Nature Journal Printables

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My kids, on the other hand, need a little more guidance on our walks through the wilderness. Just walking and looking can sometimes get boring for children. They sometimes just need to know what they are looking for. That’s why I try and come up with a theme for each walk. Sometimes it’s looking for tracks in a creek bed or searching for wildflowers or birds nests. I just want the kids to notice and appreciate various parts of nature.

Nature study and nature journals are a very simple and energizing element within a learning routine that uses nature journaling. The foundation is direct observation – getting outdoors and experiencing nature with all of the senses. The idea is to look carefully, trusting what you see instead of relying on second-hand sources. As wonderful as nature stories are, they are not a substitute for personal experience, so you have to be deliberate about getting outside every week.

There is no reason to feel stressed about what to include in a nature journal. It can be a very flexible portfolio made up of a combination of these five things. For an ultra-minimalist approach, start with the first two. Then as your nature study develops, include the other three options in your nature notebooks.

Another way to guide children on a nature walk in by using printables or journals. By observing and then sketching or writing what they observed, the children are becoming scientists and developing an appreciation for the natural world around them.

Our Nature Journal printable is a 26+-page nature printable that I created for you and your children. Each page features a unique design dedicated to a different aspect of nature, allowing your children to observe and record their findings. Hopefully, it will spark a love of nature within them.

Nature study and nature journals are a very simple and energizing element within a learning routine that uses nature journaling. The foundation is direct observation – getting outdoors and experiencing nature with all of the senses. The idea is to look carefully, trusting what you see instead of relying on second-hand sources. As wonderful as nature stories are, they are not a substitute for personal experience, so you have to be deliberate about getting outside every week.

There is no reason to feel stressed about what to include in a nature journal. It can be a very flexible portfolio made up of a combination of these five things. For an ultra-minimalist approach, start with the first two. Then as your nature study develops, include the other three options in your nature notebooks.

Our nature journal pages offer both blank and guided pages. Here are five elements to give you some starting points for keeping a nature journal. Every nature walk will be different, and every journal entry will vary accordingly. The key is to allow the experience outdoors to be the launching pad for your drawings, words, research, and record-keeping.

Key Elements in Nature Journaling

These five elements give you some starting points for keeping a nature journal. Every nature walk will be different, and every journal entry will vary accordingly. The key is to allow the experience outdoors to be the launching pad for your drawings, words, research, andrecord-keeping.

1. Drawing

Drawing what you see in nature has two benefits. First, it slows you down enough to truly see. You can’t sketch something that you have not studied intently. Secondly, drawing provides a record of your nature excursion. Later, you can revisit your notebooking page to refresh your memory or compare to later experiences.

Besides pencil sketches, you can try your hand at crayon rubbings (of leaves or bark, for example) or watercolor paintings. A budding photographer may choose to take pictures and include those in his nature journal.

Depending on your preference and situation, these drawings can be done onsite or back at home. Be sure to carry a clipboard to provide a firm drawing surface and to keep papers from flying in the breeze. Or collect treasures to bring home for quiet sketching indoors.

2. Notes

Besides drawings, a nature journal is a great place for writing about what you saw. Here are some writing prompts for a nature journal:

• What did you see? (Also hear, feel, and smell?)
• Find two different types of leaves. How are they the same or different?
• Did you see any signs that tell you that a new season is coming? Write or draw what you notice.
• What was the most beautiful thing you saw?
• Draw or describe an animal you see today. What is it doing? Where is it?

You can use our nature journal or blank paper to document your ideas. Again, these notes can be made onsite during the nature excursion or soon after a return home. Don’t allow for more than a day to elapse without making a written record because the vivid sensations of the nature experience will be dulled through forgetfulness.

3. Research

Most homeschoolers are naturally curious, and a nature walk can raise dozens of questions about the wildlife and natural forces being observed.  This is why field guides and living science books are recommended for the homeschool library. Your nature study will prod you to identify the names of creatures and plants as well as a few basic facts about them.

Some families like to take field guides along on a nature walk; others prefer to do the research back at home with the help of the Internet. Either way, the facts you uncover can be written down in your nature journal.

4. Record Keeping

Another valuable part of a nature journal is keeping records of your observations tree in a more formal way such as through charts or logs. These records are not one-time assignments but ongoing projects that may last an entire year and provide an awareness of the cycles of nature.

• photograph and write about a tree all year long at predetermined points –maybe four times a year or each month
• seasonal milestones –such as the first daffodil bloom, first snow, or first day of summer that reached 100 degrees
• temperature and weather patterns – recording the amount of rainfall, daily temperatures, or cloud formations based on reading your own gauges and observing the sky.

5. Cross-curricular connections

Your nature notebooks can also hold a crossover of academic disciplines. You may study nature in art or music inspired by nature or poems about nature. Obviously, science will often feature in your nature journal as you follow your children’s interests to explore geology, botany, entomology, and so on. There may even be historical topics that connect to your nature studies. You can write about any of these in a nature journal.

Here are some cross-curricular ideas:

• Study John Muir.
• Incorporate nature journaling into a history study of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
• Check out our post about the art of Louis Renard and his biology drawings.
• Explore Fibonacci sequences in flowers, shells, and pinecones. Sketch and record your findings.
• Animal Tracking & Ratios – Observe animal footprints and estimate speed or stride ratios. Check out our post on animal tracks and how to make an animal track trap.
• Pioneer & Settler Accounts – Read journal entries from early settlers and explorers who described the natural world in their writings. How do their descriptions compare to what you see today?

Other Nature Journaling and Nature Study Resources

What are some steps for getting started in the nature journaling process? The Minimalist Guide to Nature Journals is a great place to get started.

During a nature walk our children undoubtedly collect treasures along the way! Check out these nature crafts for kids that are super-easy to do, but help make lasting memories of your family time together out enjoying nature!

Don’t have time to take a hike? Head to the backyard. There is so much to study in even the smallest of spaces. Try this Square Foot Nature Study.  You’ll be amazed!

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