Starting an Outdoor Nature Co-op Group
Getting our families to spend more time outdoors has become more of a challenge these days as computers, gaming, and online work have taken over so much of our hobby time. Which might be the reason for the rise in popular outdoor nature co-op groups. If getting your kids outside with friends has been on your mind, then this post is for you as you consider what is necessary to form a homeschool co-op group.
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What is an Outdoor Nature Co-op?
An outdoor co-op can be any kind of meeting that takes place in the great outdoors. It typically involves meeting in areas that lend themselves to natural settings like parks and forest areas that allow students to explore nature. This approach to homeschooling combines the benefits of nature-based education with the power of cooperative learning, providing a rich and engaging learning experience for all involved.
Define your Vision and Goals for your Group
As you are thinking about what you want your group to look like, there are a few key things that you are going to want to consider:
- What age group will the co-op serve?
- What type of outdoor activities will you focus on (nature hikes, gardening, citizen science, etc.)?
- How often will the co-op meet?
- Will you have specific learning objectives or themes?
Tips for Starting a Nature Co-op
Gather a team to help you. It’s okay if it’s your passion and vision, but doing everything on your own is going to wear you out quickly. And you don’t want the group to not meet if you are ever sick or find yourself in situation that you aren’t available that day.
Make a plan for your meetings. Get the dates on the calendar so that everyone can plan to set that time aside. Typically, these kinds of groups are not as structured as traditional co-ops. There is usually some kind of agenda for the day, but students are allowed to work, move and explore at their own pace. Don’t try to pack too much into one meeting time.
Related: How to Start a homeschool Co-op
Ideas to Consider for Your Nature Group
Choose a catchy name for your homeschool group that encompasses what you are trying to accomplish in your time together.
Consider having some kind of skill that you want to teach each week. Some ideas might be; observation skills, listening skills, survival skills, plant identification, etc. Have a short discussion or teach about the skill then let students loose to practice what they learned. Reconvene at the end to discuss what everyone did.
Encourage everyone to have a nature journal that is used each time that you meet. They can collect leaves, flowers and other special things in it, or they can draw or paint what they see or add photographs.
Set up nature stations that students will move through during your time together. Maybe one station could be a bug station where students use a magnifying glass to observe different insects and draw what they see. Another station could have different leaves that were collected.
Have a different themed scavenger hunt each meeting. Ideas could be different kinds of rocks, leaves, trees, bugs, grasses, etc.
After spending some time exploring the area, have students do a show and tell of something fun or interesting they found.
Consider taking field trips to different parks, aquariums, or nature centers.
Practice using nature tools like compasses, maps, binoculars, magnifying glasses, field guides and plant presses.
Make geocaching a part of your activities
Have a park service day where you meet to do a park clean up
Have a scout like aspect to your meetings where students can earn badges for different activities they partake in or learn.
Do an activity or craft related to the lesson for the day.
Resources for your Nature Group
If you are considering starting a nature group for homeschoolers what other questions or ideas do you have that I can add here?
Angela is the Homeschool Encourager for the Overwhelmed & Under-Caffeinated and the Chaos-to-Confidence Specialist behind Schooling with Grace. With a no-fluff approach, a dash of humor, and a whole lot of heart, she helps homeschool moms cut through the chaos, ditch unrealistic expectations, and teach with confidence.