Nature Journaling | Youngnaturalists

Nature Journaling Prompts

In April, we posted a suggested a prompt for every day for nature observation that you can do at home. These prompts are here to help you find something to focus on, but you can journal about anything interesting you notice. Although April is over, feel free to use this month of nature journal prompts any time of year.

April 2020

Week 1

1. April Fool’s Day: Find something that’s not what it seems

2. Spend a few minutes in nature, observing everything you can. Write down one thing you: see, hear, smell, feel (sense of touch) and feel (emotional).

3. Find something small you can hold in your hand, such as a leaf, acorn, rock, or pinecone. Spend one minute making as many observations as you can (sentences beginning with “I notice…”), one minute asking as many questions as you can (“I wonder..”), and one minute making as many connections as you can (“It reminds me of….”)

4. Choose something in nature to focus on. Sketch it from two or more perspectives. Write down some observations, questions, and connections. How does focusing on multiple perspectives help you make better observations?

5. Draw the sky in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Did it change over the course of the day? What differences did you notice?

6. Choose a plant or tree near your home to “adopt.” Spend some time observing it and writing/drawing. You’ll come back to it in a week.

7. Find two subjects that are relatively similar (trees, plants, leaves, rocks, insects, etc). Record the similarities and differences you notice, using words, pictures, and numbers.

Week 2

8. Zoom In, Zoom Out. Draw something in nature from three perspectives: Life size, close up, and far away. What details do you observe at different scales?

9. Try to find something in nature for every color of the rainbow.

10. Try sketching an animal from life in real time. You can observe an animal outside your house, a Live Cam online, or even a pet. Keep your pencil moving; whenever the animal changes position, start a new drawing. Don’t worry about making a pretty picture, just try to capture its motion and behavior. Really pay attention to what’s in front of you, instead of what you think you already know. Add written notes when you’re done.

11. Mini Maps: Use a hula hoop or loop of string to choose a tiny area to explore. Observe your area, recording what you find there and making a map of everything you see. When you feel like you are finished, challenge yourself to see what else you can notice.

12. Return to the plant or tree that you chose to “adopt” last week. How has it changed since then? Sketch and write down your observations and questions.

13. Notice 5 things in nature that seem cool or interesting to you today. Then, using your imagination, design a magical creature inspired by what you observed. Does your creature have moss for fur? Skin the color of a flower you saw? Horns in the shape of a bud? Maybe it can run up tree trunks like a squirrel? It’s up to you!

14. Find a tree outside (or outside your window, or in a picture), and do a quick sketch. Then, observe the tree for one full minute without drawing or writing anything. Look at all the branches and buds. Touch the bark. Then, draw the tree again. How do your two pictures compare? What did you notice about your tree that you didn’t realize before?

Week 3

15. Today, try nature journaling in a way that’s different for you. If you usually focus on drawing, try writing more about what you see. If you tend to write, today try to do some more sketching. Or if you like to focus your attention on certain types of species, go explore another aspect of nature. What can you learn from studying nature in multiple ways?

16. Choose a small area to explore today. How many different kinds of plants, animals, and other creatures can you find today? Make a list, with a tally of how many of each kind you found.

17. Ethnobotany is the study of the relationships between people and plants. Interview a family member about a plant species that is important to them and why (hint: food plants count!).

18. Return yet again to the plant or tree that you chose to “adopt”. How has it continued to change? Sketch and write down your observations and questions.

19. Listen to a bird song (in real life or a bird cam). Represent the sound using a diagram, music notes, and/or a mnemonic (words). What do you think the bird might be saying?

For more on bird mnemonics: https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-are-bird-song-mnemonics

20. Haikus are a type of short poem that often focus on observations of nature. Spend a bit of time outside paying attention to what you notice today, journaling or making notes. Then write a haiku about something you observed. For more information on haikus, see: https://writeshop.com/writing-haiku-poem/

21. Nature is full of mysteries. Today, go outside and think of 5 or more questions about what you observe (remember to start with who, what, when, where, and/or why). Choose one mystery, and come up with at least 2 possible explanations. Which explanation has more evidence supporting it?

Week 4

22. Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! Write or draw about one action you can take to help the environment.

23. What scents can you smell in your environment? What words can you use to describe them?

24. Habitat map. Draw a map of the area you live. Does it have all the requirements for bird or wildlife habitat? (Food, water, shelter, place to raise young). If not, draw the area around your home as if it did include them. What would you add to improve the habitat?

25. One more time, return to the plant or tree that you chose to “adopt”. How has it continued to change? Sketch and write down your observations and questions.

26. Go on an insect safari! What kinds of insects can you find in your yard, or pollinating flowers? Maybe set up a “Shining sheet” to see the insects that come at night: https://www.tricklecreekbooks.com/blog-nature-reconnect/my-5-favorite-bug-traps

27. Spend a few minutes observing a plant, animal, or insect. What would it be like to be that creature? What would you think and feel? Write a nature journal entry from the point of view of that creature.

28. Every animal has adaptations that help it survive. Spend some time observing plants and animals, and make note of their adaptations and interesting features. Then design an imaginary animal that has characteristics of the plants and animals you observed.

29. Usually, we observe natural objects with a focused attention. Today, pay attention the larger landscape. Instead of the “hard eyes” we use to read and look at things close in front of us, try using “soft eyes”. Use your peripheral vision and let your gaze expand to the whole area around you. This is an important skill in nature awareness, and it allows you to keep track of what’s going on in the environment around you. Write a few sentences about your experience in your nature journal.

30. Listen to the sounds around you. Make a map, with you at the center, of the sounds you hear and how loud they are. How can you use sound to learn about your environment?