Summer is a great time to start exploring nature and nature studies. It can get overwhelming when you first start so let’s explore some summer nature study ideas together. These four no-prep summer nature study ideas are perfect for a summer of learning that doesn’t feel like school.
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No-Prep Summer Nature Study Ideas
Reading
Books are a great starting point for nature study in any season, but they’re perfect for summer because they allow you to keep learning while the A/C runs in the background.
9 Summer Nature Study Ideas You Can Do Indoors
Go On A Scavenger Hunt
Nature study in summer can honestly be as simple as taking a walk and paying attention to what’s around you.
Keep in mind these walks don’t have to be long or drawn out to be effective. The key is to provide opportunities for observation. That may look like walking in your neighborhood, a nature trail, or even a local park.
To help with observation, try a nature-themed scavenger hunt like one of these:
Start A Nature Journal
Nature journaling can be as simple or detailed as you want it to be, but it’s a fantastic way to record your time in nature this summer. The best part is all it takes is some colored pencils and a journal like this one or some notebooking pages to get started.
Garden
Planting a garden, or even just a tomato plant is a great no-prep summer nature study project for you and your kids. Plus you get a tasty snack or meal ingredient out of it. My kids love to grab tomatoes from the vine and eat them like apples.
Tomatoes can be grown on a patio in a pot if you don’t have garden space. Or try herbs in small pots on a window sill.
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