Embracing Nature's Classroom in Homeschooling

Join us for an exciting episode of Empowering Homeschool Conversations featuring Rowena Scherer, Founder and CEO of eat2explore, an award-winning experiential cooking kit company designed to bring cultural education alive through food. Drawing inspiration from her Malaysian roots, love for travel, and professional culinary training, Rowena shares how food can be a powerful tool for teaching children about culture, geography, and history. Discover how your family can explore global cuisines while fostering cultural understanding and creating memorable learning experiences in the kitchen. Tune in for engaging stories, delicious ideas, and Rowena’s vision for connecting the world through food!   To connect with Rowena, her team, and her resources, visit: https://eat2explore.com/ Use promo code SPED15 for 15% off a kit TODAY   Viewers like you funded similar episodes, and other free resources from SPED Homeschool. To learn how you can support the nonprofit work of SPED Homeschool and this broadcast, visit https://spedhomeschool.com/donate/   NEW to SPED Homeschool and the Homeschool Heroes platform: Consultations and Cognitive Testing.   Here is Now What's Available for Your Family through SPED Homeschool: One-on-One Consultations – Get expert guidance in homeschooling a struggling student, curriculum choices, accommodations, behavior strategies, executive function support, high school planning, and more. Our consultants provide personalized recommendations to help you move forward with confidence. https://www.spedhomeschool.com/consultants   MindPrint Cognitive Assessment – Finally, a strengths-based approach to education. This easy, at-home cognitive assessment provides unbiased insights into how your child learns best. It helps you understand where they’ll naturally excel and where they may need extra support—allowing you to tailor your teaching effectively with data that tells you exactly how your student learns best! https://www.spedhomeschool.com/store/products/4344/mindprint-student-assessment   MindPrint + Consultation Bundle - When you bundle the MindPrint test with a consultation, you unlock a database of MindPrint teaching resources only accessible to our consults, which gives you even more in-depth and personalized homeschooling help to help your student learn successfully. https://www.spedhomeschool.com/store/products/4345/mindprint-student-assessment-plus-consultation   You don’t have to struggle through this journey alone. We’re here to give you the tools and confidence you need to create a home learning environment where your child flourishes. To find out more about SPED Homeschool, visit our website at https://spedhomeschool.com/   To learn about the other Empowering Homeschool Conversations Co-Hosts and their resources, visit: https://annieyorty.com/ https://www.leilanimelendez.com/ https://adaptedhomeed.com/ https://solimaracademy.com/   Join our mission to empower homeschool families!: https://spedhomeschool.com/donate/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

By Peggy Ployhar As the days get longer and the temperatures rise, it's not just the flowers that start to bloom—so does the restlessness in our children. With summer on the horizon, many kids begin to lose focus, itching for a break from the same old school routine. If you’ve noticed your child staring longingly out the window or finding any excuse to cut lessons short, now is the perfect time to shake things up with hands-on, outdoor learning. Because I have lived most of my life in cold northern states, spring has always meant one thing to me—getting outside! After months of bundling up and waiting for the thaw, I couldn’t wait to finally enjoy the fresh air and the outdoor hobbies I had only dreamed about all winter. And I know I’m not alone! So, in the spirit of embracing the change in seasons and keeping our kids engaged in meaningful learning, I’ve gathered some fantastic outdoor activities. These activities will not only provide a much-needed break from the usual schoolwork but also capitalize on the incredible learning opportunities that nature provides. Whether your family loves gardening, science, exploring, or art, these free and fun activities will help you make the most of the great outdoors. Gardening An Introduction to Plants for Kids – Multi-sensory activities, field trip ideas, and videos to keep kids learning about plants for weeks. Getting Your Hands Dirty Gardening Unit – A full unit study covering everything from seeds to literature about gardening, plus learning about critters that help gardens grow. Spring Dandelion Unit Study – Notebooking, experiments, art projects, and even recipes to explore the often-overlooked dandelion. Easy Seed Science Activities – Ten hands-on experiments to see how seeds grow and learn about plant life cycles. Insect Studies Ant Unit Study – Books, videos, art, and projects focused on the fascinating world of ants. Grasshoppers and Cricket Study – A blend of literature and science to learn about these jumping insects. Animal Studies Montessori-Inspired Bird Unit – Hands-on bird-themed learning activities for multiple levels. Frog Unit Study – Learn about frogs while incorporating language arts, math, science, and even character lessons. Exploring & Adventure Survival-Themed Books & Unit Studies for Tweens and Teens – A great list of books with unit studies to inspire outdoor learning and adventure. Nature Walks & Scavenger Hunts – Over 30 creative ways to explore, hike, and engage with the natural world. Nature & The Arts Art & Nature Study with Beatrix Potter – Study nature through the eyes of Beatrix Potter while engaging with her literature and artwork. Claude Monet Unit Study – Explore Monet’s impressionist style and how nature influenced his artwork. Spring is the perfect time to get outside and embrace new learning opportunities while giving kids the break they need from the usual indoor routine. Whether you’re observing insects, painting like Monet, or going on a scavenger hunt, the fresh air and hands-on activities will make learning feel like an adventure rather than a task. For more inspiration on incorporating the great outdoors into your homeschooling, check out our latest podcast episode, Embracing Nature’s Classroom in Homeschooling, at LifeAudio or on your favorite podcast platform.