Homeschool Nature Hike

I joined a homeschooling group of moms a while back for some extra homeschooling ideas for our family. They're a great resource for answering questions, small field trips, and encouragement when you need it. I decided to plan a nature hike for the group and asked Steve to use his wealth of Florida wildlife knowledge to lead us. I wasn't quite sure what to expect since there's a big range of ages in this group but figured we'd have fun no matter what. We ended up with a big group that day (wish I would have counted, but at least 7 mommies and their kiddos came).

Steve did a great job of teaching to their level. He found tons of things to show them and they were truly interested to hear what he had to say.

Looking for wildlife tracks under our feeder.

 Time to take a snack break!

Ali is checking out a wasp nest in the picture below. I always envisioned our homeschool classroom being out in the world where my girls could learn through experiences and as much hands-on as possible. But the truth is that we have little time/energy for the experiential learning after the required lessons are complete. I guess that makes days like these even more special. I'd much rather have a school day that includes a magnifying glass and a flower press than a day of books and worksheets.