Reflect on the needs of your soul -->

Exploration Station :: our winter wonderland nature table

Exploration Station :: our winter wonderland nature table

{post contains affiliate links; see disclosure here}

Not long ago, I introduced you to our way of {hopefully} solving the homeschool winter blues – Exploration Station!

It’s just the idea of a ‘learning corner’ — setting out materials for the children to explore and play with.  Last week I decided to focus on our winter nature table, which was practically bare with just a few pinecones (ahem).

So, after a general math Exploration Station, this one focused on trees and winter!

Again I set out everything on trays, and offered the idea of making snowy trees out of the materials.  Then I basically left my boys (ages 4 and 8) alone to do the making.

While they worked away, I offered a tidbit here & there on evergreens.  I kept having remind myself this was NOT a unit study — just exploration! 🙂

What I set out on trays:

  • Crayola’s terra cotta air-drying clay
  • evergreen branches from our backyard
  • ModPodge for glue, paint brushes
  • white and silver glitter
  • scissors for trimming branches

Last year I used Swagbucks to purchase the trays on Amazon.  These are handy not only in our schooling and Montessori-style learning times, but also for taking food outdoors!

By the way…

If you’re interested in a great ready-to-go study on trees, check out Amanda Bennett’s Tremendous Trees unit study — we’ve used it before and it’s fabulous!

The boys added white and brown felt pieces to create the scene (the brown was also used in our Going on a Bear Hunt unit last year)  and then stretched out cotton balls for ‘snow’.

Throughout the week, various animal figures have appeared; I encouraged my 2nd grader to double-check if these animals would be found outdoors in the winter.

A few rocks and pinecones were added, and this completed our winter nature table for this season!

So um yeah…it was an itty-bitty-very-small study on trees, animals and winter. Shhhh…..

 

posted linked to Collage Friday

 

4 comments
Add a comment...

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

what would you like to do next?

Let's connect

find Me on instagram @daniele_evans


Daniele Evans