July of the 365 Nature Journal
Summer holidays will hopefully be starting this month, if not already. If you are by the sea then get stuck in to rockpool investigations (1st) with the rockpool detective (or Pond wildlife spotter if not by the sea) sheet from the Wildlife Watch. They also have a ladybird detective spotting sheet which is useful for the 15th.
Imagination games
Play plenty of imagination games and crafts. Like Sudoku of March you can play Noughts and Crosses (14th) with shells and stones instead. And while away time on the sand making beach characters with seaweed for hair. I find it useful just to have a couple of stick on eyes in my pocket to bring out, as it fires their imagination and will be naming their characters.
Crafts
You can get more hands on with painting flowers on 9th if you want on just use the summer flowers spotting sheet to get out looking for them.
I once wheeled a barrow load of clay into a forest for a Smart Happy Club event where we sculpted wild forest creatures (5th) with twigs and leaves into clay. It was well worth it. A little bit of air drying clay is all you need (you won’t need a barrow full!) and collect leaves and twigs to decorate.
Natural Study
There are a couple of nature studies for July if you want them. Using observations tools like a handheld magnifier or screens to examine nature finds (10th) can keep the interest in nature and get them engrossed again.
On the 12th and the 31st note down the times of the high tide and see how they differ, if they do? what happens at other times of the month too? Or of the times of darkness (18th) as you will soon notice the days shortening again. The 2nd suggests thinking back over the summer to the different types of birds that you have seen, The bird spotting list appeared in April of the 365 journal and maybe you still have it and can review it now.
Collections
This photo shows our bird egg collection (16th) on the far right. Just shells that we find fallen under trees where there are nests. It site with shells and beach glass and we don’t really present it any special way but it sits on our nature table and is always looked for when the discussion comes around to birds or nests, and they do enjoy showing visitors. All these things build their personal connection to nature and are very easily encouraged.
This is very like the sensory observations 8th and 20th which are hopefully just now part of your days. This is what builds a connection to your nature around you.
On the 28th July you might drive yourself mad looking for camouflaging insects as they are so hard to see, have a look at a few of the ones the National Geographic have photographed – still difficult to spot! Easier to spot are triangles in flowers – how to find them, we started in March and there will be plenty around now too
We have tried several times to incubate and hatch a caterpillar into a moth or butterfly (17th), and it is not as easy as it sounds. You can read about our experience here. Many of my friends have done it successfully, so i don’t know what we’re doing wrong. but as you will read, its still building their love of nature. Maybe it costs a moth or two along the way, but I believe so much more will be lost if a love of nature is not nurtured when they are young.
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