100 Nature Journal Prompts for Kids to Inspire Creativity

Nature journal prompts are a great way to spark inspiration for nature journaling. Use these 100 creative and interesting nature journal prompts to help when you need good ideas for what to write in a nature journal.

nature journal prompts

Nature Journal Prompts

Nature journaling is a great pasttime for kids and adults alike. It’s a relaxing educational opportunity that involves getting out in nature and exploring the world around you.

But what if you cannot get outside and study nature? This is where nature journal prompts can come in handy! Kids can still explore nature, even if a suitable outdoor space isn’t available by reading the best nature books for kids and journaling about it in their nature notebook.

Some of the best ways to encourage creative thinking and the practice of writing skills is by giving students a journaling prompt about nature.

Not sure how to start a nature journal? Learn how to start a nature journal and what to put in it with our nature journal examples.

Nature Journaling Prompts

If your kids enjoy exploring the natural world, a great way to make it educational is to find a favorite place that your young writers can hone their observation skills. By creating journal entries about their personal experiences and outdoor adventures, you’ll have a treasured keepsake for years to come.

You can use a printable nature journal or make your own journal pages using regular paper and a binder. Using nature journal prompts can help give kids with writer’s block new ideas and is the perfect activity for quiet independent time.

There are different ways you can incorporate nature journaling into your day. Students can study a part of nature or a natural object and use their observational skills to write about what the see, smell, and hear.

Using journal prompts about nature or even some drawing prompts that can give you drawing ideas for when you’re bored is a great free time activity.

We’ve selected some great journal prompts about nature for you to choose from. To make it easy to choose the perfect thing to write about, we’ve broken down the nature journal prompts by topic.

Nature Journal Prompts about the Forest and Trees

Some of these journal prompts for nature study will require your kids to be outdoors in nature, whereas others will allow them to journal about nature from indoors. Select the ones that work best for your scenario.

Observing the Forest

Find a comfortable spot in the forest. Close your eyes for a minute and listen. What sounds do you hear?
Sit quietly and observe the forest for 10 minutes. Write down all the different shades of green you can see.
Choose a small area of the forest floor. How many different types of plants can you find? Draw and label them.
Pick a tree and sit next to it. Imagine you’re the tree. Write a short story about your day as that tree.

Tree Personalities

Choose a tree and give it a name. What do you think its personality would be like? Write a dialogue between you and the tree.
Pretend you’re a squirrel living in a tree. Describe your life, from finding food to building a nest.
Write a poem about the life cycle of a tree, from acorn to towering giant.

Tree Exploration

Find a fallen leaf under a tree. Describe its color, shape, and any interesting patterns.
Look closely at a tree’s bark. What does it feel like? Can you find any insects or small creatures living there?
Collect different types of tree leaves. Create a leaf rubbing and write a short note about each leaf’s unique features.

Forest Adventures

Imagine you’re a tiny explorer in a miniature forest world. Write about your adventures and the creatures you meet.
Describe the forest during different times of the day – morning, afternoon, and evening. How does it change?
Close your eyes and imagine you’re on a magical journey through a talking forest. Write a conversation with a wise old tree.

Nature’s Connections

Research and write about the animals that depend on trees for food and shelter. Draw a simple food web to show these connections.
Choose a tree and write a story about its role in the ecosystem. How does it interact with other plants and animals?

Tree Transformations

Learning about seasons? Draw a tree in different seasons – spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Write a sentence or two about the changes you see.
Imagine a tree could talk and share its experiences over the years. Write a letter from an ancient tree to a young sapling.

Personal Reflections

Spend time in a quiet part of the forest. Express your thoughts and feelings about being there in your nature journal.
Write a short story about a forest adventure, starring you and your friends. What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them?

Environmental Steward

Research a specific type of tree in your area. Write about its importance to the local environment and any threats it might be facing.
Imagine you’re a tree activist. Write a speech convincing others to protect and care for our forests.

Creative Expressions

Draw a fantastical forest with imaginative creatures and unique trees. Describe the special powers of the trees and creatures in your drawing.
Write a forest-inspired haiku – a short poem with three lines that capture the essence of the forest.
Create a short comic strip about a mischievous squirrel causing playful havoc in the trees.

Scientific Curiosity

Choose a tree and study its leaves, branches, and surroundings. Write a “tree detective” report, detailing your findings about the tree’s species, age, and health.

