We follow a curriculum from @raisinglittleshoots called Exploring Nature with Children. Each week of the year has a different, seasonal theme to base your nature study around. If you’d like to discover more search the hashtags #ENWC and #ExploringNatureWithChildren.
This blog post gives you some resources you may find helpful for each week in January. If you are on Pinterest you might like to check out my ENWC Pinterest board here.
Exploring Nature with Children Winter Sky Week
January Week 1 – Journal Papers
Are you looking for a little journal inspiration for your children? For 2023 I’m doing my own journal pages for my daughter that will follow a little on exploring nature with children and awareness events. The layout means children can draw or write their responses – whatever is their preference.
Week 1 content includes New Year’s resolutions, clouds, precipitation, birds, eco prompts and Braille. There’s a blank template if you want to swap out any of the pages.
Winter Sky Cards
Winter weather cloud and types of precipitation Montessori style three part cards. Just print two copies and on one copy cut the word from the picture.
Exploring Nature with Children Moon Study Week
January Week 2 – Journal Papers
Week 2 journal papers for you. Content includes the moon, balloons, power, books, cats and numbers. There’s a blank template if you want to swap out any of the pages. I’ve also removed the date from the page after feedback so you can now use these for whichever day of the week you would like.
Great Books
Helpful Blog Posts
Exploring Nature with Children Winter Tree Study Week
January Week 3 – Journal Papers
Week 3 journal papers for you. Content includes leaves, trees, penguins, squirrels, polka dots, Martin Luther King Jr and more. There’s a blank template if you want to swap out any of the pages. The pages are undated for you to use as you like.
Resources
Great Winter tree identification quiz from the Woodland Trust here.
Great Books
- Grow, Tree, Grow by Dom Conlon & Anastasia Izlesou
- Old Oak and Little Acorn by Elena Mannion and Erin Brown
Above are blog post review links. Below are books we love. Clicking on the book will take you to more info and inside images.
Exploring Nature with Children Winter Pond Study Week
January Week 4 – Journal Papers
Week 4 journal papers for you. Content includes Lunar New Year, pond life, puzzles, Burns Night and more. There’s a blank template if you want to swap out any of the pages. The pages are undated for you to use as you like.
Pond Spotters
Pond life spotter of UK plants
Pond life spotter of UK creatures
Fiddlesticks Pond Nature Pack is one we’ve enjoyed using for a few years, We’ve used it for each of the ENWC pond weeks in the year.
Great Books
More Nature Resources for January
Early Spring Flowers
Early Spring three part Montessori inspired cards
Story – Flossie and the Snowdrop Fairy
A little seasonal story to get you ready for Spring. The story of the Snowdrop fairy waking up the flowers. You can read the name of your child instead of Flossie when reading the story to personalise.
Winter
Winter watercolour resources from Becca at Fiddlesticks Education. Becca also provides the resources in a range of different languages.
I’m so tempted to start a Wheel of the Year. This pack is from Fiddlesticks and I’ve also seen people do beautiful embroidered phenology wheels. Let me know in the comments if you do one and what you do.
Great Books
