Time was, every primary school classroom had a nature table. A place where small treasures from Mother Nature could be viewed, appreciated, held up in awe.
If you brought a foraged treasure in to show the teacher, this is often where it would end up. Showcased for all to see; signalling its intrinsic value. But even if your children’s school seems to value internet connection above nature connection, fear not. By creating a small space in your home for wild finds – a side table, a shelf, a windowsill – you can encourage a love of, and connection with, the great outdoors.
Children naturally love to collect little things, as any parent who finds their pockets bulging ever bigger during the course of a beach or woodland walk will testify. Taking the time to look at and talk about these finds, signals to your kids that nature is important and should be valued and revered.
Signalling the value we place upon nature is important. It is our connection with nature and the value we place on it that is passed on to our children. In fact, a parent or guardian’s connection to nature better predicts how connected children are to nature than where a child lives or how many visits into wild areas they get, according to a 2020 study published in the journal Ecopsychology.
The more connected you are with nature, the more connected your child is likely to be
‘The more connected you are with nature, the more connected your child is likely to be,’ explains Dr Alexia Barrable, lecturer in education, specialising in human-nature interactions and author of Growing Up Wild. ‘Our children are watching us all the time and they find out what we value by the way that we behave. We have a rock table at home, everyone brings their rocks to look at them - we call it the rock museum. That implicitly gives my children the message that this is something important, something we enjoy, something we value.’
Simply arranging and displaying things in your home is enough. By providing a place for natural treasures will encourage kids to proactively seek out wild objects. But there are plenty of ways to add even more value if your child is keen. Try helping them look up each item to find out exactly what it is and create a label for each thing. If you have a keen artist, see if they can make drawings or paintings of the special things they find to display alongside the object. An older child might like to keep a log book on the nature table to log each item, making notes about when and where it was found.
Another way to keep it fresh, interesting and beautiful to look at is to have a theme for your nature table. It could be seasonal, colour-themed or beachy – whatever captures their imagination. You could even make the theme educational, based around a letter they all start with or a common shape.
Stylish ways to bring the outside in
Grow a baby oak
Collect acorns and germinate them by wrapping them in damp paper towel and keeping them in a zip lock bag. Once the root begins to grow, place it on top of a water-filled bottle or vase (the stunning Ilex Acorn Vase in our main picture is designed for exactly that) and marvel as your little oak tree grows. A great way for children to see exactly how the root system grows. Once matured, the oakling can be replanted outside and the vase reused for a new acorn.
Laminate leaves
Make a beautiful stained glass window effect by laminating leaves and attaching them to a string or garland and displaying them in a window and let the light shine through. Pretty at any time of year, but particularly stunning with the rich reds and oranges of autumnal leaves.
Make a nature mobile
Showcase the best of your nature finds by turning them into works of art. Start with a stick that takes your fancy (birch or driftwood work well) and tie some jute string to either end to make a hook (you can braid it if you’re feeling adventurous). Now tie on your natural treasures with varying lengths of cotton or string along the branch. Our favourite is a coastal mobile, adorned with beachcombed finds like shells, sea-glass and ocean-worn rope.
Weave a nature loom
Create a natural weaving look by tying four sticks of similar length together into a square frame by binding with string at each corner. Now tie string from one side to the other to create the loom. Once you have your loom, it can adorn your walls as an ever-changing artwork with natural treasures woven into it as and when they are discovered.
