3 Ways to Educate Children With Plants
Using the natural world around us to stimulate creativity.
The great thing about plants is that they are all around us. Even if our children are stuck at home this fall, there are many ways for them to learn by engaging with the natural world.
Activities that incorporate plants are one way for children to learn many different ideas in the sciences and arts. Chances are there are a variety of plants close to home or in your backyard. No matter what the age of your kids, plants can capture their imagination and creativity like nothing else.
Here are some activities that can be done with kids close to home and utilize plants to captivate with the natural world, inspiring a love for learning about nature.
1. Leaf Rubbings
Probably one of the simplest activities for any kid to participate in. Leaf rubbings are a uniquely creative way for younger kids to learn about plants. Explicitly, leaf rubbings can teach about leaf anatomy and build more considerable observational skills to identify plants.
All one needs to do is have kids collect leaves on the ground, cover them with a thin piece of white paper, and then use crayons to etch over the blade. The colorings showcase the different veins and contours found on the leaf surface. It allows kids to get creative while also focusing on the many details scientists use to identify plants.
2. Nature Journaling
Having kids start their nature journal entries is another way you can get them involved in the fascinating world of plants.
What’s especially important when encouraging kids to journal is allowing them the freedom to pick the subjects they are interested in, and letting them freely express those interests through three different ways:
Drawings- Sketches, paintings, or way in which an image captures what they observe in from of them.
Writing- Using descriptive words to capture the details around them.
Numbers- Taking measurements of various elements in the natural world to communicate size, shape, and depth.
By allowing them to choose between the methods above in their journal expression keeps them engaged, interested, and gives a more authentic connection to their journal subjects. You can also encourage children to capture more objective measurements such as date, time, weather, etc. Journal entries are inventive and teach the importance of recording and communicating scientific ideas.
3. Create a Field Guide
Field guides are comprehensive books or flyers that include lists and characteristics of relevant species for an area. Looking through field guides in itself is a great activity to do with kids. If you don’t have a field guide, there are also many resources available online.
Once kids are familiar with what a field guide is, a fun, in-depth project for any aged kid can be to create a field guide of their own. Creating their guide can be similar to the nature journaling activity, but gives a bit more structure.
Have kids start by finding a defined space for their local field guide. This space can be as big as a park and as small as your backyard. Have them list and identify all the species in their given area. With each entry, they should also include a drawing, sketch, or picture. Afterward, do research through books and the internet to come up with interesting and cool facts about some of the entries in their guide.
Creating a field guide is a big project, but the creativity and research it takes allow kids to take ownership of the project. This is an activity that can also very easily be adapted to older kids by having them include more advanced observations and information on the plants in the area.
These are just some of the many ways you can engage children with plants and the natural world as a whole. These activities allow for creativity and freedom to explore ideas that interest them. Some of these activities are great for adults to learn a thing or two as well.
Once kids start to learn a little about plants, you’ll find they start to act like sponges and want to soak up all the cool info they can get their hands on. Who knew that learning could happen so quickly this close to home. All we need is an eye to observe and notice the nature around us.
