Field Notes

Watercolour of a glass jar lined with damp paper towel, three bean seeds sprouting roots and first leaves against the glass
The bean in a jar, done properly
Everyone does this experiment. Most people do it badly, and the child learns that beans grow - which they already knew. Read more...
Watercolour of an open nature journal showing a painted oak leaf, with a pencil, an acorn and a dried oak leaf beside it
What to put in a nature journal — and what to leave out
Most nature journals die in the third week. Almost always because they asked for too much on day one. Read more...
Watercolour of the Nile valley — green floodplain, a sailing boat on the river, and pyramids on the desert edge beyond
Teaching Ancient Egypt to a five-year-old and a ten-year-old at the same time
The trick isn't finding material that suits both ages. It's finding one subject and giving each child a different job inside it. Read more...