Start your Phenology Wheel

Materials:

Nature journal, drawing utensils of choice, a place you can return to every month

Activity:

A phenology wheel is a fun way to record changes throughout the year and to learn to see the seasons as cyclical. Start with the month you are in and draw a picture on the phenology wheel that represents that month to you. You can draw inspiration from your calendar of firsts or visit the same location every month and record changes through the time of that place. I’ve used the garden out my window and my apple tree for this in the past.

Younger:

This is a great activity for young kids because the space is small and the drawing is quick. They may need help figuring out what “represents” the month to them. Share examples of things they saw for the first time this month or see often this time of year.

Older:

Let the older child decide how they want to do their phenology wheel and take responsibility for getting a monthly entry on their own. Their finished piece will have more personal value this way.

Take it Further:

Create a Large phenology wheel to work on together as a family or talk about things that have stayed the same or changed since this month last year. Help younger children get a better sense of time by reviewing months of the year and older children recognize patterns in the seasons.

For more nature journaling card activities click here