Nature Journaling Curriculum

Many parents want more nature time in their homeschool but aren’t sure how to move beyond “go outside and play.” John Muir Laws’ Nature Journaling Curriculum is one of the most practical guides we’ve seen for turning outdoor time into meaningful science, art, and observation practice. Created by naturalist and educator John Muir Laws, the lessons, videos, and printables teach kids how to draw what they see, ask better questions, and record observations in a field journal. We love how accessible the drawing instruction is—no one has to be “good at art”—and how the practices build real skills in attention and scientific thinking over time. It’s ideal for roughly 3rd grade through high school, and especially powerful for families who value interest-led, nature-based learning. Printing some materials and gathering basic supplies (journals, pencils, watercolors) takes a bit of prep, but once set up, the curriculum can be reused for years at very low cost. Pro tip: anchor journaling to a weekly “sit spot” so kids can watch the same place change across seasons and fill their notebooks with long-term observations.