children meet the necessary educational standards and legal requirements for homeschooling where you live. With Seasons Afield, parents can have peace of mind knowing that the curriculum aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This means that your children are meeting the required standards for public school students at their grade level, which means this curriculum will be great preparation for any required testing that you may have as well.
Download the curriculum scope and sequence and see all the topics covered in Seasons Afield here.
Great for the Whole Family
Seasons Afield is a great curriculum choice for families that want to teach science to kids of different ages together. It provides lots of opportunities for individualized learning at each child’s level. My kids each have their own notebook where they record their observations, discoveries, and artwork according to their interests and abilities. This notebooking approach gives my kids a sense of ownership and personal connection with what they are learning, which helps them stay engaged too.
Older children can delve into more advanced concepts, conduct independent research, and express their knowledge through detailed notebooking pages. Younger children, on the other hand, can enjoy a more hands-on and exploratory approach, using the materials to create their own nature journal filled with their discoveries and creations.
This individualized learning approach makes Seasons Afield adaptable and perfect for homeschooling families with children of different ages. Although the curriculum is designed for younger students in kindergarten through 3rd grade, it would be easy to adapt for older elementary students or middle schoolers by asking them to explore deeper into the subjects your family is learning about.
I love the way that Beautiful Feet Books provides curriculum options for a variety of subjects, and for students from kindergarten to twelfth grade. My family also loves Beautiful Feet Books’ Charlotte Mason homeschool geography curriculum. As my kids grow older, I know that I can continue to rely on Beautiful Feet Books for high-quality and engaging curriculum materials for a variety of subjects.
Check out all the curriculum options for grades K-12 from Beautiful Feet Books here.
Easy for Homeschool Parents
As a busy homeschool mom, I love how easy it is to use Seasons Afield in our homeschool. The curriculum comes with a comprehensive teacher guide that is flexible and easy to use, which means I can adapt the lessons to fit the needs of my family. And, all the lessons and activities are planned for me, so that I don’t need to spend a lot of time lesson planning when using this curriculum.
The teacher guide also includes supply lists for each section. I love these because they help me stay organized, so we’re never having to skip a lesson because we’re missing the supplies to complete it.
Each lesson in Seasons Afield is designed to be completed in just 30-60 minutes. The curriculum includes 72 lessons, which works out to 2 lessons per week for a 36-week school year. The short lessons help keep my kids engaged, and make it easy to fit in science without feeling overwhelmed or rushed.
Try Seasons Afield Homeschool Nature Study Curriculum with Your Family
If you’re looking for a homeschool nature study curriculum that combines the beauty of literature with hands-on experiences and a love for nature, I highly recommend Seasons Afield. Its flexible and easy-to-use teacher guide and short lessons make it an ideal choice for busy homeschool parents. The beautiful books are the perfect way to get your kids excited about studying nature, and this is the best homeschool nature study curriculum that my family has ever tried.
Learn more and get Seasons Afield for your family here!
