To view my entry for the Green Hour Challenge #3, scroll down, or click here.

"The crocus, like the snowdrop, cannot wait for the snow to be off the ground

before it pushes up it's gay blossoms, and it has thus earned the gratitude

of those who are winter weary."

~ Anna Botsford Comstock, Handbook of Nature Study

On our nature walk Sunday, one of the things Hannah discovered was an uprooted young Crocus.  She immediately assumed "Mother" role and wanted to take it home and save it.  She was genuinely concerned and excited to take care of this flower.  Immediately when we got back home, with no prompting from me, she began caring for it by placing it in a cup of shallow water.

I'm slowly learning to seize these "natural interest" opportunities to teach my children.  Today, while watching her tending to her new "baby" and changing the water, I had a light bulb moment that opened up a wonderful teaching and learning experience for us.

I asked her if she'd like to learn more about the Crocus in order to make sure she was caring for it properly.  Her face lit up and we began our study.  First we looked it up in our Handbook of Nature Study and read all about it.  Between her genuine interest and the engaging and entertaining way the Handbook is written, I never once had to ask her if she was listening ;)

We proceeded to go over the questions listed at the end, which had us closely examining our little Crocus and identifying the different parts.   We had a wonderful discussion on how the "baby Crocus" came from a larger "Mother Crocus".  We also marveled at how the flower had already changed from yesterday and was beginning to open up to bloom.

After that she asked (I didn't have to even say anything) if she could draw a picture of a Crocus for her nature journal.  "Of course so," I obliged.  Since recently reading about combining nature with other subjects, this was my "light bulb" moment; I asked her if she'd like to combine her dictation for today with her drawing.  She immediately said "that's a great idea Mom."  After I picked my jaw up off the ground (because of her enthusiasm), she proceeded to draw a lovely, lovely picture, and we finished it off with dictation that I took from the Handbook.

After finishing the rest of our other studies, she polished it all off by giving her baby Crocus (and the wild Violet) a better environment to live in.   And we had another great discussion about God's infinite beauty in His creation.

We effectively accomplished four subjects from Nature Study:  Science, Language Arts, Art/Drawing, and Bible.  But more importantly, Mother and Daughter had a wonderful teaching experience together.