Sunday, January 10, 2010

Our Nature Display

As I mentioned in this post, we've added a nature display to our new classroom. I love the idea of bringing a bit of the outdoors inside and since we often go on nature walks and collect things, I thought it was high time we create a place for all our treasures!

Everything in the display is all natural and/or handmade, from the clay vase to the hand carved animals. I needle felted the owl (which is sitting on some local Spanish Moss), the patch of "grass" the deer is standing on and the lovely Mother Earth. The dried oranges are from a project James and I did last week, the pinecones were collected by me ages ago when we lived in Minnesota, and the little rug under the vase is hand woven (purchased on our trip to Honduras several years ago).

This is my favorite - I was fortunate enough to find this gray woven basket at a local artist's fair. I made one of these in junior high and I think I still have it! :)

The thing I love most about this display is that it's ever changing. I'll change the "theme" at the beginning of every month, but even throughout the month it's always being reinvented. I find we are continually adding to it and rearranging it. It's such a treat to touch and explore these items. James loves it and likes to add his own special touches...

10 comments:

Leptir (NataĊĦa) said...

It's beautiful :-)

Deborah Stewart said...

This reminds me of when I was a little girl... I always like to rearrange and add to my doll house. I didn't actually play with the doll house - I just set it up to appreciate the look of each room and then I would add to it and rearrange some more.

Your nature display is kind of like that because you get to just appreciate the beauty of nature and it lends it self to the discovery of nature too. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful display! I love all of the different items you have collected :-)

The girl who painted trees said...

I love it!

XYZZ said...

Beautiful! That reminds me that I really need to bring our King Winter out - our tray is still set up for Advent...oops!

Unknown said...

That is awesome! It being out for little hands to touch is such a great way to learn.

Elise said...

This looks like such a tranquil, special space. It is beautiful.

The fact that it is constantly changing will mean that your diplay will always be inviting and capture James' interest.

Jen said...

Beautiful, simply beautiful!!

Eva said...

wow Mari-Ann this is amazing, very inspiring, I was thinking of making a nature table for my daughter as well but never got around to it, I'll definitely refer back to this post when I do!

Deb Chitwood said...

Your nature displays are always beautiful, Mari-Ann. I was just updating my nature tray and nature table post and had to add the photo of your lovely nature shelf at http://livingmontessorinow.com/2010/10/25/nature-trays-and-nature-tables/

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