5 Fun Nature Journal Entries for Autumn

Home Science Tools Banner
* This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. *

Did you like this article? If so, please help by sharing it!

Written by Susan Williams of Education Possible.

Cooler temperatures and leaves changing colors are signs that autumn is on the way. Fall is the perfect time to get outdoors with your family to explore and observe. Adding new entries to a nature journal is a creative way for kids to document their discoveries.

5 Fun Nature Journal Entries for Autumn Nature Study

There are several easy ways for students to start a nature journal. Anything from a simple sketch pad to a fancy leather-bound book can serve as a nature journal. What will make the journal special are the unique entries your student includes throughout the years.

Here are five fun ideas for nature journal entries to capture the beauty of the autumn season.

1. Word Finds

On a page in the journal write words related to the season. Then, take a nature walk and look for items to write down for each letter in the word. For example:

Fern

Acorn

Lirope

Lizard

More words suggestions are apple, autumn, chilly, deciduous, foliage, leaves, pine cone, season, squirrel, etc.

2. Falling Leaves

Gather a variety of fallen leaves from the ground. Trace the leaves onto a page in your nature journal. When you get home, research to learn more about the leaf and make notes about some of the interesting characteristics of the tree it came from.

3. Seasonal Landscapes

Find a comfortable spot to sit and rest.  Draw what you see around you such as flowers, trees, water, grass, and birds, and label the page, “Autumn.” On the next three pages of your journal draw what you think the same landscape will look like in the other seasons, labeling the drawings for “Winter,” “Spring,” and “Summer.” Or leave the pages blank and return to the same spot during the other seasons to add to your journal.

Autumn Nature Journal

4. Animal Tales

Look for birds, insects, squirrels, and other creatures on your nature walks. Observe their actions and characteristics. In your journal write a poem or fictional story about an unusual animal you see. I still remember writing about “Sneaky Snake,” the crime-fighting garden snake I found when I was in middle school!

5 Fun Nature Journal Entries for Autumn Nature Study

5. Weather Watcher

Create a weather log in your nature journal by tracking daily temperatures, winds, and precipitation. To make this project more fun, you can even make your own weather station instruments like a wind vane and rain gauge.

We hope your family enjoys exploring nature this season. Encourage your children to get creative as they observe and document the world around them using their nature journals.

What are some of your favorite ways to learn outdoors in the fall?

+ posts

This article was written by a Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers guest author. See the author's full bio in the body of the post.

Did you like this article? If so, please help by sharing it!

4 Comments

  1. I love these ideas! We love to walk down my mom’s street, which is heavily wooded, to collect leaves and keep our eyes open for any animals or animal tracks. After collecting the leaves, we usually bring them home and incorporate them in with some sort of art project. Last year we made a mural on butcher paper and used the leaves to decorate the trees that we painted. I will miss the warm weather, but I do love the beginning of fall!

    1. I love the beginning of fall, too. It’s my favorite! I just have to force myself not to think about what comes next. lol

  2. Those are all neat ideas. I’ll be honest and say that I haven’t ever tried to get my kids to start a nature journal, but it sounds so fun. You have inspired me to at least point out more things when we go out for our walks.

Leave a Reply to Trish Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.