We have explored this same park so many times. It amazes me how we always find something new!
This guy was hanging out in a puddle in the gutter where we parked! He wasn’t moving and looked in pretty bad shape, but he turned out to be okay–just out of his usual habitat. (Well, and he only had one eye. But that didn’t seem to be slowing him down!)
I also brought a pretty bit of rose clover home to draw (shown below), and the kids gathered bits of scarlet pimpernel (an old favorite). We also saw thistle, plantain, and groundsel. And new today: the first little white buds atop long, thin stems from a plant in the wild carrot family. We’ll have to check on that last one once it’s in bloom to narrow it down.
And a peek into my 6yo’s nature journal from this outing, since I didn’t show hers when I did my last big nature journal share a couple weeks ago…
The green frame on the second page, ready for me to write her narration in, was all her idea, and she was so proud of her artistic ingenuity. 🙂 She usually devotes one page to each specimen (as you might imagine, this wastes uses paper very quickly!), but lately she has decided to clump her findings for the day all onto one spread like I often do. She is a very detailed and comprehensive little Keeper. 🙂
9 comments
Wonderful post. Your photos are lovely!
What notebook is your 6 year old using for her nature journal?
Thank you!
Thank you so much, Linda!
For nature journals for my kindergarteners and preschoolers, I like to use these blank Bare Books:
https://www.rainbowresource.com/proddtl.php?id=040617&subject=English/Writing&category=Blank%20Books
They also offer portrait and landscape orientation, various sizes, lined and unlined, etc. The hardcover holds up well and the pages are thick enough for marker. We like them a lot!
Thanks! I will check them out. I've had trouble finding the right notebook.
That's exactly what we decided to do after "rebooting" the nature study! Same beautiful park, different discoveries every time. Great post!
Yes, we have found going to the same park at least monthly allows us to make so many more detailed seasonal observations–even week-to-week changes. We wouldn't notice those small distinctions if we went a different place each time.
Your daughter's drawings are excellent!
She is such a serious little draw-er, Karen! It is very sweet to see her working on getting things "just so." 🙂