Ava's "Nachr Book"

My granddaughter is a born nature lover. She's had her own binoculars since she was about 3 years old. Now 6, she loves to take a camera with her on her nature walks.

The new house that her family moved to recently has a huge Magnolia tree, with low sprawling branches perfect for climbing. Ava declared this area her "Nature Center". 

Her dad downloaded Common Birds of Ohio Guide Book  for her from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. I filled a 3-ring binder with sleeves to house the loose pages, journal entries, and special objects (like feathers and leaves). 

Ava got our her art supplies and set out to design her cover.

I adore children's art, don't you? What is especially charming about this one is the way that she spelled "Nature". She is learning phonics in kindergarten, which explains the way she spells words. Makes sense to her, but sometimes I have to power up seldom used brain cells to decipher her words...she writes in a special 6-years-old phonetic code. 

What I love best about Ava's art is that she always puts a flower in her hair when she draws a picture of herself. In this picture, she has her binoculars, ready to observe the bird flying to a tree :)

Marcheta *grandma of a flower child