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Very little is actually needed for nature study. A pencil & paper to record your findings, perhaps some field guides from the library or thrift store. All the little gadgets and doodads sure make it fun, though!
I usually choose a couple of new items at the beginning of each school year to add to our collection. We keep the items that we use on our nature walks in a backpack, and store the rest of it in a drawer.
Our Nature Exploration Supplies
We add to our nature stuff a little bit at a time. This is a list of what we’ve accumulated over the years.
- sling bag backpack
- drawstring backpack
- clipboards
- field guides
- flower press – we just use wax paper and two heavy dictionaries
- binoculars
- pocket microscope
- magnifying glass – from Dollar Tree
- pocket magnifying glass
- watercolor pencils
- colored pencils – I buy these from Michaels w/a 40% off coupon
- watercolor compact set
- sketchpad
- tweezers
- flashlight
- butterfly garden
- Backyard Safari bug vac
- mini pop up habitat
- first aid kit
- watch-a-bug
- butterfly nets – Dollar Tree
- critter cage – Dollar Tree
- bead organizer – to hold collections
- stainless steel water bottles
- garden clippers
- small spade
- hatchet/knife multi tool
- camera
- baggies
On My Supply Wish List
- waterproof Bible (lily pad)
- waterproof Bible (tree bark)
- Pentel water brush
- Prismacolor colored pencils
- vintage field bag
- pretty much anything from this catalog
Fandex Family Guides
These little field guide fans are compact enough to toss in your nature bag, and easier to use out on the trail than a book.
Nature Field Kit Ideas
- Nature Walk Storage Clipboards
- DIY Nature Explorer Pack
- Nature Walk Bag
- Mesh Collecting Bag Tutorial
- Recycled Clothing Field Bag Tutorial
NaturExplorers
NaturExplorer studies by Shining Dawn Books are a great addition to your nature exploration toolkit. These info-packed nature unit studies include experiments, project ideas, writing prompts, and notebooking pages. Perfect to throw on a clipboard and go!
Have you grabbed your Holiday Nature Walks yet?
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Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley@ My Little Poppies says
I love your idea of bringing watercolor pencils- those are the best. Thank you for including us!