A Year of Nature Journaling Prompts

Daily Nature Journaling Prompts

Let's celebrate nature and put in some “pencil miles”!* Each day this year, create a page in your nature journal based on that day’s prompt. Scroll down for links to more resources for this month’s prompts.

BONUS: Join this month’s host, nature journaler Maria Coryell-Martin for a FREE recorded class: Sketching Winter Landscapes

We can’t wait to see your work! Share it with us by tagging us @wildwonderfoundation using #naturejournalingdecember and we’ll share with the community! Tag a friend in your post to invite them to join in the fun!

PS: Looking for prompts from a prior month? Pop to the ARCHIVE at the bottom of this page!

* “Drawing is not a gift—it is a skill. You can learn to draw. You just have to put in the pencil miles.”

—John Muir Laws

Nature Journaling December Prompts

Some of the prompts below link to additional free resources and/or tutorials. Special thanks to this month’s host teacher Maria Coryell-Martin!

Assemble your art kit: Put together an art kit and commit to carrying it with you for the duration of this month.

Sketch your tools! This can be a fun way to experiment with and get to know your materials and can be a fun addition to your sketchbook.
Create your Palette of Place: Brave the elements to quickly explore colors, climate, and your experiences.
Climb the tallest thing around and sketch the view. This could be a hill, a building, or a playground structure at your local park. What do you notice from the height? What’s different from ground level?
Sketching Winter Landscapes: Free recorded class! Register here.
Moon journal: Sketch the full moon, and add metallic details for fun!
Immerse yourself in the elements: Close your eyes and focus on your senses for 60 seconds. What do you notice? What do you feel, hear, smell, sense? Return to shelter and add notes to your sketchbook.
Nature discovery walk 10-min sketching challenge: Take a walk, pause, and contour sketch five objects. Spend one minute drawing each object, one minute adding notes.
Night walk: Visit a familiar place outside, but in the dark. What do you notice?
Sunrise/sunset observations: Sketch and note your observations watching the sunrise or sunset.
Sketch with natural objects. On a walk, collect three different objects from the ground. Dip them in ink and explore what marks you can make in your journal. Add notes! Maria note: Jenny Jing Zhang also sketched in our live demo with a reed stick she found on an Edmonds beach.
Weather watching: Find a cozy spot to observe and document changes in weather for 15 minutes.
Zoom in, zoom out. Choose one natural object and sketch it at three different scales: life size, magnified, and zoomed out in the environment.
Follow the water: Trace and sketch water flowing. This could could be a stream, rain from your gutters, or even a storm drain.
Urban wildlife detective: Document evidence of animal activity in your neighborhood. Can you spot any tracks, nests, or signs of feeding?
Plant portrait series: Find three different specimens of the same type of plant (e.g., leaves, flowers) and document their variations in your journal.
Sky journal: On a cloudy day, spend 20 minutes make 4 thumbnails, sketch every 5 minutes. What colors do you see? Where is the wind coming from? Can you identify any clouds? What is the temperature?
Micro landscape: Find a small patch of ground (one square foot) and create a detailed map of everything within it.
Morning dew study: Wake up early to sketch water droplets on plants and spider webs.
Explore movement! Sketch something that moves in multiple positions, from flocks of birds to your neighborhood cat.
Shadow shapes: Track and sketch the changing shadows of one object throughout the day.
Winter solstice observation: Track and sketch shadows at different times on the shortest day of the year.
Nature Spots: Find a place to sit, and paint spots of colors you see.
Evergreen study: Study and sketch three different types of evergreens. What colors do you see? What do you notice about the trees?
Dormant tree silhouettes: Practice capturing the unique branching patterns of bare trees.
Winter habitat hunt: Document where small animals find shelter in winter. Look for tracks in snow or mud, notice nests and burrows, observe signs of wildlife activity.
Frost patterns: Document the intricate designs frost created on windows, leaves, or other surfaces.
Vary your viewfinder: Sketch 3-4 landscapes using a single photo (or view through your window) for reference, cropped to different dimensions.
Monochromatic thumbnails: Find a spot and sketch four separate thumbnail sketches, adding simple darks with monochromatic paint.
Paint snow and ice and ice! Practice seeing subtle colors in the “white” and defining shapes with shadow colors.
Go for a walk (or a drive!). Make a simple line drawing, mapping your route and any favorite landmarks.
Freshen up your palette: Take time on a cozy day to tidy up and reset your supplies.