The Easy Way to Do Nature Study ~ Tips & Ideas

Today I want to write about one of the easiest ways you can add nature study to your life. Even if you don’t want to keep a nature journal.

Maybe you want to learn more about nature yourself, or you want your children to grow up with a love for the natural world.

We want to protect what we love, so the more people love being in nature and caring for it, the better.

Nature study might seem a bit old-fashioned these days, but I’ve found that it’s a wonderful way to feel more connected to our natural surroundings. Today I want to show you how easy it can be to add nature study to your everyday life.

What does nature study mean?

Nature study means learning about the natural world (e.g. plants, animals, natural phenomena, etc.) by observing it more closely.

Instead of learning about nature only from books, we spend time outside and pay attention to what is happening around us.

This way of learning was encouraged by educators like Charlotte Mason and Anna Botsford Comstock (The Handbook of Nature Study – a wonderful resource!), who believed that children learn best when they observe real things in nature.

You don’t need a curriculum, special materials, or a lot of knowledge to begin. All you really need is time outside and a little curiosity.

The Importance of Nature Study

One of the many benefits of nature study is that it helps us slow down and notice the world around us.

It teaches children (and adults) to observe more carefully, ask questions, and become curious about the things they see.

Instead of rushing through a park or along a path, we start to notice the small details, a bird building a nest, a strange insect on a leaf, the way clouds move across the sky.

Over time this creates a deeper connection to the places where we live.

And when we feel connected to nature, we naturally start to care about it. Which is such an important part of protecting our environment and making sure these beautiful places and living things are still there for future generations.

The Easiest Way to Add Nature Study to Your Life

The easiest way to add nature study to your own or your family’s life is very simple:

Spend more time in nature.

And start getting curious about the things you hear, smell, and see.

Step 1: Spend More Time in Nature

Go on day hikes, cycling trips, or visit nearby beaches, lakes, or rivers.

Explore local parks and gardens. Walk along hedges beside the road. Look at a pond, an old tree, the clouds in the sky, insects in the grass, the weather changing, or birds flying overhead.

Nature is everywhere, even in the middle of a city.

The first step is simply to become aware of it.

Step 2: Get Curious

Start wondering about things you notice. Not all the time — but every now and then.

If you go on a walk together or spend time in the garden, it’s very easy to find something interesting.

Younger children often get excited about the simplest things: leaves, sticks, nuts, stones. They love collecting small treasures, so it can be fun to bring along a small bag.

My youngest son used to love looking for mushrooms every autumn. Not to collect them, but simply to find them in all their different shapes and colours.

One thing I learned over time is that you don’t need to point out everything you see.

If we constantly show children things and explain them, it can quickly become overwhelming, or even a little annoying.

Often the best thing is simply to show them one or two interesting plants or animals and then let them make their own discoveries.

When children are young there is no need to know the names for everything.

It can be enough to simply enjoy the variety and abundance all around us.

Over time they might become curious and want to learn more. When that happens you can look things up together and try to find the answers.

But I would never turn it into a lesson.

My biggest intention is simply to nurture the curiosity, wonder, and awe that children naturally have. Nature is amazing once you start looking more closely and see all the things it has created.

If you like, you can bring a few small treasures home and display them on a nature table, or plant some of the seeds you found.

But none of these things are necessary.

The most important thing is simply to spend more time in nature and to start looking more closely.

If you discover just one new thing that sparks curiosity, that is already enough.

Two years ago we found a yellow flower growing in our garden, and there was a stripy caterpillar feeding on the plant.

We drew it and became curious about it, so we tried to find out more. It turned out to be Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris), which is actually a poisonous plant. The caterpillar we had seen was the Cinnabar moth caterpillar (Tyria jacobaeae), which feeds almost exclusively on this plant.

We read some interesting things about it and learned that the caterpillars are able to eat the plant even though it is toxic.

In the following weeks we started noticing Common Ragwort in many other places.

I don’t think we will ever forget it now.

Just this morning my nine-year-old spotted some of these plants again. They weren’t even flowering yet, but he recognised them straight away.

And yesterday we went on a hike in the mountains and discovered wild blueberries growing along the path.

Moments like these are a wonderful reminder that nature study doesn’t have to look like formal science lessons. Very often it simply begins with a closer look at a natural object that catches our attention.

You might notice a brown bird sitting on a fence, an interesting leaf on the ground, or a plant you have never seen before. That small moment of curiosity can easily become the next thing you explore together.

These simple nature activities are often far more memorable than formal lessons, because they grow out of real curiosity and real encounters with the natural world.

Easy Ways to Continue Your Nature Study Journey

Once you start paying attention to nature, you may find that your curiosity keeps growing.

You might begin to notice the same plants returning each year, recognise a few familiar birds, or start wondering about the insects you see in the garden.

If you would like to explore nature study a little further, there are many easy ways to continue.

One simple idea is to keep a nature walk journal or nature notebooks where you record small discoveries like a calendar of firsts.

👉Early Spring Nature Study ~ How to Keep a Calendar of Firsts

A simple notebook or composition notebook works perfectly well and doesn’t add any extra cost. Some people enjoy sketching what they see with watercolour pencils, while others simply write down observations.

👉How to Start a Journal for Nature Study

Another option is to bring along a few field guides on birds, plants, or insects and look things up when you come home. Many families also enjoy reading picture books or other nature study books that tell stories about animals and plants in story form.

There are also many helpful nature study resources available online. Some people enjoy following Outdoor Hour Challenges or watching YouTube videos.

You don’t have to do all of these things. Nature study can stay very simple.

In fact, this was also part of Charlotte Mason’s plan for education. She believed that regular time outside, careful observation, and small notes in a nature note-book were more valuable than turning nature into complicated lessons or serious science too early.

Nature study grows slowly over the later years, changing with the age level of the child. Younger children usually enjoy collecting treasures and exploring freely, while older children may become interested in identifying plants, learning bird names, or reading additional information in books.

The most important thing is simply to keep the experience enjoyable and full of curiosity.

Even spending a little nature study time outside each week can lead to wonderful discoveries and hands-on experiences that children remember for many years.

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