Nature Journal Prompts about Flowers & Gardening

If you have a child who loves learning about flowers or gardening, these nature journal prompts should delight them! We’ve got a great notebook that goes with The Big Book of Blooms if you’d like to take your study of flowers to the next level.

Flower Exploration Nature Journal Prompts

Choose a flower and observe its petals, colors, and scent. Write a description that captures its beauty.
Imagine you’re a bee visiting a flower. Describe the journey from the bee’s perspective.
Find a flower bud and draw it. Predict what the fully bloomed flower will look like and describe your prediction.

Garden Delights

Explore a garden and list five different types of flowers you find. Write a short paragraph about each one.
Pretend you’re a gardener who can talk to plants. Write a conversation between you and your favorite flower.
Close your eyes and imagine a garden full of edible flowers. Describe the taste and texture of the treats you find.

Colorful Blossoms

Choose a color – like red, blue, or yellow – and search for flowers in that color. Create a rainbow of flower descriptions.
Draw a flower and its surroundings, including the sky and the ground. Write a story inspired by your drawing.

Floral Adventures

Write a short story about a tiny creature living inside a flower. Describe its daily life and challenges.
Imagine you’re shrinking down to the size of a flower petal. Describe your adventures as you explore the garden from this new perspective.
Create a dialogue between two flowers – one from the garden and one from the wild. Compare their experiences.

Garden Magic

Write a poem comparing a garden to a magical kingdom. Use descriptive language to bring this enchanting world to life.
Choose a flower and create a superhero character inspired by its features. Write a story about their flower-powered adventures.

Pollination Tales

Research the process of pollination. Write a step-by-step guide for a bee or butterfly, explaining how to gather nectar and pollen.
Imagine a world without pollinators. Write a story highlighting the importance of bees, butterflies, and other pollinating creatures.

Seasonal Changes

Describe how a specific flower changes throughout the seasons – from sprouting in spring to withering in winter.
Create a calendar of blooming flowers for each month of the year. Write a sentence or two about why each flower is special.

Keep a Garden Diary

Keep a week-long garden diary. Record daily observations of a specific flower as it goes through different stages of growth.

Magical Gardens

Design your dream garden filled with fantastical flowers and plants. Write a description of how you’d care for these unique plants.
Write a story about a secret garden hidden behind a mysterious door. Describe the flowers and creatures that inhabit this hidden world.

Cultural Connections

Research flowers that hold cultural or symbolic meanings in different parts of the world. Write about the significance of these flowers.

Scientific Investigations

Choose a flower and study its anatomy – petals, stamen, pistil, and more. Create a labeled diagram of the flower’s parts.

Inventive Stories

Write a story about a talking flower that grants wishes to those who take care of it. What would you wish for?
Imagine a garden where everything is upside down – the flowers grow beneath the soil and the roots reach for the sky. Describe this topsy-turvy world.

Sensory Experiences

Spend time in a garden with your eyes closed. Focus on the smells, sounds, and sensations around you. Write a sensory-rich paragraph about your experience.

Nature Writing Prompts about Animals

Kids enjoy learning about animals. There are so many different types of animals to learn about; forest animals, alligators and crocodiles, mammals, sea creatures, and more.

Animal Encounters Prompts

Observe a bird for a few minutes. Describe its size, colors, and movements. What do you think it might be looking for?
Imagine you’re an animal detective. Write a journal entry about the tracks you found on a nature walk and what animal you think left them.
Choose an insect and watch its behavior. Write a short story about a day in the life of that insect.

Animal Personalities Journal Prompts

Pick an animal and give it a name. Write a few paragraphs describing its personality and the kind of adventures it might have.
Imagine you can switch places with an animal for a day. Write a diary entry from the animal’s perspective about your day’s experiences.

Wildlife Stories

Write a short story about an animal’s journey to find its family. Describe the challenges and friendships it encounters along the way.
Choose an animal you saw today. Write a story about what that animal might be thinking as it goes about its day.

Animal Kingdom Journal Prompts

Research an animal you find interesting. Write a paragraph about its habitat, diet, and any unique features it has.
Imagine you’re a nature show host. Write a script for a show highlighting the daily life of a specific animal.

Animal Communication

Write a dialogue between two animals meeting in the woods for the first time. What do they say to each other?
Imagine animals could send messages through their songs. Write a poem about a bird that uses its song to convey secret messages.

