[Tea] 20 Nature Prompts

Welcome to "Tea with Julie," a weekly missive by me, Julie Bogart. My wish is to give you food for thought over a cup of tea to enhance your life as an educator, parent, and awesome adult. Glad you're here. Pinkies up!
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Cincinnati, April 2, 2022

Hi Friend,

Nature is always there, ready to burst with new life!

It’s a wonderful time to ground our kids in the steady cycles of nature all around us.

Nature Study is an integral part of the Brave Writer Lifestyle. To encourage you to add or maintain nature study routines, we created twenty simple prompts to help you and yours engage with nature.

20 Nature Prompts

Get down and take a close look at a patch of ground.
Chase the sun! Make it a quest to find the BEST spot to enjoy the sunrise or sunset.
Wonder out loud about something you see outside.
When your kids spot a bird or a bug or a leaf, make a BIG deal about what awesome observation skills they have!
Count colors in nature as you drive, walk, or look out the window.
Play a bird spotting game (big birds = 3, medium birds = 2, small birds = 1). See if, as a family, you can add up to a target number before the end of the day.
Get outside WITH the kids! Yep, this is a BIG motivator!
Pick a tree in your neighborhood to watch through the seasons.
Read a nature-inspired storybook—wonder as you read.
Find and watch nature webcams (search the web to variety—nest cams are popular).
Build a fairy house at the base of a tree with items like twigs, leaves, rocks, and flowers.
Pretend you are a bird: What color would you be? Feather design? Big or small?
Draw nature finds.
Turn over rocks and see what’s underneath (turn them back gently).
Hug a tree—and while you’re at it, examine the bark.
Watch the clouds.
Make a nature date—virtually—with a Natural History Museum, Botanical Gardens, or Nature Center offering online events.
Lap your house or apartment building looking for nature before heading inside.
Play “If you could be any animal what would you be?” (Ask why and for lots of descriptions about what life would be like as that creature.)
Observe how dew or rainwater rests on a leaf.

Pick one to do each week, then let us know what you did by sharing on Instagram and tagging me (@juliebravewriter).

Warmly,

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