What is a phenology wheel?
Let’s start with phenology: Phenology is the study of cycles in nature; such as climate, plant, and animal cycles.
A phenology wheel is a beautiful way to record our findings as we move through the year via illustrations, photographs, words, or a mixture.
Some kids want to know why studying cycles is important. Well, studying and recording these cycles can be very helpful to the scientific community. We are able to see if certain plant species are flowering earlier, or birds taking flight later as compared to the phenology records of the past. All of this information helps us better understand sudden ecosystem failures and events like global warming and Earth tilt (as the night sky changes are observed). If a flowering plant suddenly dies out and we have on record that the hummingbird left before or after its usual pollination window, we have reasonable answers for why this flower didn’t survive. If the trees in an area have historically kept their leaves through October, but now they are being observed holding leaves through mid-November, this could be problematic for the caterpillars and other bugs that use the leaves for shelter. Less moths could be problematic as you go up the food chain. The records provide essential clues.
Back to the wheel.
Download a blank Phenology Wheel for free!
These are a simple, fun way to add some nature observation and art to your homeschool. You only need to use it once a month to record your observations. Bonus – This is one of those projects that any age can participate in! Even if your toddler is just scribbling away!
These cycles you record can be general weather for the month, a specific tree you are watching, bugs, frogs, the types of birds you see…anything natural. Everyone in the family can choose what they want to record on their wheel! For younger kids, simply having them draw something they observed (without worrying about it being related to the previous month) is perfectly fine; it is sharpening those observation skills!
I’ve seen such beautiful wheels and nature journals – give google a quick search and be intimidated by the artists that have taken up this practice. Or be inspired, your choice.
Here and Here are some of my favorite inspirations. There are so many styles; half of the wheel on one side and half on the other so the notebook opens to a beautiful spread. Watercolor. Crayon. All Pencil. Colored pencils. There are no rules!
For observations, we like to go on a phenology walk through the same woods each month and record what sticks out to us. Is there a berry that has appeared? Bare trees? A new mushroom we hadn’t seen before? It is interesting to see the same trail change throughout the year.
Observing the tree in your front yard or birds at a bird feeder are also equally as useful information when creating your beautiful, scientific record. You can keep it as simple as looking out a specific window!
The inner circle of the phenology wheel can be used for whatever you want. Moon study? Family cycles; a birthday cake in march for someone’s birthday, video game controller in January because its super cold and that’s how time was spent? Maybe this is where a specific plant is studied? The possibilities are endless! We typically record our family or emotional rhythms in that circle. January? I’m drawing a cup of coffee on the inner circle because that is definitely something I have in January! Here are some examples from the kids: a bird and a snowman on one (with a TV in the personal space for February) and a tree and a snowman on the other (with a Nintendo switch and a heart for the personal spaces). It has been cold and they have had too much screen time…
You can draw your own wheel (or trace) into a nature journal if you would like to keep it there, or keep it separate.
I print ours onto sturdy 32lb paper (in case we decide to paint) and keep them separate from our journals. We plan to cut the circle out when we are finished and paste it into our journals. Since our journals are often packed in the car and we typically complete our phenology slices at home, it is simply easier (more accessible) to keep it separate.
Phenology wheels are a great way to introduce nature journaling, encourage the kids to be observant, and spark curiosity as they begin to make cyclical connections.
I hope you enjoy this practice as much as we do!
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