Inventive Creatures

Create a new animal by combining features from your favorite animals. Describe its appearance, habitat, and habits.
Write a story about an animal that can change its colors to blend in with its surroundings. How does this ability help it survive?

Undercover Observations

Find a quiet spot and watch animals without them noticing you. Write down everything you see them doing.
Imagine you’re a tiny creature exploring a patch of grass. Describe the hidden world you discover.

Journal Prompts about Animal Adventures

Write a story about an animal that goes on a journey to find a legendary treasure hidden deep in the forest.
Choose an animal and imagine it could talk. Write a conversation between you and that animal about their life and dreams.

Nature’s Neighbors

List all the animals you’ve seen around your home in the past week. Write a paragraph about how they adapt to living in your neighborhood.

Endangered Species

Research an endangered animal and write a journal entry from the animal’s perspective, expressing its thoughts and hopes for its species’ survival.

Animal Superheroes

Choose an animal and give it a superpower. Write a story about how that animal uses its power to save the day.

Animal Art

Choose an animal and draw it in its natural habitat. Write a description of the scene, including the animal’s behavior and surroundings.

Animal Poetry

Write a poem about a noisy animal choir that performs every night in the forest. What do they sing about?

Animal Explorers

Imagine you’re an explorer discovering a new animal species. Describe its appearance, behaviors, and the environment where it lives.

Wildlife Rescue

Write a story about an animal that gets lost and needs help finding its way back home. Who comes to its rescue?

Scientific Study

Choose an animal and create a mini research report. Include details about its diet, habitat, enemies, and any special adaptations it has.

Nature Journal Prompts about Ponds and Lakes

These nature journaling prompts are about ponds and lakes and will spark some creativity in your students.

Pond Life Portraits: Find a quiet spot by a pond or lake. Choose one creature you see – it could be a frog, a turtle, a duck, or a dragonfly. Draw a detailed portrait of that creature and write a short paragraph describing its behavior and how it interacts with its watery habitat.
Nature Soundtrack: Sit by the edge of a pond or lake and close your eyes. Listen to the sounds around you – the croaking of frogs, the chirping of insects, the rustling of leaves. Create a “nature soundtrack” by describing the different sounds you hear and how they make you feel.
A Day in the Life: Imagine you’re a tadpole living in a pond. Write a diary entry from the perspective of the tadpole, describing your day as you swim, eat, and interact with other creatures. What are your thoughts and feelings?
Floating Adventure: Pretend you’re a tiny explorer in a miniature boat on a pond. Describe your adventure as you navigate through the water, encountering lily pads, insects, and fish. What discoveries do you make along the way?
Changing Seasons: Choose a pond or lake and visit it during different seasons – spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Write a short paragraph for each season, describing how the pond’s appearance, inhabitants, and overall atmosphere change throughout the year.

Prompts for Nature Journals about Fungi

Fungal Fantasies: Imagine you’ve shrunk down to the size of a mushroom. Write a short story about your adventures in the hidden world beneath the forest floor, interacting with other fungi and creatures.
Fungi Detective: Choose a mushroom you find in the wild. Draw a detailed picture of it and write a paragraph describing its color, size, texture, and any unique features. Research its name and learn more about its role in the ecosystem.
Mushroom Magic: Pretend you’re a magician who can grow mushrooms with special properties. Write a “recipe” for a fictional mushroom potion and describe its effects – whether it grants invisibility or super strength!
Fungi Friends: Create a dialogue between a young mushroom and an old, wise tree. Write a conversation about the fungi’s role in the forest and how it interacts with the tree.
Fungi Expedition: Plan a virtual expedition to find as many different types of fungi as possible. Write a journal entry describing your findings – their shapes, colors, sizes, and the places you discovered them.

Nature Writing Prompts about the Ocean

When learning about the ocean, it’s fun to create an ocean notebook, read books about the ocean, and even use some creative writing prompts.

Marine Marvels: Imagine you’re a deep-sea explorer in a submarine. Write a journal entry describing the creatures you encounter as you journey to the darkest depths of the ocean. What surprising adaptations do they have?
Oceanic Storytelling: Choose a sea creature, such as a dolphin, a jellyfish, or a seahorse. Write a short story from the perspective of that creature, describing its underwater adventures and the challenges it faces.
Beach Treasures: Visit a beach and collect seashells, rocks, and other oceanic treasures. Create a collage with your findings and write about each item’s origin, history, and any special memories associated with it.
Underwater Inventor: Imagine you’re a young inventor tasked with designing a new type of ocean exploration tool. Draw your invention and write a description of how it works and what exciting discoveries it might help you make.
Message in a Bottle: Pretend you’ve found an ancient message in a bottle washed ashore. Write the story behind the message – who wrote it, where they were, and what adventure they were on. Then, write a response as if you were sending a message back in time.

