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How to Create a Counting Nature Chart

This is a perfect way to teach children about the world of nature around them, as well as improving their ability to count. It's a mathematics, art and environment lesson all rolled into one. The chart is easy to make and is perfect for hanging in a classroom or a child's bedroom or play area.

  1. 1
    NatureWalkChild Step 1.jpg
    Take a nature walk with the children. Ask the children to collect as many small natural items as possible. These items could include: acorns, leaves, pebbles, grasses, twigs, nuts, plant matter (such as fluff surrounding seeds, buds etc.), animal fur tufts (often caught on prickly plants/fences etc.), flowers, seeds, feathers, nuts and so on. It is important to collect "lots" of some of the items so that you will have enough to create numbers 1 - 10 on your chart. The easier things to collect more of include: leaves, pebbles and seeds.
  2. 2
    SortItems Step 2.jpg
    Return to class or home with the nature items. Sort out the nature items into groups, so that it will be easier to count them. Clean any dirty items and allow these to dry.
  3. 3
    DrawChart Step 3.jpg
    Draw a chart. Take a big sheet of cardboard and place it so that the width is facing you for drawing on. Using a marker, draw a table that has two columns: Column 1 should only be wide enough for the numbers; column 2 should cover the remaining width of the cardboard piece.
  4. 4
    CreateRows Step 4.jpg
    Create rows. Draw 10 rows (or as many or as few as you'd prefer). Number from 1 - 10.
  5. 5
    StickItems Step 5.jpg
    Stick on the nature items. Glue on the correct amount of nature items next to the numbers. This helps the child to learn the numbers and associate them with the number of items. For example: 1 feather, 2 flowers, 3 shells, 4 acorns, 5 leaves, 6 pieces of fur etc.
  6. 6
    DisplayChart Step 6.jpg
    Display the chart. Once the glue has dried and you are sure nothing can fall off, hang the chart up on a wall where the child can see it and practise counting every day for a short time.

Tips

  • There is no harm in repeating items if the child has collected a lot of one thing, for example, 1 feather, 2 flowers, 3 shells, 4 feathers, 5 leaves, 6 flowers etc.
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  • Remove the chart after a month or two and return the items to the garden/park/beach/nature together. This helps teach children to be tidy and to return to nature the things collected from nature rather than creating more throw-away items. Recycle the cardboard.
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Warnings

  • Try to avoid wet or very dirty items. They may end up rotting the chart or cause mould to grow, or at the very least, will be hard to work with and unlikely to stick.
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Things You'll Need

  • Large sheet of heavy cardboard
  • Glue suitable for sticking nature items (strong craft/paper quality)
  • Markers or coloured pencils for drawing numbers and ruling the lines on the chart
  • Nature items (see step one for suggestions)
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Related wikiHows

How toCount Beats in a Song

How toMake a Pie Chart
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Article Info

Categories:
Kids' Crafts

Edited by Flickety, Sondra C, Maluniu

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