When parents ask me about important things to have in their home for their child, I generally don’t worry about all the child proofing and special new child items that I'm sure they will already know about or will hear about from friends, instead I ask, “Do you have a Nature Table?”
It’s simple. Yet it can be a wonderful and memorable addition to your home, even for a very young child. My children are grown and we still have our nature table in a prominent position in the family room. Everyone still enjoys bringing in treasures found on hikes or in the yard. It really has become a seasonal decoration for us!
When my first child was very young we just had a small one-foot square table in our apartment. When she found a feather or special rock (and what rock isn’t special), there was a place for it to go and be enjoyed. Later she had a nature shelf in her room as well, but the family nature table that everyone can add to was always interesting, and new items would appear on a regular basis.
Nowadays we use a larger table and we always have seasonal items, sometimes we include a picture of us outdoors in that season. This year our summer table had shells, a seagull feather, a little flower vase with a fresh cut flower from the garden or yard, and a picture of our visit to the beach. As fall rolls in the table has changed over to rocks, a blue jay feather, dried lavender from the garden, a large pinecone, and a picture of my son and me hiking in the mountains.
You might think, “That’s nice, but is this just a decoration?” and I would answer, “Oh, it is so much more.” Having a nature table shows your child that nature is important to you. It gives you a place for those special items your child finds outside. Most importantly, it gives you a great place to start in talking about nature and science. Discuss what your child found. I keep little nature guides right next to my table so we can learn about rocks, birds, plants, and the seasons together. You can also keep a sketchbook at the table, these are great items to study and draw. And yes, it is a great decoration as well. It is an ever-changing display that celebrates nature and the seasons.