Materials:

Nature Journal, drawing utensils of choice, and a specimen they can handle

Activity:

Choose a rock, seashell, antler, pined bug, or other inanimate specimen they can handle and observe. Have them look at it from several angles and record their observations in their nature journal. You can do this on a blank page or the “Different Angles” page. (Sometimes having a small, contained space for drawing makes the task seem more manageable.)

Younger:

Encourage younger kids to describe how something can look different when viewed from a different perspective. How is the top of the shell different from the bottom? Is it symmetrical? Does it look larger from the back or front?

Older:

Older children will enjoy seeing things in a new way but may get stumped about how to capture them in a 3-dimensional way. This would be a great time to introduce principles of drawing like light/shadow, depth, and perspective.

Take it Further:

Do a mini-lesson on seeing things from a different perspective. Look at optical illusions (Like the ones depicted in the video below) or sculptures at an art installment. Teach the kids how to capture shapes and curves in their drawings. Ask them why it would be important to look at something from more than one angle.

This would be a great time to dive deeper into perceptions, light, and shadow in your drawing lessons. Some popular books for teaching drawing at home are linked below.

Making your own Nature Journal:

Just use a regular nature journal entry and draw your specimen from multiple angles. Sometimes kids do well with having assigned space for each angle. If that is true for your child then draw four squares on their page and encourage them to look at their object from 4 different perspectives.