Materials for Activity

• Information about starting a nature club

Preparation for Activity

• Recruit a small group to plan the gathering and consult with the religious educator to select a day and time for the gathering.
• Invite World of Wonder families to attend. Optional: Invite any families in the congregation or the local community.
• Download the Nature Club for Families toolkit (PDF) from the Children and Nature Network. Optional: Research and download pertinent information from other organizations such as Planet Earth Scouts. Print materials and create a package to share with participants' families and any broader audience you have decided to invite.

Description of Activity

Hold a family gathering to assess and support interest in forming a Family Nature Club. The free, downloadable toolkit from the Children and Nature Network describes many options. You might wish to make this initial gathering a nature activity such as a family hike or an outing to a local park. Or, plan for the families to share a meal together.

If there does not seem to be sufficient interest in forming a club, there may be interest in an occasional event. Consider planning outings based on the changing seasons. If your congregation has members who are pagan or involved with another earth-based religious tradition, collaborate on creating a multigenerational celebration of the earth. Or, plan an event such as a night hike based on a book about nature such as When the Moon Is Full: A Lunar Year by Mary Azarian or The Night Tree by Eve Bunting. You could invite families to bring their favorite nature-related book to share.

Whether or not this gathering launches a nature club, at the very least it offers intentional time for families to share nature together.

Including All Participants

When selecting activities, be mindful about being inclusive of all.