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Nature study tools
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Hi all-
A friend and I have our own little co-op, and we go on nature walks together. We came up with a great list of supplies we should have, but I need a little help finding a few things.
First, what are your favorite magnifying glasses you’ve found for your kids? My ages run from 11 down to 5. I saw a kind that had a pop-out thing so you could make it stand, but it was like $48 for a set of 12. Yikes! If you just use the ones at like Target, Walmart, and the like, where do you find them? Mine keep getting lost around here <ahem>, so I need to replace, and I have no clue where I got the other ones!
What about tweezers? Do you just use the kind you’d find in the beauty dept, or is there a better one for outdoor nature study use?
Nature notebooks? I have these 2 great watercolor spiral notebooks for my older 2 kids, but do you think I can find them anywhere again? No, of course not! I need 3 more (1 is for me
). Suggestions?And last but not least, backpacks! I am thinking about putting an ad out on our local FB buy/sell page for backpacks that the kids will be done with come Thursday/Friday. But our first summer walk is Friday. Carrying all their stuff for them is getting mighty heavy…. 😉 Thoughts on where/how to get really cheap, good ones in a regular school-type size by Friday?
TIA!!!
I was hoping someone more knowledgable would chime in here. I am a nature-notebook enthusiast, but not an expert by any means. We picked up magnifying glasses at the state homeschool convention. Our local backyard bird store has them, too. I just use cosmetic tweezers. We got our notebooks at Millers Pad & Paper, again at convention, but I suspect a local art supply store might have them or perhaps you would consider ordering them online. We don’t use backpacks. I just use the nylon sacks with the cording that cinches it closed andis worn over the shoulder (often gven as a freebie at different events), if anything. HTH and that someone else might also have better ideas.
Blessings,
Kristina
Miller Pads custom made notebooks for our group. We bought canvas parts bags to hold journals, paints, etc. and a mom stamped journals and bags with names and a pretty bird. They were cheap, but we bought 100. And they are lovely.
For magnifying lens we use loupes from The Private Eye. I have this set of six:
(well, I can’t paste here – I don’t know why)
Go to theprivateeyestore.com and click Class Loupe Sets. The last one is a box containing six and costs $25. I also bought three lanyards so each of us can carry a loupe around our necks without losing it. (They are under the ‘Loupes’ link and cost $1.30 each if bought individually.)
You can double the loupes (put two together) to increase the magnification.
We think they are fantastic and pull them out all the day, almost daily.
I think your idea to get backpacks from Craigslist, etc from the kids getting out of school is a great idea. I’d say make due on Friday and try to get them that way. If you want to buy a backpack that will last forever, get LLBean. They DO last forever. 🙂
This is not what you asked about, but I thought I would share about the binoculars we use. They really do automatically focus, so they’re great for kids that are a bit younger that might have trouble adjusting the focus (as well as great for older/adults of course!). They’re also VERY clear, and an excellent price for the quality. I’ve been very happy, and since it took me a long time to find binoculars that suited our needs I thought I’d share.
Rachel
We found quite a few decent nature study tools at Hobby Lobby of all places. Our local one has magnifying glasses, binoculars, pocket microscopes, draw string nylon backpackers, bug cages with magnifying lenses, collection tubes, bug nets, nature notebook supplies, etc. They alo had solar paper (for doing those picture where you put objects on the paper, sit it in the sun, and let the areas not covered with objects darken), blank microscope slides, and petrify dishes on their science/homeschool/world map aisle. We’ve been picking up objects all year, a few at a time, with 40% off coupons to build up a nice kit. The quality of all the items is good, but can get pricey pretty fast if you’re getting more than one of each item. We keep an eye out on their specials, sales, and clearances whenever we’re there. Last week we even found a Thames and Cosmos physics kit for half off clearance. If you need some inexpensive, early elementary level type magnifying glasses quickly, our party store carries them for less than a dollar each with their party tabor stuff. The quality is okay for younger kids just starting, but probably wouldn’t work on an older level or for longterm.
). Suggestions?
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