How to start a nature journal with kids
Nature Trail nature journal, £4.95
What is a nature journal?
Creating a nature journal is simply making a journal in response to the things you see, hear and feel in nature. It’s such a lovely thing to do as a family, as everyone can be in the same place and document such different results! You can get as creative as you like using paint, pencils, crayons and much more as you explore your surroundings.
Where can I use a nature journal?
We love slipping the nature journal into our backpack with a pencil case of pens and pencils when we go out. That way I know that whatever happens we have something to keep the kids occupied. These are also fantastic to take on holidays and day trips to document all those adventures! Not going out? No problem - they can also be used in your own back garden!
Nature Trail nature journal, £4.95
Discovering a precious petal or shiny-shelled beetle is all that’s needed to spark a deep dive into finding out about different flowers or marvellous minibeasts that you might happen across! Nature journaling is really one of those wonderful things that means you can learn so much about all sorts of things - whatever your age!
Ideas for a nature journal
There are so many ways that you can document your finds in the nature journal. If you’re not into drawing or painting, you might want to list words inspired by trees or flowers you’ve seen; song lyrics, poetry, or stories... there are so many possibilities.
You could also take photos and stick those in, or press petals and leaves and pop those in so that you can preserve them. Small feathers and dried seeds could also be taped in or held in place with a paper-clip for a really mixed-media type of journal entry.
Nature Trail insect viewer, £4.95
Crayons are great for speedy sketches and rubbings on the go - I sometimes like to take a very limited colour palette so that we can all get really creative with the things we’re drawing and the colours we use.
Rubbings are also a really great way to really connect with all the textures around us, and can inspire many more doodles and ideas for mark-making in the future.
A travel set of watercolour paints is a great thing to use in your nature journal. Watercolours are easy to use and quick to dry, making them a great painting implement to take on your nature travels.
A really simple technique that we love to do is placing a leaf on your journal and then painting all over it, ensuring you cover all the edges and then lift it to reveal the shape.
You can also play with mixing colours - how many different colours can you blend that look like a particular leaf or flower? Or can you make a mix-up of different bugs and beetles to create a new species in your journal? We’d love to see the results!
Thank you to Georgia Coote for this guide to nature journaling! Feeling inspired? Get the kids excited by their surroundings with our new Nature Trail journal, just £4.95.
