Our Nature Notebooks

This is a sampling of our Nature Notebooks. We have been reading through Karen Andreola's book 'A Pocket Full of Pine cones' and then drawing what we read about. This has been helpful during the winter months when we either can't spend a lot of time outside or when there are limited things to draw. We try to make Mondays our nature study day. I found that if we didn't do it early in the week we would usually miss the opportunity to enjoy and learn about God's magnificent creation. I want the journals to be personal. An expression of the owner. To do this the only requirements I make are the date and that the Latin name accompany the drawing. Until recently Britni chose to only draw with a grey art pencil. She is just beginning to add some pastel pencil drawings. I love to add poetry to my journal or write about the place where I am drawing, or add scripture.



The picture above (left) is a coloring book that I bought to use with Abi because she is not drawing things on her own yet but has fun coloring the pictures like the pictures in the field guides.

To the right is a woolly bear caterpillar that I drew and Abi colored.

This is Britni's custom made cover for her Nature Journal (left).

And this is an excerpt from her journal. Pictured is a bumble bee on a flower.

And here are a couple of entries from my Journal: A Ruby-throated hummingbird on the left and a wildflower - Cosmos below.

Nature journaling is also a great way to learn some basic science. I am amazed at the different birds my three year old can identify. It is so exciting to watch the children learn about the habitats of different animals or types of clouds. How many three year-olds know what a contrail is? What I have come to enjoy most is spending time with the girls, quietly enjoying the beauty of God's creation.