It is always easier to task a child with play and imagination than it is to pursue life with a school mentality. So, when we were offered to review the Exploring Creation Field Trip Journal from Apologia Educational Ministries, I was thrilled! Why, because this means that I can help the children get a well rounded education without it ever seeming like it was real school work!
This is a wonderfully beautiful 8 ½ x 11 glossy covered spiral bound journal. There are so many fun pages laid out in this book! (As someone that loves digital art, this journal is so much fun!) The interior of the book is laid out like a scrapbook, which is indeed a new way to get the kids involved. It is colorful and has tons of area for little hands to draw, write, color, or add photos.
The journal is broken down with a table of contents.
- Preparing for a Field Trip: a wonderful step by step in preparation for going on a field trip
- Field Trip Ideas: 2 Full pages of field trip ideas (zoos, parks, aquariums, farms, and so much more!)
- Places I’ve Explored: Local, US, and World Maps and room to place the date and destination
- Specific Trip Pages how-to
- Field Trip Pages: FUN!! The Where, When, Picture or Drawing, Space for actual journaling
- Special Spot Pages how-to
- Special Spot Pages: One for each season with map making, note taking, and a picture
- As I See It Pages how-to
- As I See It Pages: these pages are for drawing, some with guided ideas, some blank for individual creativity
This book is just up my kids alley! The easy and child led drawing, writing, and picture taking makes this an item that each one of my kids would love to have for themselves. The book isn’t just a blank notebook, since it is full of pictures and ideas, it helps the kids to jumpstart their creativity and then gently guides them so they can get the info all laid out.
The parent (teacher) guide at the beginning is a fantastic help for me. I am not much of a field trip mama so the extra ideas were a much needed instructional and idea guide. All so, there is a huge amount of extras that you get from Apologia once you purchase this journal about field trips, but you need to buy the Exploring Creation Field Trip Journal to learn more.
How it Worked for Us
My two youngest, Ana (10) and Joseph (7) both really wanted to have their own journal but alas we were blessed with just one. So this book turned into a family field trip journal instead. Which actually worked out way better than I expected. (Sad, really….my kids fuss way to much sometimes…)
We travelled out to our new property a few times to do some work and that gave us an opportunity to use this journal. The children shared (smile) and each took some pictures of swimming creatures in the creek as well as some of the plant life.
Once we got back home, I printed one good picture from each one of them and then we used one of the Specific Trip Pages. Ana chose to use a picture of some crawdads she found and Joseph chose to use a picture of a salamander. Then Ana wrote a small bit about the crawdads and Joseph dictated to me about the salamander. I helped them draw a map of the area, crudely but actuate enough and then we talked about the time and what the date was for us to write down.
So, for just one trip, my kids (and I) accomplished this:
- a science lesson (crawdads and salamanders)
- a geography lesson (map making)
- time and date work
- God’s amazing creation
This Exploring Creation Field Trip Journal is so much more than just a memory keeper journal, it is a gateway to the detailed work of God and being able to show our children that by keeping their eyes open, they can always find the wonder of God through His magnificent creation.
We love this journal and are looking forward to filling it up with our many adventures as a family!
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I hope you enjoyed this review and I look forward to sharing with you about the next product we are reviewing.
In His Grace.