Our November Nature Study & FREE Guide Will Give You Tons of Inspiration!
As the weather turns colder, November is the ideal time to explore the fascinating ways animals adapt for winter with our latest guide, Understanding Animal Migration and Hibernation.
This guide will inspire your family with the remarkable journeys of animals that travel great distances or prepare to sleep through the season. From learning about birds that migrate south to discovering the cozy winter dens of hibernating mammals, your children will gain a new appreciation for the ingenuity and instincts of wildlife.
Through engaging activities, nature journaling, and easy nature crafts, you’ll learn about migration patterns and explore the habitats that support hibernating animals. This guide is packed with ideas that bring together the science of animal behavior with the beauty of autumn landscapes, offering your family a meaningful way to connect with the natural world.
Ready to dive into the wonders of animal adaptation with your family? Grab the November Nature Guide today!
Suggested Activities for November Nature Study:
November Nature Guide
The following prompts are designed to encourage exploration, observation, and creativity while helping kids and teens learn about Migration and Hibernation, even in urban environments.
1. Observe Birds: Identify birds in your area and note which ones are still around. Research if any are preparing to migrate.
2. Migration Map: Create a map showing the migration paths of a specific bird species that travels through or near your area.
3. Animal Behavior: Observe squirrels, chipmunks, or other local animals. Note their behaviors and how they might be preparing for winter.
4. Leaf Pile Habitat: Create a small pile of leaves in your yard or a park. Observe if any small creatures use it as shelter.
5. Track Temperatures: Record daily temperatures. Note how the cooler weather might affect animals’ behavior and food sources.
6. Hibernation Den Model: Use natural materials like leaves, twigs, and stones to create a model of a hibernation den for an animal like a bear or a hedgehog.
7. Feather Collection: Find and collect feathers during a walk. Research which birds they might belong to and whether those birds are migratory.
8. Animal Footprint Search: Look for animal footprints in mud or soft soil. Try to identify the animals and consider if they migrate or hibernate.
9. Animal Adaptation Research: Choose an animal that either migrates or hibernates. Research how it adapts to survive the winter.
10. Track Migration Patterns Online: Use online resources to track real-time migration patterns of birds. Record your observations in a journal.
Want More Nature Activities, Crafts, and Scavenger Hunt Ideas?
Sign up to below to download our FREE November Nature Guide PDF!
Each Nature Guide contains:
- A Monthly Theme
- Corresponding Lessons for Handbook of Nature Study, by Anna Botsford Comstock
- A Recommended Reading List
- Suggested Activities
- Nature Journal Prompts
- Nature Craft Ideas
- Nature Poetry Selections
- Scavenger Hunt (or Photo Snap List for Older Kids & Teens)
- Nature Notebooking Page
- Nature Notes Page
Add These Art Courses to Your Migration & Hibernation Nature Study:
For a well-rounded nature study, check out Heather Woodie’s Nature Journaling series from the Masterpiece Society. Purchase the complete set or individual courses. You can also see how Alisha creates a nature journaling page from the nature cards in our Charlotte Mason Morning Time sessions here.
For younger kids who might not be able to do nature journaling yet, why not add in Alisha’s Watercolor Whimsies: Autumn Edition course for super fun art lessons?
Check Out These Videos for Nature Study Inspiration:
Learn about bird migration:
Learn how to recognize common bird calls:
Find out how hibernation works:
Create a bug hotel for creepy crawlies to sleep this winter:
Add These Books to Your Nature Study:
Pick up some of these books from your local library to add to your September nature study, or grab them off Amazon to add to your family library’s permanent collection!
Picture Books
Thimbleberry Stories
The HatAnnie and the Wild AnimalsThe Tea Party in the WoodsThe Snowy NapRabbits, Squirrels and Chipmunks: Take-Along Guide (Take Along Guides)Tracks, Scats and Signs (Take Along Guides)
Elementary
James Herriot’s Treasury for Children: Warm and Joyful Tales by the Author of All Creatures Great and SmallThe Complete Brambly Hedge: The gorgeously illustrated children’s classics delighting kids and parents!A Beatrix Potter Treasury (Peter Rabbit)The Wind in the Willows: Illustrated ClassicThe Adventures of Geraldine Woolkins (The Geraldine Woolkins Series)The Animals of Farthing Wood: The Adventure Begins (A Puffin Book)Animals in Fall: Preparing for Winter (Cloverleaf Books ™ ― Fall’s Here!)
Science Books
The Busy TreeLook Inside Animal HomesWoodland Creatures (Usborne Young Beginners)Over and Under the SnowOutside and Inside Rats and MiceFoxes (Animal Predators)Wild About BearsIn the ForestWoodland BookHow to Find a FoxLittle Woodland Animals (Let’s Look at Animal Habitats (Pull Ahead Readers ― Nonfiction))Let’s Explore! Woodland Creatures (Let’s Explore!, 2)
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