Faith In Action: Starting a Nature Club
Part of World of Wonder, Grades K-1
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.