Unit studies & nature study for ages 4-12

UnitStudy.com (Amanda Bennett)

Open-and-go unit studies by Amanda Bennett on a wide range of topics.

Gather 'Round Homeschool

Christian unit-study curriculum covering all subjects, designed for teaching multiple ages (K-12) together.

Layers of Learning

Family-style homeschool curriculum run by homeschool moms: all ages, all at once.

KONOS

Hands-on curriculum (since 1983) built around character-trait units that integrate science, history and more for 1-2 months each.

Five in a Row

Literature-based unit studies built around children's books, with programs from preschool and kindergarten through elementary and middle school.

Torchlight Curriculum

Eclectic, secular, literature-rich curriculum with hands-on learning, game-schooling and book recommendations.

Moving Beyond the Page

Literature-based curriculum for creative, hands-on and gifted learners, with levels from age 4-5 up.

Home School in the Woods

Hands-on history: lap books, notebooking, 3D projects, mapping, timelines and more.

Beautiful Feet Books

Story-based history, geography and science programs built on living books.

Sonlight

Christian, literature-based curriculum for all ages, sold in book-based packages.

BookShark

Literature-based curriculum packages with books and everything needed for each level.

Fun-Schooling (The Thinking Tree)

Creative homeschool journals that let kids learn through drawing, reading and imagination, including for kids with ADHD, dyslexia or ASD.

Homeschool Share

Free unit studies, lapbooks and printables, browsable by topic (animals, plants, weather, space) and season.

Homeschool Creations

Homeschool blog with free printables and a yearly homeschool planner.

AmblesideOnline

Free Charlotte Mason curriculum with literature-rich book lists and nature study.

Wildwood Curriculum

Secular Charlotte Mason curriculum based on the original works of Charlotte Mason, with Forms for ages 6-9 and 9-12.

Simply Charlotte Mason

Charlotte Mason curriculum and helps built on living books, with free articles and guides.

Blossom and Root

Secular, nature-based, creative homeschool curriculum.

No Sweat Nature Study (Our Journey Westward)

Nature-study science curriculum for grades 1-8, designed to be simple and flexible.

Treehouse Schoolhouse

Charlotte Mason-inspired curriculum and Treehouse Nature Study, with Early Years (PreK-K), Primary (K-3) and Intermediate (4th-8th) ranges.

Homeschool Nature Study (Outdoor Hour Challenge)

Barb McCoy's nature study membership and guides, based on the Handbook of Nature Study, with seasonal lessons and follow-up activities.

Wild Explorers Club

Online nature adventure program with weekly assignments and videos; designed for ages 6-12 and religiously neutral. Paid monthly, free two-week trial.

Raising Little Shoots

Slow, seasonal, Charlotte Mason-inspired nature study, with free nature journal pages and seasonal guides.

Exploring Nature

Science and nature illustrations, labeling pages and printable worksheets for K-12; membership for full access.

Pandia Press (REAL Science Odyssey)

Publisher of REAL Science Odyssey science and the History Quest series.

Apologia

Christian K-12 curriculum publisher, including elementary science.

Mystery Science

Hands-on, video-led science lessons for elementary grades; some free lessons.

iNaturalist

Record and share observations of plants and animals and get help identifying them from a community of naturalists.

4.1 ★ (700) App Store · Oct 2026

Seek by iNaturalist

Kid-safe app that identifies plants, animals and fungi with the camera and awards badges. No registration.

4.8 ★ (31k) App Store · Oct 2026

Merlin Bird ID

Free bird ID app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: identify birds by sound, photo or three simple questions.

4.9 ★ (114k) App Store · Oct 2026

Cornell Lab K-12 Education

Bird and nature lessons and activities by grade band (K-2, 3-5, 6-8).

Project FeederWatch

Count the birds at your feeder for science, anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. The season starts November 1.

3.0 ★ (68) App Store · Oct 2026

Journey North

Track wildlife migrations and seasonal change across North America: monarchs, hummingbirds and more.

Monarch Watch

Monarch butterfly education and a large-scale tagging program that follows the fall migration.

Budburst

Plant-observation science projects: record when plants leaf, flower and fruit, and how pollinators use them.

GLOBE Observer

NASA-supported app for citizen science observations of clouds, trees, land cover and mosquito habitats.

3.1 ★ (91) App Store · Oct 2026

Zooniverse

The largest platform for people-powered research: classify animals, galaxies and more online.