Nature Writing Prompts about Bees and Butterflies

Floral Flight: Imagine you’re a butterfly exploring a garden filled with colorful flowers. Write a journal entry describing your journey from one flower to another. What do you see, smell, and feel?
Buzzing Conversations: Write a dialogue between a bee and a butterfly. What might they talk about as they gather nectar from the same flower? What lessons might they exchange?
Metamorphosis Marvel: Choose a butterfly species and research its life cycle, from egg to caterpillar, pupa, and adult. Draw each stage and write a short description for each, highlighting the changes that occur.
Bee’s Perspective: Imagine you’re a worker bee collecting nectar for your hive. Write a diary entry about your day’s work, the challenges you face, and the importance of teamwork in your colony.
Pollinator Protector: Write a superhero story where a bee or butterfly gains special powers to protect flowers and plants. Describe their mission, allies, and how they save the day.

Nature Journaling Ideas

Looking for some hands-on nature study ideas? These fund nature study activities can be added to nature journals!

Nature Scavenger Hunt: Kids love scavenger hunts! Create a list of items to find in nature, like a smooth rock, a feather, a pinecone, etc. Draw or describe each item once you find it.
Leaf Impressions: Collect different types of leaves, place them under a piece of paper, and use crayons to make leaf rubbings. Label each one with the tree’s name.
Creature Chronicles: Choose an insect or animal you observe. Draw its picture and write a short story about its day, imagining the adventures it might have.
Cloud Watching: Lie on the grass and observe the clouds. Write about the shapes you see – maybe they look like animals or objects in a story.
Outdoor Sound Map: Find a quiet spot and draw a map of the area, marking where you hear different sounds – birds, wind, water, insects, etc.
Color Hunt: Pick a color and explore your surroundings to find as many things as you can in that color. Draw or write about each discovery.
Tree Friend: Choose a tree as your “journal friend.” Visit it regularly and write about how it changes through the seasons, from budding to shedding leaves.
Nature Haikus: Write a short haiku poem about what you see, feel, and hear in nature. Haikus have three lines with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5.
Eco-Story Comic: Create a comic strip that tells a story about animals and plants working together in a small ecosystem. Draw scenes and add speech bubbles.
Mini Habitat: Collect a small jar of natural materials like soil, pebbles, leaves, and a little water. Observe how it changes over a week and write about it.

Nature Journaling Activities

Looking for more activites your children can do and then add to their journals?

Sunrise to Sunset: Choose a spot and sit there from sunrise to sunset. Record how the environment changes, the colors in the sky, and the animals you see.
Nature Charades: Write down the names of different animals, plants, or natural phenomena on separate pieces of paper. Take turns picking a paper and acting it out for others to guess.
Outdoor Poetry Corner: Set up a cozy corner outside. Write a poem about the nature around you and read them aloud in your outdoor reading nook.
Mystery Seedlings: Collect seeds from various plants. Plant them in a small garden patch or pots. As they grow, document the changes and try to identify the plants.
Artistic Insects: Create “portraits” of insects using materials found in nature – leaves, sticks, petals, and more – and arrange them on paper.
Animal ABCs: Walk around your environment and find something in nature that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Draw or write about your discoveries.
Seasonal Snapshot: Find a special spot and take a photo of it every month for a year. Compile the photos into a visual journal and show when seasons change.
Nature Word Collage: Collect words from nature – on signs, in books, or from conversations – and create a colorful word collage that represents your day outdoors.
Rock Painting: Gather smooth rocks and paint them with bright colors and patterns. Use them as decoration or leave them in public spaces to bring smiles to others.
Sound Story: Record different sounds in nature using your phone or a recorder. Create a sound story by playing them in a sequence, describing what’s happening.

In Conclusion

I hope these nature journal ideas have provided you inspiration for your journal entries! The fun activities can help make nature study more interesting for kids and give them a deeper appreciation for naure and new ideas for journaling about natural things.