The Outdoor Secrets Companion

Rated 4.33 out of 5 based on 3 customer ratings

$7.95 – $10.95

Additional learning ideas that correspond with the stories in Outdoor Secrets. Includes nature study, additional living science books, beautiful poetry, and nature notebook suggestions. (Early Years–Grade 2)

Click the Book List tab to see a list of materials needed for these lesson plans. See full description

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SKU: VAR-outdoorseccomp Categories: Preschool, Science

Product Description

Help your child discover nature hiding in your own back yard!

Now you can expand on each gentle nature story in the living science book Outdoor Secrets. Your first- and second-graders can learn more about the secrets that are awaiting them outside! In The Outdoor Secrets Companion you will find nature study ideas, simple projects, beautiful nature poetry, gentle lesson plans, and additional non-twaddle book suggestions that correspond with the stories in Outdoor Secrets.

Book List for The Outdoor Secrets Companion

Click on the Book List tab to see a full list of the resources needed for these lesson plans.

Living Science—Enjoy these activities and ideas that correspond with the nature stories in the 1903 reprint, Outdoor Secrets.
Saves Time—Relax. All the work has been done for you. We’ve put in the hours of research so you don’t have to.
Gentle and Flexible—Use the simple lesson plans at your own pace. Buzz through the ideas in a Term or meander along throughout the year.
Charlotte Mason in Its Approach—Includes lots of non-twaddle book suggestions, nature study ideas, narration, a nature notebook, and beautiful poetry.
Helpful—Gives you handy tips and reminders of upcoming resources in a convenient Notes column.

Book List for The Outdoor Secrets Companion

For the entire study

[SCM]Outdoor Secrets by Margaret P. Boyle
Favorite Poems Old and New selected by Helen Ferris
Nature notebook for each child
The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock (optional)

For specific lessons

How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro
Johnny Appleseed by Reeve Lindbergh
A Desert Scrapbook: Dawn to Dusk in the Sonoran Desert by Virginia Wright-Frierson
An Earthworm’s Life by John Himmelman
A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston
My Favorite Tree by Diane Iverson
Crinkleroot’s Guide to Knowing the Trees by Jim Arnosky (optional; out of print)
The Robins in Your Backyard by Nancy Carol Willis
From Seed To Plant by Gail Gibbons
Bumblebee at Apple Tree Lane by Laura Gates Galvin
The Owl and the Woodpecker: Encounters with North America’s Most Iconic Birds by Paul Bannick (optional)
Are You a Dragonfly? By Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries
Flower Garden by Eve Bunting
Wonderful Pussy Willows by Jerome Wexler (optional; out of print)
Flip, Float, Fly!: Seeds on the Move by JoAnn Early Macken
Water Dance by Thomas Locker
Wasps by Martha Rustad
Chippy Chipmunk Parties in the Garden by Kathy M. Miller
Read-Aloud Poems for Young People OR The Oxford Book of Children’s Verse in America (optional)

[SCM]: Available from SCM.

Additional Information

Weight	.25 lbs
Dimensions	11 × 8.5 × 0.125 in
Pages	30
Binding	E-book, Stapled
Grade	Grade 1, Grade 2
Charter-Friendly	No

Check out these ideas, links, and tips that correspond to the animals and plants introduced in Outdoor Secrets. Use them to enhance your study.

8 reviews for The Outdoor Secrets Companion

SarahCPA – May 25, 2011
Could this be done in fall and winter months, or is it best for spring and summer months?
- Sonya Shafer – May 25, 2011
  SarahCPA, you can use various chapters and lessons during the different seasons. Some lend themselves best to spring, others to fall, etc. Feel free to do the chapters in any order you like to match the season. We include nature study ideas that might be season-specific, but the books and other activities recommended could be done any time of the year. So you have flexibility.
Robin Charbonneau – July 25, 2011
My library does not have many of the specific titles mentioned in the Outdoor Secrets Companion, but they do have similar titles. Will similar titles work or do they need to be the exact ones?
- Doug Smith – July 25, 2011
  The books in the Companion are only suggestions, so feel free to substitute titles that your library has.
  - Robin Charbonneau – July 27, 2011
    Wonderful! Thank you.
Melissa – September 30, 2011
I watched one of your seminars mentioning on nature walks that children should look at nature and draw/describe what they saw that day….would this companion book be a part of what we would do on our nature walk?
- Jordan Smith – September 30, 2011
  The Outdoor Secrets Companion is a collection of Nature Study ideas to go along with the chapters in the book Outdoor Secrets. You can get a feel for the types of lessons by reading the sample.
Kelly – July 15, 2012
Hello! I have so enjoyed reading your website and planning 2nd grade for my daughter. I was looking at the 106 days of creation for science and just found The Outdoor Secrets and Companion. Which program would you suggest for my 2nd grader? Just not sure which program to choose. Thank you!
- Sonya Shafer – July 16, 2012
  Either would be fine, Kelly. Here are a couple of thoughts to consider as you make the decision.
  Outdoor Secrets and Companion is geared more for younger students, with 2nd grade being near the upper end. 106 Days can be geared for students up through 6th grade with the added Considering God’s Creation lessons. So you might do Outdoor Secrets this year and save 106 Days for next year.
  Outdoor Secrets is more reading books, nature study, and some small hands-on projects. The 106 Days with Considering God’s Creation involves more cut-and-paste type activities.
  - Kelly – July 23, 2012
    Thank you Sonya! I think I will do the Outdoor Secrets.
Leoliza Carbonell – July 23, 2012
Hello Sonya,
This is my first year homeschooling. I will be teaching 2nd and 4th. In reference to the reply above that you gave to Kelly, If I have a 2nd grader, can I only use 106 Days for her?
- Sonya Shafer – July 24, 2012
  Hi, Leoliza. You have many options, not just 106 Days. In fact, I would recommend that you combine your 2nd grader and 4th grader for science. It will save you a lot of time and they can learn together. You could use 106 Days of Creation Studies for both or any of the Jeannie Fulbright science courses listed on our SCM Curriculum Guide. Or you could just read aloud some of the living science books listed on that guide. Whichever books you choose to use, be sure to combine that reading with hands-on nature study outside.
Rated 3 out of 5
Arline – January 4, 2017
The activities are fabulous. However, the book could be better organized. It would be helpful if the “Suggested Schedules” were in the front of the book, so that it was seen before beginning the year. Also, the book reminders are helpful only if you’re using the Companion in the “Book Chapter” order. Otherwise, it isn’t as convenient. The idea behind this book is great, but may be even better with some tweaking! 🙂
Rated 5 out of 5
Celia – April 25, 2018
I am so thankful to have found Outdoor Secrets. It was a wonderful introduction to nature study for my children and me. Coupled with Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study, this lesson plan was perfect for my second grader, kindergartener, and preschooler. The lessons were light enough not to overwhelm but enough to peak our interest, and countless times we dove into deeper studies using the Handbook as our guide. The lesson plan makes it easy to do this by scheduling in “catch up days,” so I never felt in a rush or like I needed to cram to get everything accomplished. The suggested books were easily found at our local library or on Amazon. I would recommend Outdoor Secrets to anyone interested in beginning nature study with young children.
Rated 5 out of 5
Nikki – July 22, 2022
We have been slowly working our way through this program and love it. The booklist was well thought out, and the activities are engaging. My daughter has learned so much! Thank you!