Mood:  a-ok

In my younger days, one of the many things that I wanted to be when I grew up was a forest ranger. I loved spending time in the outdoors just sitting and listening to nature sounds or exploring the woods. This led to reading encyclopedia articles about trees and nature. My sister saw my interest and one year sent me a subscription to a popular kid's nature magazine. I loved it! I read it cover to cover. Little did I know, however, that this magazine was very secular and, therefore, had a very secular world view. Thankfully, back in those days, this magazine didn't overtly emphasize these values. Nevertheless, occasionally something would be subtly added, so much so that I vowed, later in life, that I would never subscribe to this particular magazine for my children. I have searched high and low for a comparable Christian nature magazine that I could order for them but could never find one - until Nature Friend Magazine came along. 

The TOS Homeschool Crew was sent the August and September editions of Nature Friend Magazine and it's separate study guide for free in order to review it on our blogs. This beautifully illustrated and well written magazine was everything that I could have ever wanted. The main magazine has wonderful articles that range from discussing insects, birds, reptiles or some type of mammal to talking about astronomy or doing an interesting experiment. Everything is written from a Christian creationist world view. They do not shy away from their beliefs!

But, fantastic pictures and great articles are only half of the magazine. It also includes fun puzzles that emphasize the things that are featured in the magazine. One of my favorites is the "Invisibles" picture puzzle. That's where smaller pictures are hidden in a large picture. Another similar monthly feature is the scavenger hunt where you have to find a small item that is hidden four or five times among the smaller pictures throughout the magazine. In various issues of Nature Friend you might find a crossword puzzle, a word find, or acrostic as well. There is even a "You Can Draw" section for your budding artist! This section gives step by step instructions on how to draw something from nature. They then invite you to send in your drawing to possibly be featured in an a future issue.

But, as if the regular magazine were not enough, they also offer a monthly "Study Guide" for a separate cost that is inserted into the monthly regular edition of the magazine. The eight page study guide has puzzles and exercises to reinforce what is featured in the regular magazine. It also has extra features that are perfect for a homeschooled student or one that is just fascinated with nature. "The Photo Critique" gives hints on taking great nature photographs, and "A Study In Nature A Lesson In Writing" encourages you to explore the outdoors and write about what you see, feel, hear, and smell. Again, everything is wonderfully written from a Godly point of view.  

Although Nature Friend is a fascinating magazine by itself, we used it as a supplement to Joshua's science lessons. Since Joshua is studying reptiles right now, he loved the article about the snapping turtle caught in a fence, and, because we are avid bird watchers, the articles on owls and the story of the Weaverbird interested him. John Allen is also an avid fan of nature and loved perusing the magazines and reading the articles. Both of them love doing puzzles and the ones from Nature Friends were no exception. Joshua loves the picture searches and John Allen enjoys the more challenging puzzles.

According to the Nature Friend web page, the goal of the magazine is "Helping Children Explore the Wonder's of God's Creation". Here is what they say about the beginnings of the publication:

Nature Friend magazine, begun in 1983, was first published by the Stanley Brubaker family of Goshen, Indiana. It was born out of Mr. Brubaker's desire to encourage children to believe in God as their Creator and to seek out, recognize, and appreciate His handiwork.

This is one magazine that I hope to continue to subscribe to for a long time to come. Both the regular Nature Friend Magazine and the extra study guide are published 12 months out of the year. A year's subscription to the magazine is $36.00 while two year's is $68.00. The extra Study Guide is $24.00 for one year or $48.00 for two years. If you are unsure of the study guide, you can order it for one or two months before committing to a longer period. 

Still not convinced? Go to the Nature Friend website by clicking here, or on any one of the highlighted areas above. The website has samples of the articles, puzzles and many other features from the magazine. You can view a few sample issues online or order the most current issue for $5.00. If you decide to subscribe, the $5.00 will be taken off of the subscription price. So, there really is nothing to lose. Don't wait, check out their website today! And, as usual, happy homeschooling!    

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