Exploring Nature with Kids: Fall Wildflowers

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We love to study wildflowers, especially local varieties.  Over the past few years, we’ve slowly learned to identify several common wildflowers from each season.  It’s so fun to be driving along, and hear one of the boys exclaim “I see some chicory!”  Or “Look at the yellow rocket!”

[Check out this handy online tool for wildflower identification.]

One of our favorite fall wildflowers is goldenrod, which is growing all over Northern Virginia at the moment.  Two years ago, when Older Brother was five, we did a little study on goldenrod.  It was extra-fun because we’ve got some growing right in our very own meadow.

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I absolutely love Barb McCoy’s nature study resources over at Handbook of Nature Study, most of which are part of her Outdoor Hour Challenge.  She’s got a fantastic series of free, downloadable notebook pages for fall, of which one page is devoted specifically to goldenrod.

Be sure to check out her post Outdoor Hour Challenge Autumn Series–Goldenrod or Other Autumn Flowers, where she provides helpful information about goldenrod, asters and mums.

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Older Brother enjoyed sketching and then coloring the goldenrod we observed in our meadow.

Another fall favorite is wingstem.  Have you seen it?  Like goldenrod, it’s a beautiful yellow color, and can grow extremely tall.

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We often spot wingstem on fall nature walks–in sunny spots, it’s always taller than me!  In shadier spots, the plants are generally much shorter and more conducive to viewing by small children. 🙂

Do you have goldenrod or wingstem where you live?
What are your favorite fall wildflowers?

goldenrod photo credit
wingstem photo credit

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