Meet Anna Comstock and discover how slowing down, looking closely and drawing what we notice can open a wider world.
£6.99
Digital download · a printable Parent Guide and Wonder Companion Journal for your child
Digital downloadAnna Botsford Comstock believed children should encounter nature directly rather than only reading about it indoors. This lesson introduces her story and invites families to follow her example: step outside, choose one small find and give it their full attention.
With a Parent Guide and Wonder Companion Journal, children can sketch what they see, record the details that interest them and follow their own questions. The aim is not perfect artwork or a page full of facts, but a little more patience, curiosity and care for the world around them.
Begin with one small natural object and let the conversation grow from what your child notices. You might look together outside, then gather around the table to sketch, describe and compare discoveries. The Parent Guide offers context and prompts, while the journal leaves room for your child’s own observations.
There is no need to rush through every page or produce perfect drawings. Try one question, return to a favourite find or spread the lesson across several days. Follow the details that hold your family’s attention and let careful noticing lead the way.
The free companion resources offer more paths to follow: videos about beginning a nature journal, Anna Comstock and monoprinting; a read-aloud of Out of School and Into Nature by Suzanne Slade; and a family Kahoot quiz about Anna’s story.
Try a five-minute observation challenge, begin a nature journal or spend a week learning the names of a bird, tree and wildflower near home. The resources are free for every family, with or without the lesson.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? We’re always happy to help.
There is no fixed age recommendation. Families can choose the questions and activities that suit their child, offering help with reading, writing or drawing where it is useful.
Two printable PDFs: a four-page Parent Guide and a three-page Wonder Companion Journal, seven pages in total. This is a digital download, not a physical book or journal.
The companion journal is designed to be printed for drawing and recording observations. You can read the guide on a screen and use your own paper or notebook for the noticing and sketching activities if you prefer.
There is no fixed completion time. Explore it in one sitting, spread it across several days or return to the same natural find to notice how it changes.
The guide suggests a natural find, a pencil and colouring materials; watercolours or coloured pencils work well. Choose safe objects to observe and leave living creatures undisturbed. Optional companion activities, such as monoprinting, may need additional art materials.
Yes. The companion videos, read-aloud, quiz and nature-noticing prompts are free to explore with or without purchasing the lesson. The Parent Guide and Wonder Companion Journal are the paid download.
No. Nature journaling is about noticing, not perfection. Simple sketches, a few words and a question are useful ways to begin.
Anna Comstock & Nature Journaling is one of the wonder-led adventures in The Wonder Curriculum Volume One. The complete family set travels through science, nature, history, art and the wider world, with every adventure designed to be used in any order.
Download Anna Comstock & Nature Journaling and begin a gentle adventure in looking closely, drawing and discovering together.
£6.99
Digital download · a printable Parent Guide and Wonder Companion Journal for your child
