#StayHomeSTEM: Nature Journaling for Earth Day
In the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, my small contribution is providing #StayHomeSTEM blog posts full of ideas for at-home science learning, as well as helping to moderate the Facebook page, Supporting Temporary Homeschoolers Everywhere.
Tomorrow is Earth Day, which is a great time to get kids outside in nature (through a window, in your backyard, in a pocket park, or at a neighborhood green space). Step outside with a blank journal–or a clipboard and some blank paper–and a pen, and you have a powerful tool to engage your kids in writing, drawing, thinking, and connecting with our natural world, even just steps outside your front door. Nature journaling does not require access to wild spaces. You can do it through your apartment window or sitting in the grass in your front yard! I have done nature journaling activities with children as young as five. It is something the whole family can do together.
I’ve written a lot in the past on this blog about how to engage kids and adults in nature journaling. These archived blog posts, presented in a logical learning progression, provide inspiration, journaling activities and art/writing prompts, and samples from my own journals. Enjoy! #StayHomeSTEM
Basic Supplies: A blank (unlined) journal or a clipboard with blank paper. Pencil. Pen.
Optional Supplies: Colored pencils, crayons, watercolors/brush/water, glue/glue stick, ruler, eraser.
Start here: The Five Paths to Nature Journaling and then try out A 12 Step Program for Nature Journaling.
Explore drawing, collecting, and writing prompts:
- Pen to Page: Field Sketching in the Nature Journal
- Slipped Between the Pages: Nature Artifacts in the Journal
- Look, Then Look Again: Scientific Illustration in the Nature Journal
Some Inspiration from My Own Nature Journals:
Have an Old Journal or Having a Hard Time Getting Started?: Restarting Your Journaling Habit
For Educators: Nature Journals as Educational Tools
Nature journaling can provide just enough of a scaffold and inspiration for even young children to sit quietly while listening to the neighborhood birds, cloud watching, and exploring all the plants that grow in your lawn. Even people who “can’t draw” can engage in the simple sketching and mapping activities described in these archived blog posts.
As many families around the world are affected by Shelter-in-Place orders, now more than ever we need to find opportunities for ourselves and our children to connect with nature. Enjoy!