1000 Hours Outside

Challenge to spend 1000 hours outside in a year, with free trackers, an app and a podcast.

4.8 ★ (8k) App Store · Oct 2026

Ranger Rick (National Wildlife Federation)

Wildlife and nature content for kids from the National Wildlife Federation, plus Ranger Rick magazines.

5.0 ★ (8) App Store · Oct 2026

National Wildlife Federation: Kids and Family

NWF programs, tools and resources to help parents get their children outside.

NPS Junior Ranger Program

Earn a Junior Ranger badge by completing activities at national parks, or online.

NASA Space Place

NASA science for kids: games, activities and explainers about space and Earth.

National Geographic Kids

Free animal facts, videos and science and geography content.

Nat Geo Kids (YouTube)

New videos every week about science, animals and more.

SciShow Kids

Short, kid-friendly science explainers and experiments.

Wild Kratts (PBS Kids)

Free games and videos from the Wild Kratts animal adventure series.

KidsGardening

Resources for educators and caregivers bringing gardening to kids.

Ducksters

Easy-to-read reference pages and games on animals, history, science, geography and biographies.

Library of Congress: Resources for Teachers

Free primary sources and teaching resources from the Library of Congress.

Little Passports

Monthly educational subscriptions covering geography, science, world cultures and the arts.

KiwiCo

Subscription boxes and STEM, STEAM, science and art kits for kids of all ages.

MEL Science

Science kit subscriptions with hands-on experiments for kids.

Build Your Library

Secular, Charlotte Mason-inspired literature-based curriculum covering history, science, and language arts by level.

Curiosity Chronicles

Secular global history curriculum told as a dialogue, with activity guides, timelines, and hands-on projects.

Heart of Dakota

Christ-centered curriculum with daily plans that weave history, literature, and hands-on activities together.

My Father's World

Christian curriculum blending Charlotte Mason, classical, and unit-study approaches with a Bible focus.

Notgrass History

Christian history curriculum with richly illustrated texts, primary sources, and literature woven in.

Master Books

Christian homeschool publisher with open-and-go courses in science, history, math, and language arts.

Oak Meadow

Waldorf-inspired, nature-based curriculum with print and online options, strong on arts and the outdoors.

John Muir Laws (Nature Journaling)

Free nature-journaling lessons, workshops, and curricula that teach kids to observe and draw the natural world.

Generation Genius

Video-based science lessons with experiments, quizzes, and DIY activities for K-8, some free.

SciStarter

Directory of thousands of citizen science projects, searchable by topic, location, and age.

NestWatch (Cornell Lab)

Cornell Lab citizen science: find and monitor bird nests and report data that tracks breeding birds.

Great Backyard Bird Count

Four-day February event: count birds for as little as 15 minutes and submit sightings to scientists.

FrogWatch USA

Learn frog and toad calls, then monitor a local wetland and report what you hear each season.

CoCoRaHS

Volunteer rain, hail, and snow gauge network; families measure local precipitation daily for scientists.

Bumble Bee Watch

Upload photos of bumble bees; experts verify them and the data tracks where each species lives.

Stellarium

Free planetarium software that shows a realistic sky in 3D; great for constellation and planet study.

PictureThis

Plant identification app: snap a photo to name plants, trees, and flowers and learn how they grow.

eat2explore

Monthly cooking kits that explore a new country or region through recipes, tools, and cultural activities.

History Unboxed

Hands-on history subscription boxes with artifacts, activities, and stories from a time period each month.

Green Kid Crafts

Monthly science and art discovery boxes with eco-friendly materials and a nature focus for ages 2-10.

Crash Course Kids

Fast, funny STEM and earth-science episodes for 3rd-5th graders, from the makers of Crash Course.

Free School

Introductions to animals, space, history, famous art, and classical music, made for elementary kids.

Operation Ouch

Twin doctors Chris and Xand explore the human body with experiments and real hospital stories.

MinuteEarth

Short animated explainers about how the Earth works: weather, oceans, animals, and ecosystems.

It's Okay to Be Smart

Joe Hanson explores curious science questions, from evolution and animals to space and the senses.

Homeschool Pop

Friendly lessons on science, history, geography, and animals made for homeschool families.

SciShow

Quick, well-researched explainers on space, animals, and everyday science for older elementary kids.