Wonder Wednesday 41: Nature Writing

Since being in VA, I’ve been hanging around with my 3 year old nephew a lot. He’s gotten into dictating stories. About the scene above he dictated:

“He’s a farmer because he’s just a farmer. He’s planting flowers in the snow. His farm is right there and he has animals. I think that’s all I know.”

Followed up with: “He’s a little farmer with 1,2,3,4 flowers. He’s planting more flowers, green flowers.”

I’ve also been working on my presentation for the 2016 American Montessori Society conference which revolves around using Beatrix Potter and nature to inspire writing.

So, using nature to encourage writing at multiple age levels in all seasons is really on my mind.

On top of all that, on Instagram I follow @nature_nrd who has a really fun feature called #tinyadventurefriday where they take tiny little astronaut figures, place them in nature worlds, and photograph them in macro which distorts the dimensions makes it look like a totally different make believe world. Like honey I shrunk the kids all in nature.

Amazing photos by @nature_nrd right? Is your imagination running already?!

So, this month’s Wonder Wednesday activity is inspired by these 3 things and is about using nature to get children into writing. It is never too early, too snowy, too rainy, too sunny, too hot, or too cold to get children making up stories and dictating them to you or writing them independently.

This is a great nature based extension to teaching narrative and sequence writing and is also a great opportunity for older children to practice writing dialogue.

Wonder Wednesday #41:

Nature Inspired Writing

Materials

Small figures like Lego people or other tiny figures

Natural loose parts like leaves, small sticks, stones

Access to nature whether it be in a park, a garden, a large flower pot, or more natural area of the back or school yard.

Pencils and colored pencils

Paper or nature journals

Optional: glass beads, marbles, or other simple objects

Digital cameras for older children

If the children are dictating, you bring the paper and writing utensils you would like to use. I like story paper so the child can illustrate with their dictation later.

If the children will be writing the story themselves, bring their nature journals and pencils to the site and they can color in their drawings later.

Preparation

Consider the designated nature area in which the children will use to create a scenario with the little people and small objects.

Decide how you will limit the choice of the figures objects and if you will have the child/ren choose a couple figures and objects to take with them to the natural area or if you will have a small basket there for them to choose on site. (I bring a basket and let the child choose on site.)

If the children are dictating, you bring the paper and writing utensils you would like to use or their nature journals if they have them. You could also use story paper so the child can illustrate with their dictation later.

If the children will be writing the story themselves, bring their nature journals and pencils to the site and they can color in their drawings later.

Procedure

Go to the special nature place and allow the children around 30 minutes, or more, to create a world with the objects and nature for their chosen figures, and time to play in that world.

After the children have imagined, created, and played in their nature world, and seem to be at a natural transition point, ask them to either tell you a story about what’s happening in the world. Older children can independently write a short story in their nature journals.

Remind or prompt the children about story openings, sequencing, and a conclusion as they dictate to you or write on their own, but not at the expense of the children getting their ideas out. Revisions can always be made later.

After they have written or dictated the designated amount, suggest they draw the world they created as an illustration to their story.

This is a great way to encourage a love of writing by creating an experiential prompt that can be done in all seasons and weather. (snowy and rainy weather writing is best done back indoors)

These short stories can also be starters for longer and more polished writing. And the stories that come out of these worlds may even motivate a series of nature adventure stories about the same characters and worlds!

What type of worlds will your children and students create, explore in their minds, and share on paper? 

Seeds to Sprout:

Check out @nature_nrd on Instagram here

Check out all the wonderful adventures on #tinyadventurefriday here. See the little astronauts embark on new worlds, familiar and strange all at the same time.

Inspire your own nature writing and join me in one of my eCourses!

Check out the Wings, Worms, and Wonder nature journaling school here and get creatively connecting with nature with me as your guide!