Β An activity that you can do with your children (from about age 3 up) is take a walk through nature with a sketch pad in hand, looking for signs of spring. Give each child her/his own sketching pencil and small sketch pad to carry along on the hike.
I usually wait until the first spring flowers are blooming and then we head out in spring coats to search for any and all natural signs of spring. Your kids will love looking for budding flowers, and any animals out and about. Have your crew stop and sketch each sign they discover.
The sketch books become treasured items over time, especially if you keep the same sketch book and use it each spring. My teenage daughter recently found her ‘signs of spring’ sketch book that she started when she was only five years old.
The photos in this post I took last weekend on a hike. I really had to look for signs of spring as very little has blossomed on my mountain. I only brought my macro lens so I wasn’t able to take any close-up pictures of distant objects (such as the deer in the second photo above).
JOHN HART
Interesting article and pictures. I’m sure the children really enjoyed it. Amazing your daughter found a sketch book she had when she was 5.
Mix Hart
Thank-you, yes I really love this activity too. I’m waiting another few weeks for the flowers to bloom and then I’m taking Pip and anyone else interested on this years’ sketching hike π
Catherine Meehan
One of my Dad’s favorite things to do with us when walking in the woods was to identify plants with common and Latin names and then Quiz us on the way out. Good memories:)
Mix Hart
I like your Dad’s parenting style π Though I’d fail the latin name test.