Updated: How To Get Started With The Outdoor Hour Challenge

Step By Step Instructions for the Outdoor Hour Challenge

Starting September 1, 2012

• Receive my monthly newsletter on the 1st of the month (subscribers to the Handbook of Nature Study blog***).
• In the newsletter, view the printable Challenge Grid for the four topics for the up-coming month. If the topic is from the archives, I provide the link to the challenge on my blog and the link to the ebook it is from if applicable.This way you can prepare for the challenges ahead of time if you wish. The challenges are going to be topical and not seasonal.
• If you own the applicable ebooks, you can open those and print the coordinating notebook pages to use during the month. This is not required but would supplement the current month's work.
• Print and cut out the newsletter Study Grid and Bookmark for use during the month.
• Read my blog each Friday for additional supplementary ideas, activities, or printables that coordinate with the Challenge Grid topics. Please note that the challenges can be done at any time that is convenient for your family…even months later. For instance, the topic for September is insects but if in November you come across an interesting insect, go ahead and come back to the September challenges and complete them with your November insect.
• Complete the challenges at your own pace and create your blog entries as you have time.
• Submit your blog entries to the Outdoor Hour Challenge blog carnival. Become part of the global community of nature study families that participates in the monthly carnival of entries sharing how you spent time outdoors with your family.

Big Picture
Each month from September 2012 to August 2013 -The newsletter will focus on a specific topic of study from the Handbook of Nature Study. But, there will always be general ideas for study as well so you will find at least one challenge a month to fit any area, any season, and any age level. During months where the challenges offered fit your family's interest and habitat, you can complete all four challenges if you desire or if you find that you can't locate the current topic you may only complete one or two of the more general challenges. I hope that each family will find something to encourage them in their efforts to get outside as a family each month.

End of August 2013 – Release of a new Outdoor Hour Challenge ebook which will consist of each of the 12 topical studies (Sept 2012 to Aug 2013) from the newsletters, the Friday post's printables, and many additional activities and notebook pages that will only appear in the new ebook. This ebook will allow you to work by nature study topic using the Handbook of Nature Study and the Outdoor Hour Challenges.

Schedule of Topics to Be Covered

• September 2012 Insects
• October 2012 Trees
• November 2012 Mammals
• December 2012 Weather
• January 2013 - Rocks and Minerals
• February 2013 - Birds (Great Backyard Bird Count)
• March 2013 - Moss-Lichen-Mushrooms
• April 2013 - Reptiles-Amphibians
• May 2013 - Garden Flowers-Crops
• June 2013 - Wildflowers-Weeds
• July 2013 - Fish (Ponds)
• August 2013 - The Sky and Stars

Resources Needed:

1. Monthly Newsletter so you have the topic, the challenge ideas ahead of time, and the newsletter printables.***
2. Handbook of Nature Study book by Anna Botsford Comstock – I recommend the edition linked on the sidebar of my blog.
3. Highly recommended: A copy of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Getting Started ebook. I will be referring to the challenges and notebook pages in this ebook almost every Friday. Of course, the challenges in the ebook are available on the Handbook of Nature Study blog for free but if you want the notebook pages you will need to purchase the ebook.
4. Highly recommend: Nature journal or nature notebook.

Those four things are going to allow you a lot of opportunities for relaxed nature study in your own backyard with simple follow up activities if desired.

***Subscribers receive the download link to the current month's newsletter in the footer of their blog entry email. You can subscribe and receive the newsletter in the very next email blog entry.

This entry will be included as an article in the 

September 2012 newsletter 

so you can print it out from there 

if you desire it as a reference.