The Nature Table

Posted by Lia Grippo

Creating a nature table in your home can become a source of beauty, reverence, awe for the whole family.  A nature table helps us to maintain connections with the greater natural world within our homes. Items gathered while wandering and exploring become touchstones for memories of our adventures, they deepen our awareness of the rhythms of life in the natural world, and offer enrichment for our children’s play and sensory experiences within the home.

Setting the Table
Find a small table, shelf, or other space at child’s eye level
This can even be a box turned upside down and covered with cloth
A large space isn’t necessary (less is more).  
In fact a smaller space will be easier to tend.
Choose a spot where the family can see it, where it can become a source of rest for the eyes and the heart.

Simplicity is Key
Cover the nature table with a beautiful cloth
A scarf, table cloth, piece of clothing, pillow case or sheet, etc.
Feel free to use more than one cloth to add richness.

Make it Beautiful
Your loving tending will signal to your children that this is a special place.
Place found “treasures” from walks in nature, in the neighborhood, or around the home on your nature table.

Keep it Fresh
Add cut flowers, branches of blooming trees, etc. to the table. (items that will require intermittent tending keep the space fresh and engaging)
You and/or your children can make small items to add to it
For example, your child might make a grass nest and fill it with items that remind them of eggs
Your child might want to add a drawing of a beloved, bird, animal, or plant.
Feel free to add a small animal toy or two if you wish
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Let the Imagination be the Guide

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