Kids Nature Journal

I wanted to share a few links - nature journaling is something that can last years for a child (or adult).  The experience of documenting the out-of-doors is one that can traverse generations.  A blog that I follow DIY Del Ray posted a great piece on creating an urban nature journal.

REPOSTED from: DIY Kids: A Tree and Neighborhood Walk Journal




I thought of this blog after reading the first one I posted (even though it is not active anymore).  I used this plan for making journal with my summer camp kids this past summer.  We had fun finding the perfect stick for the binding and pasting in our drawings and observations.

REPOSTED from: Homeschool Hacking Tips: Make your own Nature Journal!


I have mentioned before that I ask/make my students do nature journaling.  All this recent talk on nature journaling has inspired me to add this as a follow up to my last posting: Personal Spots. This next week I am going to assign them the task of mapping out their spot in the school yard.  This will lead to a lab report of documenting what is living in their spot of the school yard.  All of this is written or drawn in their nature journal.  I have them stay in their self chosen spot for a min of 5 minutes twice a month.  Sometimes they sit longer because the assignment asks them to.  I have a mix response, some kids love the time and others feel that the 5 minutes take eternity and by the time I 'let' them come in they will be fully consumed by Mosquitoes and will most likely have Limes disease from the Ticks that are in the school yard.

Because I have this response I send them out longer, with a more specific task to encourage those uncomfortable students to focus on something other than their comfort.  By the end of the school year, most students enjoy seeing the season change and enjoy their spot. 

I wonder if I had them make an actual Journal from their experiences (like the ones above) if they would think differently?