Materials
Items from nature
Yarn
Cardboard
Clear contact paper What to do
- Beforehand, visit an area where the children can walk and where they can collect nature items. Collect items that the children will be able to find, such as leaves, seeds, flowers, on item foreach child.
- Back in the classroom, cut circles of cardboard small enough to be worn as medallions but large enough to hold the gathered nature item.
- Mount a nature item on each peice of cardboard.
- Cover the cardboard and nature item with clear contact paper.
- Punch a hole at the top of the cardboard circle, put a piece of yarn through the hole and tie it to make a necklace.
- Give each child a necklace. have her look closely at the item. Explain to the children that they will be going on a nature walk to look for items just like the ones on their necklaces. Walk tothe area where you gathered the items and allow the children to look for items that match their Nature Necklaces.
More to do
Art: Gather extra items and use them to make a collage. Ask older children to draw a picture of their nature item.
Math: make a graph representing the different types of nature items the children found. Record how many leaves, how many seed, etc., they found.
Transitions: Use the different types of items on the necklaces as a transition tool: "Children with flower necklaces may line up. Choldren with leaf necklaces may lineup…" Sarah Dill, Madison, WI | 
