This camping post is full of beautiful photos, and I love that one is of all the art supplies brought along! I always bring art supplies, too, for working in my nature notebook. Becca says, “You must check out Andrea’s post, she has written more about the good memories,” and I agree that it’s worth the time to do so– more great pics, and I think that that Beer Chip thing could catch on!
Posts Tagged ‘nature journaling’
“All Things Artsy: Camping at Lake Ellen”
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009“Emma’s Camping Guide…”
Monday, July 20th, 2009I realize I just said yesterday that I don’t like to post exhaustive lists of what to bring, do, etc., on family tent camping trips, because there are so many (thousands!) online and because they are so personal– but every now and then, one will grab my attention BECAUSE it’s so personal, and that fascinates me. Emma Bradshaw has one such list, here, and I have to confess that the fact that she’s British only adds to the list’s charm for me (you know all about my dream UK tenting excursion by now!). I’m also, as an admitted tentaholic, intrigued by the whole bell-tent mystique, and you know that, with her emphasis on nature bags and walks, she’s a woman after my own heart (see some of my past posts on nature study while family tent camping, here, here, and here)!
Yes, okay, she’s a tad glampy, too. Love that!
So, in short, I really want to go camping with Emma, but short of that, I’ll reread her post.
Wild Days: Creating Discovery Journals
Saturday, June 6th, 2009This book, by Karen Skidmore Rackliffe, is a classic in homeschooling circles, and I discovered it when I was homeschooling my son some years ago. That’s when we began working in our nature journals, and this book was a great inspiration for me.
I hear somebody out there starting to hyperventilate– take a good, deep breath! You don’t have to homeschool your children to benefit from nature journaling or from the inspiration that Wild Days provides. As you know from several of my previous posts, especially Nature Activity for Camping Trips, I am a big proponent of sketching from and writing about nature, and camping is a perfect time to engage in some of that. Now that my son is in public school, most of our journaling opportunities occur during family camping trips.
No, I am not suggesting that all your camping time be spent working on your journals, just some of it– and I definitely DO support your journaling WITH your kiddos! This book will truly inspire you to do so, I promise.
Two Quotes and Nature Study
Saturday, June 6th, 2009“I sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to know as to feel when introducing a young child to the natural world. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil.” -Rachel Carson, A Sense of Wonder
“Teaching children about the natural world should be treated as one of the most important events in their lives.” – Thomas Berry
I hope that when I talk about sketching in nature journals, or teaching your children about nature with One Small Square activities, etc. (see my post, Nature Activity for Camping Trips), I don’t come off as though it’s necessary for you to be an expert– I’m certainly not one! I agree wholeheartedly with the Carson and Berry quotes above, and just advocate getting out there, parent and child learning together about the environment you’re camping in. Yes, there are things you should know for safety reasons about the places you’ll stay– like making sure there are no scorpions in your boots before you put them on while camping in the desert southwest, for example. But you don’t have to have a degree in biology to sketch or photograph the cacti you find, or even to identify them– just some good nature guides with you or access to the internet back at home.
The most important thing to pack in preparation for nature activities is your enthusiasm and willingness to learn together with your children, not some advanced knowledge that you’re going to spoon-feed them. And even if you have that advanced knowledge, make sure your children’s learning is an adventure as opposed to a lecture– there’ll be plenty of time for lectures in college science classes (which will be a joy to those who’ve actually been able to experience the subject matter first hand, with a loving, enthusiastic parent). Observe, discuss, record, and make nature study a favorite activity now, and your children will never abandon camping and communing with nature later in life.
Nature Activity for Camping Trips
Saturday, June 6th, 2009This idea is based upon the book series, One Small Square by Silver and Wynne, in which the authors show how to establish, literally, one square foot of ground in a given environment for regular nature observation. (Click the link above to check it out on Amazon.Com; Silver has books in the series for many diverse environments.) Adapting this to a quick trip anywhere is easy.
Necessary Supplies
one-foot ruler
twine or string
drawing notebook
drawing utensils of choice
Optional Supplies
bug-viewing jar(s)
misc. guides to the wildlife/vegetation in the area
Right after your tent is set up, scout your area (in campgrounds, make it your own site) for an appealing square (let the kids choose their own, individually or to share). Measure it and use twigs and your twine or string to delineate it. It’s really convenient to use the edge of the tent, itself, as one side of your square, if you like. Avoid the campfire and any food storage areas, for safety’s sake.
Draw a map of your square in your notebook(s). Describe it. Take photos of it. Observe it carefully and list everything in it, animal, vegetable, or mineral! Go back to it at different times– dusk, in the moonlight, dawn, right before it rains, in the rain, right after it rains, whenever the kids are bored– and note any changes. Are there insects or other creatures small enough to fit in your jar? Carefully trap and draw them, trying not to disturb the envirnonment in the process, then put them back. If you are familiar with the environment you’re in or have sufficient guide books, label your drawings of plant and animal life by their scientific and colloquial names; otherwise, do some research when you get home and do so later.
Believe it or not, you can get utterly engrossed in that small an area. Do you see evidence of some animal’s having been there– track, scat, etc.? Draw and describe it. Again, take photos, too, unless you’re a “nature notebook” purist (I’m all for photos of any and everything– yes, even piles of poo!). Visit and quietly observe your square frequently– it could change dramatically, albeit on a small scale.
Before you leave, remove the twigs and pack your twine in the trash. (Leave no trace of your square!) Easy, educational, engrossing, minimally invasive, and memorable– everything an interlude with nature should be!