I remember when I was a child, walking home from school, I would pick up little treasures and put them in my pocket. Small pebbles, feathers, leaves, or different coloured flowers were piled up in my pockets.
From a very young age, our kids have been connected to the garden. As they grow, they appreciate how nature is vital for health and well-being. They learn to respect nature. Finding treasures to keep in a garden diary, is probably one of the best activities we’ve done. I’m sure your children will enjoy it too.
Garden Craft Journal
What you’ll need:
- Brown paper bags (the cheap lunch bags)
- Stapler
- Tape for binding
- Hole puncher
- String or ribbon
- Printouts: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
(You’ll need to print more of the internal sheets to fill the journal)
- Glue
- Scissors
Instructions:
- Select 6 paper bags and place them on top of each other top to tail (one open end then one closed end). Then fold them in half to make 12 pages. Staple along the fold in a few places to secure the pages. Add tape along the fold, over the staples, to form a binding.
- Using your hole puncher go to the opening side of your journal and punch 2 holes in the front page and 2 holes in the back page only, close to the edge. This will be where they can secure their journal with a string or a ribbon. Cut 4 pieces of ribbon or string, the same length, and secure them to your 4 holes.
- Print the template pages and glue them onto the brown pages. Please note that the glue can take a while to dry, so they should colour on the front page before gluing. It would be good as a two-step project where they can create the journal one day and then go exploring and crafting the next day.
Outcomes
The idea is for the kids to find garden treasures, and create crafts, art, drawings, or write a story about them. They can record their findings in their journal and then create projects. It’s a great way to encourage imagination and kick-start their creativity. Taking notes, learning from experience, and spending time in nature is the best way to recharge our minds.
Are your kids loving nature play? Try following our Birdseed Ornament Recipe, or making Eggheads.
