I love journaling, whether it's with art journals, or junk journals, or nature journals or other. And usually, when you love something, one of the best things you can do is to share it. I really want to instill a love of nature in my kids and though I doubt how successful I'll be, it's still something I'm aiming for.
So one thing I tried today, was kid nature journaling. It of course had to be something really simple, especially for my 2-year old, who's attention span is very much shorter than my 4-year old. And although 1-year olds are fully capable of enjoying nature, I was going to let my youngest just enjoy the sights and sounds from a stroller.
Thank goodness for Pinterest! Such a quick and easy way of finding inspiration and ideas! And thus armed with the knowledge only accomplished by a 2 minute search, I set out to have the kids create their own nature journals.
What I used:
- Paper lunch bags
- Glue
- Free Printables (in my case from themeasuredmom.com)
- Crayons
- Jute string
First, I had them glue the printables onto the paper bags (I suggest that if you have kids as young as mine, you have some baby wipes nearby to clean up the glue that inevitably gets on the table). I had to cut the printable to size but it actually worked out in the end because it wasn't as overwhelming as a larger sheet, and it was easier for them to work with. I also had them glue down the little flap at the bottom of the bag.
Park Boys gluing free printables. © Yolanda Park
Next, we (read "I") hole punched two holes on near the top, one near the bottom. I didn't really measure it out, so if I had to guess I'd say maybe 3 inches from the top, and 3 or 4 inches from the bottom. Then we strung the jute string through the holes and tied a knot.
Finally I busted out my box of crayons (not theirs because I actually use these for work when needed) and had them color. It was then that I realized how little they have an opportunity to color...er...we'll work on that!
Alexander showing off a really big crayon.
© Yolanda Park
Once the books were done, we piled in the car to visit a friend of ours, who lives next to a regional trail.
It was amazing how excited they were to use their nature books! I was really jazzed at how they were looking for items on their little checklists, and be so happy to find it and check mark it off. And of course, since the pages were lunch bags, they could put little treasures inside such as acorns, leaves, and of course, the extremely necessary stick.
My 2-year old stayed engaged longer than I expected, though he did eventually lose interest, unless he found something he wanted to save. My 4-year old was engaged for a long time, and even when he was done with it, he was still noticing more than he had before.
Overall, I think this was not only a success, but also an awesome way to spend an hour with my kids. I think as long as we can do this a few times a month, or even other nature projects, they'll be on the right track!
Have you ever made nature journaling books for kids? Or do you go out and nature journal yourself? What do you like or not like about it? Let me know!
Ezekiel's and Alexander's nature journals. © Yolanda Park