In my homeschool, we value nature study because I want my children to personally relate to and experience the world around them through the natural world. One of the most fascinating topics we've explored over the years is the world of birds. My children are particularly interested in raptors, or birds of prey, which is why I included Birds of Prey Week in Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years. We revisit this topic and activity every year, and my children always find dissecting owl pellets and discovering what the owl ate so fascinating! 

In this blog post: 

• Benefits of nature study
• Owl pellet dissection activity for kids
• Fun activities for learning about owls and birds of prey
• Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years: Autumn - Birds of Prey Week [Free download]
• Explore other nature themes with Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years

Benefits of nature study

 

Nature study is as simple as spending time outdoors and observing the surrounding world. This habit is built over consistent time outdoors over days, months, and years. Being in rhythm with the seasons shows us how the world is constantly changing and renewing. Nature study is developed by connecting with nature time and time again. As children spend more time outdoors observing nature and learning to name the things around them, they will naturally form a greater understanding and deeper connection with the world around them.

Related: 30+ Nature Play Ideas for the Early Years

Most days, my children will spend several hours outside, whether that is eating lunch together on our porch, running in our backyard, or exploring the woods near our home. Over the years we have gained so much life from living with the seasons and the rhythm of nature. 

We also use nature study as part of our Morning Time together. My family uses Treehouse Nature Study to study nature year-round. In autumn, we study apples, spiders, pumpkins, the autumn equinox, and more. Treehouse Nature Study gently invites children to learn through living books, nature notebooking, hands-on projects, and beauty subjects such as poetry, picture study, and folk songs through the lens of nature. As children learn about the world around them, they will supplement their language arts learning with poetry memorization, recitation, copywork, and notebooking. 

Related: Notebooking in Your Homeschool: Why and How?

Nature study can also lay a foundation for science and awaken interest in other academic subjects.

Related: 20 Read Aloud Books for Nature Lovers [Free Book List]

Owl pellet dissection activity for kids

This owl pellet dissection activity is a great opportunity for hands-on learning. Dissect owl pellets, record your findings, and do document what the owl's diet is made of. This activity is part of Birds of Prey Week from Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years: Autumn. Scroll down to download Birds of Prey Week, including the directions and display sheets pictured below.

Materials: 

• Owl pellets
• Tweezers
• Magnifying glass
• Small brush
• Owl Pellet Bone Identification Chart and Dissection Data Worksheet from Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years: Autumn

Directions: Go outside and collect owl pellets. Owl pellets can be found underneath trees where owls roost. If you find one, you should keep checking the same area, because you're likely to find another.

After gathering owl pellets, observe the Owl Pellet Bone Identification Chart. Follow the instructions on the Dissection Data Worksheet and record your findings.

Related: Sunflower Dissection Activity for Kids [Free Unit Study]

Fun activities for learning about owls and birds of prey

Craft activities

• Barn owl finger puppet (Barn Owl Trust) - Print and color this fun barn owl finger puppet.
• Colorful newspaper owl craft (iHeartCraftyThings) - Use paint and newspaper to make cute owls!
• Cupcake liner owl craft (Artsy Crafty Mom) - Cupcake liners are the perfect material to mimic the texture of owl feathers and wings!
• Bark owl craft (Fireflies & Mud Pies) - Use tree bark and items from nature to create little owls.
• Torn paper bald eagle craft (Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus) - Use torn construction paper to create a bald eagle.

Nature and play activities

• Use the Internet to research the different birds of prey in your local area.
• Grab a sibling or friend and hunt by sound in this Owl and Mouse Game.
• Visit a raptor center - Raptor centers or wildlife sanctuaries provide refuge for injured birds that cannot survive in the wild. Learn about these animals and see them upclose. 
• Find a birding trail and go bird watching. 

Snacks and recipes

• Owl Rice Cakes (Mother’s Nutritional Center) - Rice cakes, cheerios, and apple slices make for a very cute snack!
• Owl Pretzels (Meaningful Mama) - Pretzels do a great job of mimicking the shape of an owl.
• Bird Food Themed Snack (Almost Unschoolers) - Feast like a bird with this snack plate that is fit for the birds in the forest.
• Birds Nest Cookies (Dinner at the Zoo) - Everyone loves this classic treat.

Online resources

• Audubon Adventures: Owls (Online magazine)
• Owls: Look, Listen, Mimic, Measure! (Audubon for Kids)
• Birds of Prey Origami (YouTube)
• Explore species and sounds in your local area (eBird)

Go deeper with Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years: Autumn - Birds of Prey Week [Free Unit Study]

Get into the season with this Birds of Prey unit study from Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years: Autumn. Birds of Prey Week is a five-day study with a variety of ways to engage with the season and surrounding nature. It includes a coordinating folk song, hand rhyme, poem, and picture study, plus a fiction and nonfiction booklist. Each day also includes a hands-on nature activity. Download the free Birds of Prey week from Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years below.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Birds of Prey Unit Study from Treehouse Nature Study: Autumn

Explore other nature themes with Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years

Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years is a seasonal nature study curriculum designed with family-style learning in mind. It is a gentle guide meant to invite various ages to connect with each other and the world around them through living books, nature notebooking, hands-on projects, and beauty subjects such as poetry, picture study, and folk songs. 

From preschool through upper middle school, it appeals to every age and is easily used with multiple ages at the same time. 

Related: Six Core Values of Treehouse Nature Study

Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years is a great fit for your preschool or kindergartener’s core curriculum or your whole family’s home education Morning Time and Nature Study. It also provides supplemental work for your children’s language arts through poetry memorization, recitation, copywork, and notebooking.

Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years is a 52-week curriculum that offers year-round nature study topics. Every season hosts a variety of studies that directly relate to the surrounding world.

Each week of Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years: Autumn covers a nature theme such as:

• Apples
• Birds of Prey
• Autumn Equinox
• Arachnids
• Fungi
• Deciduous Trees
• Moon
• Pumpkins and Corn

For older children in 4th-8th grades, Treehouse Nature Study, Intermediate Years is a new iteration of nature study with an emphasis on advanced language arts projects and hands-on science experiments. It can be used in tandem with Treehouse Nature Study, Primary Years for families with children spanning multiple ages, as it covers the same nature topics, or both curricula can stand alone.

What nature themes and activities are you excited to study with your children this fall? Let me know in the comments below.