Start a Nature Journal, which your grandchild can use to record what they see in Nature through the year. An exercise book is fine, but a spiral bound book which will lie flat is even better. A lined page will help keep writing horizontal and even, but detracts slightly from drawings. Take your pick. If you go for lines then faint ones are best.
It is best if entries in the journal start with a date, so that you can look back with the child to see what happened at different times through the year. When did it snow? When did the first snowdrops appear? When was the first sign of birds nesting? When did you see a rainbow? Did you spot something interesting on a trip out? Be sure to mention where you went.
Drawings should be encouraged. These can be done on location (tricky unless you can set up a table), or items can be brought indoors to be drawn, or you could take a photograph and they could be drawn from that. You could also print out a photograph and stick that in, but this takes away some of the fun and individuality. Other things could be stuck in the book, though - leaves and petals, for example. Creatures are best avoided for this purpose!
Ideas for making and using a Nature Journal can be found at this useful site. It is good to personalise the cover of the book. For example it could be covered in paper in time-honoured fashion and the sleeve can then be decorated with drawings or prints. Look for ideas in the Art and craft section.
Adding items to the Nature Journal is a good rainy day activity, and you can be sure that children will get a lot of pleasure out of looking back through their book when they are older.
