How to Start a Nature Journal

Wondering how to start a nature journal? It’s actually quite simple.

Nature journaling is an easy, practical way to capture what you see when you’re on your outdoor adventures, like while on a hike. It’s also an excellent addition to a nature study.

It’s like a nature scrapbook or a type of journal diary where you use art, pictures, words, and more to express yourself.

In our homeschool, we would head outside as often as we could when the weather was nice. Everyone loved taking a brain break during the school day. Often, we would record our discoveries in a nature journal. It was a fun way to build my kids’ observation skills.

We would draw pictures of the plants, flowers, and animals we encountered. We also included notes in our journal about any interesting or unusual facts we learned, along with observations or short stories.

The best part about nature journaling is that it can be as simple or complex as you like. All you need is a small notebook, paper, pencils, and your imagination! 

What is Nature Journaling 

Nature journaling is the process of capturing the natural world, and your observations of it, on paper.

It’s a form of exploration that helps you pay attention to the details, observe changes over time, and appreciate the natural wonders found in nature. 

It can take the form of sketches, field notes, writings, or even poems. As you create an ongoing account of your experiences in nature, you’ll end up with something that’s informative and deeply personal. 

The goal of nature journaling is to capture not only what you see but also how it makes you feel and the stories behind the observations. 

How to Start a Nature Journal

The most important thing to remember is that there’s no right or wrong way to do it. It’s your own journal that reflects your personal experience.

It doesn’t have to be complicated and you don’t have to be an artist to create a nature journal. 

So, how do you move from taking a walk to capturing your observations in a journal?

Number one is to get outside! Put the textbooks down and go exploring. Take a hike, look in your own backyard, go to a local park, or drive to a nature preserve.

Get outside with creative nature walks. Just get started.

Remember that this isn’t about perfection. It’s about recording what you find beautiful, interesting, or inspirational.

Make a conscious choice to slow down. That is when you will begin to notice details about the natural world we live in. Use your five senses. Pay attention to shapes, textures, smells, movement, and color.

Find something that catches your eye, as well as your imagination, and study it. You can start sketching or recording right then and there.

Or take photos and samples (if appropriate) so you can work on your journal at home.

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What Should You Use for a Nature Journal? 

You don’t need an expensive leather-bound field journal to get started. A single piece of paper or even a small sketchbook is a great place to begin your nature notebook.

A favorite among homeschoolers is composition books. They are cheap, easy to find, and simple to customize.

You can even make your own books by stapling blank sheets of paper between construction paper or card stock.

If you are going to be using mixed mediums in your books (tools like pencils, markers, and watercolor pencils), I would recommend sticking to heavier paper that can withstand the wetness and won’t bleed through.

We loved using small, spiral-bound mixed media sketch books with heavier blank pages.

Just find something that works for you and you can carry easily.

Watercolor Brush MarkersMixed Media JournalWater Color PencilsPocket Guide to Wildflowers of North America

Nature Journal Supplies

The supplies you need depends on what you’re trying to capture. There’s no list of “right materials.” It’s honestly a personal preference to what you want your journal entry to contain. My teens love experimenting with different colors and mediums.

Consider using:

• colored pencils
• multi-tip markers
• soft lead pencils
• watercolor paints
• watercolor pencils

This is a creative way for older children to add some nature drawing to their art and science lessons.

Natural Journaling Ideas

Aside from drawing, painting, and writing about nature observations, what else should you include in your nature journal entries? 

Include anything that you find inspiring, interesting, or unusual.

Over the years, our family has experimented with adding other elements to our journals, including:

• Flowers
  • You can press them, sketch them, photograph them, or diagram them as part of a Botany study.

• Leaves
  • Add them as they are or create a leaf rubbing in your notebook. They can be a great reminder of the beauty of the seasonal changes.

• Photographs
  • If your tween is interested in photography, encourage her to include some of her nature photographs in her journal. Besides foliage images, she could add some pictures of birds she finds.

• Nature Rubbings and Stamping
  • No matter their age, kids enjoy the chance to be “crafty” with natural objects. They can create bark and leaf rubbings, as well as stamping, using rocks and acorns.

• Creative Writing
  • Include some poetry, quotes, and short stories based on items you find.

• Lists
  • Keep a running list of things you see during your many observations of nature, like types of birds, trees, and flowers.

• Scientific Names
  • This is a simple technique for helping tweens learn and remember the formal names of what they see on a nature walk.

I love going back and looking at the journals my girls have created over the years.

It is a wonderful reminder of what interested them during a season, as well as seeing how their writing and creativity blossomed.

More Nature Ideas

• A Nature Photo Scavenger Hunt is a great way to get your kids excited about spending time outdoors.
•  A Simple and Unique Painting Technique using blueberries! They make a cool art medium.
• These Nature Activities for Teens are a great way to get them outside exploring.
• This resource is an Easy Way to Study Wildflowers. You’ll have no trouble adding the study of wildflowers to your homeschooling lesson plans and your nature journal.

Nature journaling is so much fun and the perfect family activity. It’s an excellent way to slow down and truly observe the world around you.

Head outdoors today and see what catches your eye so you can start your own nature journal. I guarantee that you’ll return full of inspiration!

Hopefully, you’ve seen how simple it can be to start nature journaling.

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Megan Zechman

I love homeschooling! Learning is a way of life for our family. Most days you will find us exploring our Central Florida community, having fun while learning. I am constantly looking for new and interactive ways to engage my older children.

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