In honor of Earth Day — well, Earth Month, really — I am sharing a list of my favorite ways to integrate outdoor learning into your homeschool education this spring. Getting outside is critical for kids’ well-being. In fact, a review found that greenspaces near a child’s home consistently improved mental wellbeing in children.
From resources, places, and activities, to ways to integrate these into your routine, I hope you enjoy my recommendations and find joy outdoors with your family this April.
Explore the Outdoors through Your Local Nature Center
The best outdoor education I’ve experienced with my children was through my local conservation center; these centers provide hands-on, highly interactive classes that got my kiddos excited about science and nature. My kids learned to track animals, build fires, explore their local ecosystem, and even handle pelts and bones. These classes are often free or provided at an affordable cost, and they generally operate year-round. Nature centers will generally offer a range of age groups up to early teens. Some centers may even have camps in the spring and summer where students can stay overnight or come every day.
Finding your own local nature center or park classes may take some digging, but it is well worth it, and won’t be too much effort:
Google “your location” and add terms like “forest preserve”, “wildlife center”, “conservation center”, “state park” or “outdoor education” to find your own local center.
Don’t be afraid to look at recommendations on social media websites. Reddit and Facebook often have great word-of-mouth advice for outdoor centers. These organizations are often low tech and may not broadly advertise their classes online.
Ask parents at your homeschool coop or microschool if they’ve heard of any nature center classes.
Find Classes and Camps at your Local Library or Park
Don’t overlook your local library or park district when it comes to outdoor learning. These spaces are often hubs for seasonal programming. My local park district has offered nature-based classes, clubs, and family events that are either free or very affordable throughout the year:
Biking club
Nature activity days
Spring reading lists or nature book clubs
There are so many others! Make a habit of checking regularly for updated offerings
Bring Nature to Life at the Science Museum
The science museum is my second favorite place to get high-quality, low-cost outdoor education. Camps and classes are often offered for most ages, and they offer hands-on exploration. Our science museum even had a special section for children to trade in fossils, rocks, or bones for other cool outdoor souvenirs. Our kiddos would get extra points if they could explain what the artifact was and what made it unique. This was really special for our kids and provided all the motivation to get us outside hunting for interesting finds in nature.
Go Camping in National or State Parks
Going on a trip to connect with nature doesn’t need to be expensive. Camping can be one of the most rewarding activities to do with your family, and one of the most affordable. Hiking can turn into an impromptu ecosystem or history lesson (don’t overlook those informational plaques!) and kids can learn so much just by exploring your camp site. I find that camping calms everyone down. Suddenly, we are all in a better mood. I’m convinced it’s magic every time, thank you, the great outdoors!
Now, I’ll be honest. The first time I took my kids camping, it wasn’t so serene. I burned myself, accidentally dumped our dinner into the embers, our firewood was wet, and I didn’t pack enough snacks. Yeesh. I’ve come a long way since then, but if that sounds like you, before pitching your tent, I recommend exploring this free family course by Mountain Mama.
National and state parks offer some of the cheapest, and most beautiful camping – but you have to plan ahead:
Download the National Park Service (NPS) App. The NPS App has tools to explore more than 400 national parks. Find interactive maps, tours of park places, on-the-ground accessibility information, and much more to plan your national park adventures before and during your trip.
Book your national parks camping well in advance. Depending on the park, camping spots open between 3-6 months ahead of availability. This means you may need to look well ahead because many people are vying for those spots. For less highly-trafficked parks, this may be less prevalent and it’s always worth checking out to see if there is any availability. You have the advantage of homeschooling – look during off-peak weekends or during the week and you’ll usually have an easier time finding availability.
Explore closer to home by camping at a State Park. For an easier, closer-to-home option, try looking for your state’s local parks. These still require you to book in advance.
Keep it Simple in Your Backyard
The best part about nature is you really don’t need to complicate it. You could literally just play outside in your backyard and you’ll learn so much. Here are three things you can do in your backyard that have huge benefits:
Raise your own butterflies. Butterfly metamorphosis is incredible to behold, no matter what age you are! This step-by-step tutorial includes a video and in-depth how-tos.
Create your own outdoor crafts (see our seed pod and painting with nature activities).
Try this activity: Explore your connection to nature by sharing a short poem and an image or audio clip of the ecosystem surrounding your house. This is an independent exercise of self reflection, observation, and writing.
STEP 1: Get prepped. Grab water, snacks, sun protection, etc. Bring your phone or a camera and a notebook and pen/pencil to jot down ideas for your poem. You will need access to the reflection questions in Step 3; you can open them on your phone or write them on a piece of paper.
STEP 2: Head outside! Choose a place that you enjoy spending time in and feel comfortable and safe in. This could mean walking around your house, traveling around the block in your neighborhood, visiting a local park or green space, or even looking out the window.
STEP 3: Consider: What animals do I observe? What does this place look like in different seasons? What types of weather happen here? What types of plants or rocks do I see? What do I love about nature?
STEP 4: Take photos and/or record short audio clips of things that stand out to you. Use what you write, record, and photograph to inspire a poem!
Read Books That Inspire Curiosity about Nature
Books are fantastic companions to outdoor learning. Read about birds and then bring a notebook outside and try to spot them or read a fiction story about adventuring through the seasons and observe how your own neighborhood is changing. There are countless outdoor books out there! Look for a mix of:
Local field guides and identification books (try googling your location + field guide) these help kids name birds, trees, or insects they observe.
Story-driven picture books and longer novels that build emotional connection to the outdoors.
Technical books that help kids understand how the world and ecosystem around them works.
Use Tech to Supplement Outdoor Activities
While I think it’s important to keep outside education outside – and away from screens – there are some helpful and downright fun digital tools out there you might want to try:
Check out this activity from the National Parks. Have students observe the Porcupine Walking video and generate “I Notice, I Wonder” statements. These statements help promote descriptive observations, thoughtful questions, and relatable connection and can be used to complement a student-centered discussion.
Download the Audubon Society guided birdwatching app or the Merlin bird identification app, both unlock birds wherever you are.
Earth Rangers is a podcast geared for children, following ranger Emma on her wild adventures. Kids learn all about the different animals she encounters along the way. This Canadian produced podcast teaches kids about conservation and the environment, you can also find games and other resources on their website.
The Wild Episode is a podcast and substack that explores the wonders and curiosities from the Animal Kingdom, mingling Nature, history and science. This podcast would be great for older teens.
There are so many ways to integrate outdoor learning into your homeschool this Earth Month. Let’s take time to get outside, explore our local ecosystem, and connect to nature. Happy spring!