The Nature Table
A seasonal table in the classroom and home allows us to follow the natural cycle of the year. Changes in the natural world are reflected on our nature tables. As adults caring for this table we find that we become more observant about what is going on in the world around us. We find ourselves picking up fir cones, conkers, seed pods etc. to bring to the table.
Rather than being swept along by the passage of time, we become more aware of the world changing around us, of the natural rhythm of the year.
We note the first signs of spring (imbolc or candlemas) with the arrival of snowdrops; we reflect the summer solstice (or Saint John’s Day) with flowers and bees made from alder cones; at harvest time (Michaelmas or autumn equinox) we might include wheat and sunflowers; at midwinter icicles and a dark starry sky might appear and so the year goes on.
Young children do not grasp this in an intellectual way but they feel the seasonal changes as we bring the outside world inside. They can also gather materials for the table or, as they get older, they can make things such as felt flowers, alder cone bees or conker spiderwebs.
