There are many ways of exploring and experiencing the natural world. Journaling provides a way of exploring, expressing and collecting one’s thoughts about their relationship with nature. Journaling is an opportunity for productive self-reflection, allowing individuals a chance to internalize and consider their interactions and relationship with the natural world (Simms and Shanahan, 2019). Journaling can occur as often or rarely as we wish. It’s important to recognize that there are many forms of nature journaling, and every form is valid. When we begin journaling, we may not know the “right” way for us. Take time, be patient, try different things and look for inspiration from other nature journals and the natural world itself. Nature journaling is a valid and valuable practice for children as young as two to six, as they lay the foundations of their relationship with the natural world (Johnson, 2014). See Johnson (2014) for detailed suggestions on nature journaling with young children.
EID Connections: These activities encourage children to mindfully explore and interact with nature. Through these interactions, children can develop a greater sense of Trust in Nature. Journaling may influence greater observation and inquiry, leading to increased Environmental Competency. Journaling can also provide a way of reflecting upon and regulating emotions within the natural world. Finally journaling encourages greater connection to and empathy with nature.
- A notebook or journal**
- Writing or drawing utensils
** A sturdy notebook is preferable if it will be taken outside often. Children (and adults) may like creating and decorating their own journal. This can easily be done with paper, discarded cardboard for the cover and staples or string for the binding.
- Describing what you see in nature.
- Describing your emotions in nature.
- Describing the challenges you face in nature.
- Sketching or drawing natural scenes or specimens.
- Combining drawings and words.
- Writing poetry or a short story inspired by nature.
- Anything else that works for you!
Science: Use the journal to make jot environmental observations and create scientific illustrations. Reading through the nature journals of prominent scientific figures can add to experience.
English/Language Arts: Explore various ways in which one can use language to describe the environment: literally, figuratively, emotionally, scientifically, etc.
Art: Try to capture the natural world in drawings and paintings. Perform studies on singular objects and scenes, or experiment with drawing various forms and processes in nature.
5-Senses Nature Journaling
This activity was created for lower elementary ages, but it is adaptable to older ages.
The following activity is adapted from a lesson plan by Emma Heslop, a 2nd Grade teacher in Fairbanks, Arkansas.
Children will study and reflect on the nature journals of historic figures. They will then have an opportunity to explore the local environment using their five senses, before engaging in a guided journaling experience.
“Nature journaling is when we go outside, observe the natural world using our five senses and reflect on what we observed and what we felt in our nature journal. Your nature journal is a private space to help you connect with and reflect on the natural world.”
Children study an example page of a famous person’s nature journal (such as Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Margaret Mead, Rachel Carson, Gandhi, Thomas Jefferson, Eleanor Roosevelt and John Muir) (Project Learning Tree, 2007, p. 1). Have children work together to make a list of what they notice about the nature journals. Children may notice pictures and words, labels, descriptive language, that it is about nature and that it includes the author’s feelings.
Go outside with your journals and allow children time to explore. After some time spent exploring, ask them to think about:
- What do you notice?
- What do you see?
- What do you hear?
- What do you smell?
Set up somewhere outside to write in your journals. Choose a flat, dry area or a picnic table, if available. Possibly picnic tables or a flat, dry area. Ask these questions aloud and allow children time to write or draw their responses.
- Reflect on what you feel in this space.
- What do you feel connected to? How does it make you feel?
- Who are we sharing this space with?
- What makes you think that?
Give time for children to reflect on and share from their nature journals
Go around the group and share a word that describes your experience journaling in nature today. For example, “inspired.”
Provide children with these questions and prompts beforehand. Allow them time to find space of solitude outside (if they are comfortable doing so) to answer these questions by themselves.
Focused Journaling
This is a simple exercise to encourage thoughtfulness in the natural world. Participants will “focus” their journaling on a singular object. Participants will explore a natural area and find a small natural object that they can easily carry in one hand. This object could be a lichen-covered stick, a rock, a dried leaf, etc. Try to find objects that are not “attached” to anything, i.e., nothing you have to pluck off a plant or pull out of the ground.
Participants will come together as a group to hear the guiding questions, or work with pre-written questions. They will be asked to ponder and explore the object in detail. They can answer the questions through writing or drawing. Questions may include:
- What does the object look like?
- What does the object feel like?
- How does the object make you feel?
- What does the object make you think about?
- What does the object remind you of?
The object of focus can be expanded to other larger entities, such as a tree or a body of water. The focus could also be expanded to be one’s immediate surroundings, or the natural scene that surrounds them. In these instances, you may want to encourage participants to find a place of relative solitude to observe their surroundings and record their thoughts.
Group Journaling
Journaling is typically understood to be a solitary activity, but group journaling provides new opportunities for creative collaboration and community development. Different “groups” can include classrooms, families, hiking groups and campers. A group journal can be maintained over long periods of time, or it may be used to document a singular or short-term experience. In the case of a singular event after which the group is separating, the journal may be photocopied, so every group member can keep a digital or printed copy of the journal.
Below are different possible methods and techniques for organizing a group journal. Recommendations are made for different ages and contexts, but feel free to adjust or adapt techniques according to the needs and abilities of your group.
Provide each child with their own page in the journal. Work with children on an individual basis to create their journal pages. Older children may be recruited to help younger children in the creation of their pages. Prompts for the children may include questions or pictures taken during nature activities. Children can draw pictures, and their helpers can write down quotes from the children.
Prompts can include:
- What were you/we doing in this picture?
- What was your favorite part of (this experience)?
- What did you learn?
This technique was used to create journals for pre-school children during the course of EID research. See photos of the progress below, and find the journals children produced here.
- Pass the journal to someone new every day. Individuals can write or draw new entries. They can respond to earlier entries. They can draw or doodle on earlier entries.
- Create “small” groups of 2-4 people who share a journal. They can decide how to organize themselves, whether they wish to pass the journal around or create entries together.
- Put the journal in an accessible location and provide time every day or every week for people to write in the journal as they wish. One consideration is that the journal must remain in the same general location.
- At the end of the experience (if there is an end), encourage everyone to write a last closing entry about the nature experience, their feelings about the community, and what lessons or mindsets they hope to take with them.
With a shared journal, it is vital that participants practice respect for everyone’s journal contributions. Earlier entries can be added to or built upon, but they should never be erased or marked through (unless at the discretion of an educator or adult leader).
Johnson, K. (2014). Creative connecting: Early childhood nature journaling sparks wonder and develops ecological literacy. International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education, 2(1) 126-139.
Project Learning Tree (2007). Pre K-8 Environmental Activity Guide. Project Learning Tree.
Simms, W., & Shanahan, M. (2019). Using reflection to support environmental identity development in the classroom context. Environmental Education Research, 25(10), 1454-1478. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2019.1574717
This project is funded by the National Science Foundation. Award # 1753399, CAREER: A longitudinal study of the emotional and behavioral processes of Environmental Identity Development among rural and non-rural Alaskan children.