Keeping a nature journal is a great way for kids to record their interactions with the outdoors. Writing down observations of the natural world helps children develop ways of thinking about nature, and what it means to them.
Let's face it, with technology constantly luring kids indoors, nature journaling is a great way to get kids off screens, engage with the outdoor world and inspire a love of nature.
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The best part of nature journaling for kids is that there are no rules! Creativity is the order of the day. A journal can be a place to keep specimens, make illustrations, write down thoughts and record data. The purpose of your child's nature journal may change over time. A nature journal is a very personal thing!
Your child may already have their own ideas about how to get started journaling, and don't need any thing but a blank book and a pencil. However, others may feel a creative block. The nature journal ideas in this article are here to inspire, but not to provide a hard and fast prescription.
Table of contents
Let's get started!
How to Put Together a Nature Journal
All most children need to get started is a blank journal with good quality paper that will stand up to leaf and flower pressings, treks though the woods, and many, many accidental (or purposeful!) dirt smudges.
Journal Options
Our family's very favorite blank journal, which I have praised many times, is the Strathmore Visual Mixed Media Journal. It's reasonably priced and stands up to a lot of abuse.
Kids can also make their own journal. Recycling kids' old artwork is a great way to make a personalized nature journal. You can get the instructions to make your own journal here.
Other Equipment
In addition to a blank book, you'll need a few other materials to record observations, Consider adding the following items to your field bag next time you go on a natural journaling adventure:
- Quality drawing pencils and eraser
- Colored pencils
- Wax paper for pressing nature items like leaves and petals
- Binoculars
- Camera. Photos are a great addition to a nature journal. A mini Polaroid camera is perfect because there is no waiting until you get home to print out photos!
- Small envelopes to hold specimens
- Tape (useful for keeping flat specimens in place)
Printable journal pages are a perfectly respectable way to go, especially if you want to use a nature journal as part of a class project or to complement a particular line of nature study. Here are some fun, free printable journal page ideas:
- This is a tree - writing and drawing page
- Seeds to flowers - a time lapse project
- Charlotte Mason homeschooling inspired printable nature journal
- A butterfly observation journal
- Montessori inspired journal pages
Nature Journal Prompts
A single leaf or a noisy woodpecker can inspire kids to write in their journal.
Although you don't necessarily need specific prompts, they can come in handy! Here are some nature journal prompts for kids:
- Find animal tracks. Draw them and record your observations about who they belong to and where they are leading. Write a short paragraph from the animal's point of view.
- Collect some seed pods. Identify, open, and draw them. Tape some to your pages.
- Write a poem about the nature that surrounds you.
- Press flowers, leaves, stems, or feathers between journal pages.
- Find five different leaves and describe them using your 5 senses.
- Take rubbings of bark or craggy rocks.
- Go birdwatching and record your sightings. Here are some great tips for birding with kids and here's how my bird-loving son recorded his bird observations in a hobby journal.
- Observe and record the behavior of butterflies or another insect of choice.
- Go for a color walk and take notice of all the hues and shades of foliage. As Crafty Moms Share demonstrates, this can be done even if all you have time for is a walk around the neighborhood. It's also an excellent idea for toddlers and preschoolers who still have developing drawing skills as you can see in her kids' journal pages.
- This mom demonstrates how she uses nature prompts when she goes nature journaling with kids.
Out-of-the-box Nature Journal Ideas
Natural journaling doesn't even need an actual journal! Let that idea blow your mind. Now go check out this super cool nature journey stick from Growing Family.
Can you nature journal with homemade slime? You may not think so, but this family will convince you otherwise.
Books for Nature Journal Inspiration
Your kids will love hearing you read aloud some of our book recommendations for picture books to inspire a love of nature! In addition, the following titles will give them some more ideas about observing the great outdoors.
It's a Jungle Out There!: 52 Nature Adventures for City Kids by Jennifer Ward. This book is divine inspiration if you think you can't go on nature walks when you live in an urban environment!
National Geographic Kids Get Outside Guide: All Things Adventure, Exploration, and Fun! by Nancy Honovich and Julie Beer. Although this book has way more to it than just
The Kid's Guide to Exploring Nature. This book is put out by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Education Team and teaches kids how to observe nature that helps them see the complexity of the ecosystem.
Now get outdoors!
MaryAnne says
Kiddo has fabulous handwriting!
Raising a Happy Child says
Yeah - I am impressed too! No nature journal (and no writing) here yet.
Fanny Harville says
I'd love to hear more about how you do this; though we spend lots of time outdoors, we haven't been able to make a nature journal happen!
Mom and Kiddo says
@F.Harville: We just started so we haven't quite figured it out yet, but for right now it looks like it is easiest for my son to focus on it when we go to our garden plot. He can pick a specimen and press it or track how something is growing. It might turn into just a gardening journal... He doesn't show much interest in drawing from nature yet.
Joyful Learner says
When K was younger, she had a simple nature journal with pressed flowers. She still loves looking through it and naming them. Now we have a larger nature journal where each season, she uses seasonal stickers to decorate a page and we talk about what to anticipate. Then we sketch what we see. But I like the idea of including the pressed on flowers too so we might end up doing both - pressing and sketching!
Deb says
For parents reading this, you might honestly enjoy nature journaling yourself! I started one earlier this summer (I used youcanjournal to help get it set up) and have SO enjoyed how it's enhanced my time outdoors. Try it for yourself too!