Nature notebooks-the technics

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  • February 22, 2011 at 12:50 pm
    Ladyofthehouse
    Member

    I am getting ready to start our nature notebooks this spring. My children are still little (6, 5, 3, 1) so I plan to just introduce them in a fun way during our outside time.

    My question is just on the details of what supplies everyone uses…..are 8 1/2 x 11 notebooks best or does anyone use smaller? I was thinking of just getting colored pencils but does anyone bring out a variety of materials to work with? Do you store the notebooks, guides, pencils, etc. in a basket or backpack for quick access?

    Any ideas before I purchase my supplies?

    February 22, 2011 at 4:56 pm
    Richele Baburina
    Participant

    Oh, this is a subject dear to my heart.  My guys are six and eight and now keep their things in old military map bags.  I used to keep all our things in my messenger bag. 

    I know you’ll hear a variety of responses and I love to hear what others use as well.  I’ll just tell you what we use but can’t say I would recommend anything.  I like going into supply stores and asking lots of questions.  We use Moleskine watercolor journals (5*8″) because they can handle a variety of media and everything is kept nicely in place.  I like little pocket watercolor sets and if you have a small spray bottle of water along you can simply mist the colors.  Koi has a pocket one with a brush pen that holds water in the reservoir and handles nicely.    We worked on properly handling our paints/paper during little lessons in the home.

    Some of their best entries were spontaneous.  After observing something outside they might run in and grab their journals, some colored pencils or anything to their liking and sketch it out.

    This is one of my favorite inspiring posts re nature journals from Alice Cantrell at a Number of Things.

    I delved into the art of nature journaling and the mechanics of nature journaling if you want to see those:

    I. Art

    II. Mechanics – the second one provides a link at the end where you can see some pics of nature journals that CM’s students kept.

    Have fun enjoying and observing nature – I’m excited for you and yours!

    Richele

    February 22, 2011 at 11:02 pm
    knitnspinner
    Member

    We just brought ours journals back out last week. Three of us have an 8 1/2 by 11 notebook but I have a clipboard that opens into a case for my two younger boys. They use plain white paper for their drawings right now. If the sketches are colored at all-it’s with colored or watercolor pencils. Once payday hits I do intend to purchase some watercolors, too.  Everything fits into a large tote or messenger bag when it’s time to go-otherwise I keep the journals together on a shelf in  our schoolroom. The pencils do live in the bag-just a bookbag with my current reading material that sits next to my chair. 

    I also have a smaller sketch notebook and used it for a while-it worked just fine. 

    Nature Journals are something that we have let slide in past years. I’m determined to not let that happen again!

    February 22, 2011 at 11:26 pm
    Tia
    Participant

    A tip to keep in mind: 

    I have small children as well and I have found it is easier to osberve nature for its own sake without the pressure of having to draw anything while we are there.  We talk about things and I take pictures of the things they find interesting, or we bring them home if we are able.  Then, they draw when we get home.  I either put a picture on the computer of something or they can draw something they have brought home.  I think it is hard to ask a 7 year to stop running and exploring to draw a picture.  🙂

    And we almost always use colored pencils or watercolors.

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