Is it the end of April already? We may be losing track of time, but nature is right on schedule.
Our twenty nature prompts can help you and yours jump into nature study, one of the Brave Writer Lifestyle elements, and enjoy the grounding routine of the shifting season.
Each Friday in April we’re sharing five simple ideas.
Pick one to do the following week, then let us know what you did by sharing on Instagram (#bravewriterlifestyle).
Ideas for Week 4
Watch the clouds.
Make a nature date—virtually—with a Natural History Museum, Botanical Gardens, or Nature Center offering online events.
Lap your house or apartment building looking for nature before heading inside.
Play “If you could be any animal what would you be?” (Ask why and for lots of descriptions about what life would be like as that creature.)
Have you been surveying your neighborhood for flowers in bloom? Or watching birds from a cozy spot by the window?
Nature sure likes to show off in spring! That makes it a great season to hop into nature study, one of the Brave Writer Lifestyle elements.
To encourage you to add or maintain nature study routines in this unusual time, we created twenty simple prompts to help you and yours engage with nature.
Each Friday in April we’re sharing five simple ideas.
Pick one to do the following week, then let us know what you did by sharing on Instagram (#bravewriterlifestyle).
Ideas for Week 3
Build a fairy house at the base of a tree with items like twigs, leaves, rocks, and flowers.
Pretend you are a bird: What color would you be? Feather design? Big or small?
Draw nature finds.
Turn over rocks and see what’s underneath (turn them back gently).
Hug a tree—and while you’re at it, examine the bark.
To encourage you to add or maintain nature study routines in this unusual time, we created twenty simple prompts to help you and yours engage with nature.
Each Friday in April we’re sharing five simple ideas.
Pick one to do the following week, then let us know what you did by sharing on Instagram (#bravewriterlifestyle).
Ideas for Week 2
Play a bird spotting game (big birds = 3, medium birds = 2, small birds = 1). See if, as a family, you can add up to a target number before the end of the day.
Get outside WITH the kids! Yep, this is a BIG motivator!
Pick a tree in your neighborhood to watch through the seasons.
Read a nature-inspired storybook—wonder as you read.
Find and watch nature webcams (search the web to variety—nest cams are popular).
It’s a wonderful time to ground our kids in the steady cycles of nature all around us.
Nature Study is an integral part of the Brave Writer Lifestyle. To encourage you to add or maintain nature study routines in this unusual time, we created twenty simple prompts to help you and yours engage with nature.
Each Friday in April we’ll share five simple ideas.
Pick one to do the following week, then let us know what you did by sharing on Instagram (#bravewriterlifestyle).
Ideas for Week 1
Get down and take a close look at a patch of ground.
Chase the sun! Make it a quest to find the BEST spot to enjoy the sunrise or sunset.
Wonder out loud about something you see outside.
When your kids spot a bird or a bug or a leaf, make a BIG deal about what awesome observation skills they have!
Count colors in nature as you drive, walk, or look out the window.
Well, okay—the small screen in your living room, but that’s not nearly as dramatic.
The Stargirl movie will release on Disney+ March 13th!
Tip: Find a friend with Disney+ and have a watch party with your teens.
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Not a Stargirl fan yet?
Prepare for the movie by reading thebook —and dig deeper into the book with the Stargirl Boomerang (literature-based language arts guide)!
Brave Writer mom Christyn shared her experience working through the Stargirl Boomerang with her daughter:
Stargirl was a book and Boomerang selected on a whim, a last-minute addition to our fall semester…and I’m so glad I made that choice. The story of this smart and whimsical homeschooled teenager fit perfectly with our overarching theme of “identity” this year and opened up some poignant conversations, especially when paired with the Think Piece Questions.
My daughter and I both enjoyed the “Try It!” sections: Week One’s playing with metaphors was a favorite.
The Boomerang guided us deep into the book, drawing our attention to figurative language, setting, and dialogue, and a discussion of how the author’s specific choices enhanced the story.
The “Inside Scoop” and “Beyond the Passage” sections added another layer of insight and discussion. To paraphrase from the Week One dictation passage, I was perpetually astonished at the depth of the story that the Boomerang unlocked for us, but I never had to wonder what we might be missing: the Boomerang’s attention to detail covered everything the story had to offer.
We <3 Stargirl — and immediately ordered the sequel, “Love, Stargirl”!
Note: The “Inside Scoop” and “Beyond the Passage” sections were added to the Boomerangs in August 2019.
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