From Stepping Outside to the Nature Journal

There is nothing so lovely as the natural curiosity of a young child.  They watch, listen and imitate so much, engaging their minds in learning every waking moment.  How do we facilitate this curiosity so it's not lost?  Begin with the tactile, the natural, that which is right outside your front door.

Stepping through my front door, we have an abundance of gossamer threads at the moment. Our change in weather, to a warm, wet summer, has seen an increase in the miniature world. Spiders of all shapes and sizes have taken to laying out their 'tables' during dusk for a generous feast during the night.  We pause to see them busily weaving away when we are returning home in the early evening, as the front porch light reveals their silent activity.

What is through your front door?  Have you some rocks or old bark providing shelter to a host of invertebrates?  Are bees hovering over fresh blooms, or is it another type of flying insect?   Are some of your flowers fading and forming seed pods of various shapes and colours?  Or, has a fruit seed taken root where a child has thrown it down without a thought?

Invite children over to notice these little things.  Talk about what's happening and expect some questions .. or LOTS of questions.  Take some time to then remember these precious discoveries with your child by creating a notebook or nature journal. Here is a lovely place to remember and order the thoughts that came with the discovery.

In A Charlotte Mason Companion, Karen Andreola summarises how Charlotte expected her students to complete their nature journals.  There is a lot of detail as to how these may be set out.  I admit, I haven't done anything in as much detail as would have been required by Charlotte, but I most certainly see the benefits of everything being in order, just as God's creation is in order.  In reading these chapters, I've been reminded that the journal is also a testament to your child's learning journey, as they will be constantly refining their skills: in artwork, written expression and connections made through their observations.  These are all excellent skills that we want to our children to develop.

Being physically refreshed by moving outside the home is also an very valid point raised.  Engage the senses with the brisk touch of the morning air on your face, the rough texture of some bark on your fingers, or the sound of crickets singing their night's song.  I know it's very difficult to draw what one cannot see, but a discovery of the cricket's hiding hole can be a fun activity for the child.  Upon returning to the house to record what you've heard, a poem may be written, and the use of a reference book could find a relevant picture.

Andreola gives lovely examples of her notebook.  It's obvious that it's a central point of many memories. Each entry is a snapshot in time. I always enjoy seeing her world through her stories, and she shares several reflections back as a promise that 'this too can be ours'. Helping our children capture their memories in this way is such a wonderful gift a parent can pass on.

Even though we, personally, have not done as much work on our nature journals as I'd like, my reading here has certainly encouraged me to continue.

I would like to encourage others to take up this activity, too.  It's not as difficult as it may seem, and finding something to discover is really not very far away.  Start at your own front door.  As you begin to explore there, you will whet the appetite for more observations when you are out and about at other locations.

Thank you for dropping by!



This blog hop has been initiated by Chareen from Every Bed of Roses. We're looking at chapters 33 to 35, inclusive; the focus is on Nature Studies.
If you would like to participate, or read other entries from this blog hop, please visit HERE.