First official Nature Study Walk

Today is a smashingly gorgeous day with a targeted high of 68 degrees. (Can anyone tell me how to get the actual degree sign - the little circle?) And as rain is forecasted for tomorrow, we are definitely taking advantage of today. Chores and homeschooling were done in short order, aided by the fact that we've finished up one history section and I'm still figuring out what we're doing next.
The nature journals I promised the kids had been waiting on my craft table until the opportune moment.

I called them all back indoors and parceled out their new possessions. The three oldest received a sketchbook, a package of 24 watercolor pencils, and additional peach colored pencil (necessary if drawing Caucasian flesh tones), and a flat paint brush.

The youngest (poor kid) got an old notebook, some old colored pencils and crayons, and an old paintbrush. He was tickled. All these precious things were tucked into their own small backpacks, along with a plastic trash bag. We used the bags to sit on since the ground is quite wet.

I gave some minimal instructions:

"We'll go for a short walk and sit down somewhere. Each of us will look at the ground around us very carefully and choose something to draw. Then we'll draw it. If you wish to watercolor it, we'll paint over it with water when we come back inside. How grand our sketch is is not what's most important. What is most important is that we learn to observe what is around us."

And we traipsed off!

We ended up in the far corner of our pasture where the kids have used some old fencing and a tire to build a fort. Each did as instructed.

Emma chose to sketch a bush with old rose hips.

Isaiah worked intently on his drawing of leaves.

Eli happily drew a fish (?!) and a monster. Hmmm... Gotta work on this NATURE STUDY thing a little bit!

Earl scribbled for all of 12 seconds, then ran back to the trampoline. :) Hey, he's 2.

I won't show you my sketch for today cause it was lousy, but I will show you my sketch of our barn looking from the kitchen window on Saturday. I'm happy with it.