I hope that you all had a truly blessed Easter!
Ours was a little different this year. Quite unintentionally, I had booked a few days away for my husband and me in Croatia—only to realise, rather too late, that our trip fell directly over the Easter weekend. It is such a sacred and meaningful time in our home, as we gather to reflect on the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour and to celebrate together as a family. I must admit, I felt a quiet sense of disappointment when I realised.
And yet, the Lord is gracious in all seasons. We had a lovely time away. It was restful, restorative, and filled with beauty…and it has made our return home feel all the sweeter.
There is something about April that invites us outdoors again. The air softens, the hedgerows begin to stir, and if you are near water, whether a garden wildlife pond, your local lake, or a quiet pond, you may notice one of spring’s most delightful signs of life: frogspawn.
Looking over the years of homeschooling, our frog and tadpole nature study remains one of the most memorable and joy filled projects we undertook. It was simple, deeply engaging, and full of wonder. Today, I want to share not only our experience, but also guide you in creating your own frog and tadpole study with your children.
One blustery spring day, amid what felt like near gale-force winds, we wrapped ourselves in coats and made our way down to the lake, Handbook of Nature Study in hand. That book became our quiet companion, offering both structure and freedom as we explored.
Armed with a small aquarium, curiosity, and a sense of adventure, we waded into the flag iris and bull rush encrusted banks of our local lake and gathered a small amount of frogspawn and pond water to bring home. This would form the beginning of our very own tadpole aquarium.
If you are doing this today, I encourage you to keep it simple:
- Take only a small amount of spawn
- Collect water from the same pond
- Handle everything gently and respectfully
This is not just a project, it is an introduction to stewardship.
Creating a Tadpole Aquarium at Home
Setting up the aquarium was wonderfully straightforward, and that is part of its charm.
We used:
- A small aquarium we had at home. You could use a glass bowl
- Pond water
- A little pond weed for oxygen and shelter
- a rock that breaches the water just a little as your tiny frogs will need somewhere to rest out of the water in time.
- A place indoors with natural light (but no direct sun)
And that was it.
The beauty of this kind of learning is that it asks very little of us as mothers or educators. We create the conditions, and then we step back an allow nature to teach.
Unexpected Discoveries Beneath the Water
Even before we placed our frogspawn into our aquarium, we noticed something remarkable: movement.
On closer inspection, we discovered a rather fierce little creature among the spawn we had collected, intent, it seemed, on making a meal of it. Naturally, this caused great excitment.
We carefully removed him for observation and later identified him as a diving beetle larva, often described as a formidable predator even at this early stage of life.
Alongside him, we found a quieter presence, a caddisfly larva, engly encased and altogether less dramatic in its habits.
Both were placed in separate containers so we could observe them more closely.
This, I think, is where nature study truly comes alive, not in the plan, but in the unexpected.
To Interfere or Not? A Lesson in Nature Itself
When it came time to assemble our aquarium, we faced a small dilemma: should we include the predator?
In the end, we chose to do so.
Our reasoning was simple, we wanted to reflect nature as it truly is, not as we might prefer it to be. Life in a pond is not tidy and controlled; it is dynamic, sometimes harsh, and always facinating.
This decision led to some of the riches conversations we had:
- About ecosystems
- About balance
- About life cycles and survival
And yes…a little drama unfolded before our eyes.
Ultimately, we were successful and managed to raise a little groups of teeny tiny frogs which released into the same lake where we had gathered the spawn.
Nature Journaling: Capturing the Moment
As the days passed, we turned to our nature journal.
- We sketched
- We observed
- We noted changes, tiny at first, and then unmistakable.
Encourage your children (and yourself) to:
- Draw what you see (not what you think it should look like_
- Record dates and observations
- Write a few simple sentences
There is no need for perfection. The Journal is not a performance, it is a record of attention
A Simple Guide for Your Own Frog & Tadpole Study
If you feel inspired to begin your own study this April, here is a simple rhythm to follow:
Week 1: Collect and Set Up
- Visit a local pond
- Collect a small amount of frogspawn
- set up your aquarium
Week 2-4: Observe Daily Changes
- Watch for hatching
- Note movement and growth
- Introduce journaling
Ongoing: Ask Questions Together
- What are tadpoles eating? (we fed ours tulip leaves which they loved)
- How are they changing?
- What else lives in the water?
When Ready: Release Back
- Return froglets to their original habitat.
A Final Reflection
Looking back, this was never just about frogs.
It was about slowing down. About paying attention. About allowing my children to witness life unfolding in real time.
In a world that rushes us forward, a simple bowl of pond water can gently call us back to wonder, to patience, and to learning that is both meaningful and lasting.
If you do try this in your own home this spring, I would truly love to hear about it.
