We are tentatively planning a trip in July. Nobody should actually leave Vermont in July… but there’s nothing I can do about it. I hope it changes in future years. Plus, going to a southern beach the end of summer is risky (unless you want a fieldtrip to a hurricane).

I have been thinking about the Nature Log- Trip Journal I am going to have the children keep up while we are away. I have been searching different book and art stores to choose an appropriate book, times six.

Today I was considering what it will be like motivating my children to write in their journals everyday while on a busy, exciting trip. I also considered the time allowance I’d need to make each day, times six, with these journals.

Then I remembered I was supposed to be on a “vacation” of sorts, too. I don’t mind when lessons at home go overtime, but what would I do when they’re holding up the barbecue because I’m doing Nature Journals with the kids?

My dilemmas were possible motivation problems for a daily entry from 6 busy vacationers, plus the time constraint on ensuring follow through while also helping the youngers.

Basically, I really want this Trip Journal to happen for everyone, but not under those circumstances. Then, eureka! How about just ONE book that we can all enter into as we are inspired?  I know with the children’s discoveries and some of my own entries, plus anything my husband might add, there would be writing, researching and drawing from the children- while creating a souvenir from the trip we would all treasure.

I decided to forego buying a scrapbook and use a notebook approach, except our notebook will be a Family project.  I can let the children work independently, 3-hole punch their papers and save all their work in a binder until we get home: then bind it into a keepsake book. Once I started living with the idea, I began adding to it:

Use loose-leaf notebook paper, printer paper, penmanship paper for my youngers;

Watercolor paper, pieces of any colored craft paper, insert magnetic photo pages to display postcards, etc.  I can just pack up a nice craft box of supplies. There are soft-metal clasp clipboards for working in the 15-passenger between destinations.

We can prepare special autograph pages for family members to write on, and add it to our treasure of memories.

The children can make pages by printing with shells and paint, and using glue mixed with paint they can do sand art.

There are probably a number of things that can be done to enhance this project. I envision a chronological smorgasbord of nature pages, journal entries, photos, post-cards, autograph pages, etc.

What I like best about doing it this way is: it represents what the trip is about- all of us, enjoying and learning together, while we spend time with other family.

One thing I should note: some of my older children still want to add to their own nature logs, too. We decided to copy trip related entries for our Family book when we get home.