4Real Forums: The mechanics of nature notebooks?

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Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science

Topic: The mechanics of nature notebooks?

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SaraP
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Posted: Aug 26 2007 at 2:55pm \| IP Logged

Can someone help me with a good way to put together nature notebooks for small kids?

Just having a sketchpad type notebook doesn't work because too many of the pages are started and then stepped on by a sibling and then restarted and then doused with the contents of the water bottle and so on.

We get much nicer pages when I give them loose pieces of heavy art paper to work with until they have produced something they are happy with, but being a not very crafty sort (who has not put together even a baby book for any of her children

) I am at a loss for an easy, not too expensive, but still aesthetically pleasing way to bind up all the pages being produced.

Ideas please?

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lapazfarm
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Posted: Aug 26 2007 at 3:26pm \| IP Logged

You could use a 3-ring binder and either hole-punch the pages or slip them into page protectors.
You could also just save them until you have a good stack and then bind them using a couple of large pieces of cardstock or posterboard for the covers and some string or book rings for the binding. You could also use a legal-size file folder for the cover. The kiddos could decorate any of these types of covers with pressed leaves, flowers, artwork, etc.

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Theresa
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Mary G
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Posted: Aug 26 2007 at 5:22pm \| IP Logged

I LOVE Theresa's suggestions -- you could also try having the best bound by your local office store ... coil or comb or whatever kind of binding you'd like .... a card stock cover -- or a REALLY good sketch, laminated, would make a great cover and boy would the kids be proud of having created a "real" book!

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MaryG
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PDyer
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Posted: Aug 26 2007 at 5:34pm \| IP Logged

Funny you should post this just now because guess what we're working on?

I'm hoping to draw the children into creating a "family" nature notebook. I hope to be using a sketchpad to record drawings and notes, and slipping each page into a page protector and then in a binder.

We took a creek walk today and since we've been home I've asked the kids to add to the nature notebook I started with just a couple of entries of my own. My son is reluctant, but as I've mentioned elsewhere he has a block with drawing. I'm going to find pictures for him.

My daughter (5) dictated about and drew a fish, and now she tells me she wants to make a page about the salamander we saw.

Hope this helps!

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Patty
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KackyK
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Posted: Aug 26 2007 at 5:54pm \| IP Logged

I love love love the idea of a family book. Why this hadn't occured to me...I don't know (well I guess I do know....that mommy swiss cheese brain you end up with...)!

We have started nature journals but some kiddos don't do as much as others and then they feel like their journals aren't much to look at...but if we combined them...oooo...I like that!

Plus the idea of having the office store bind them...now that is great too. That could be a great way to wind down a study or year!

Thanks everyone!!!

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KackyK

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~Rachel~
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Posted: Aug 27 2007 at 12:32pm \| IP Logged

I like the binder idea... then when you have enough pages, you spiral bind them

.
Even better, you know nature photography is also art...

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