nature walk wheel

The Nature Wheel is a prompt for children to connect with the natural world around them through colour and trees. It builds familiarity with local flora and fauna, fostering a deeper connection to the child’s slice of nature within the larger natural world. Children are motivated to go on nature walks with their wheel to find the colours that this moment in the seasons offers. It gives children an opportunity to be present and observe as early naturalists would have done. 

design considerations

Children enjoy using items they have made themselves or with those they love, which is why we designed the colour wheel to be finished and assembled by you and the child/children. By creating separate colour wheel pieces we invite children of all ages and skill levels to paint each section before assembling the primary and secondary colours in position on the wheel. 

Laser cut birch plywood is durable for outdoor use. It provides a solid surface to pin nature items to them as needed. 

The board has been designed to fit the opening of a standard sized clothespin making it easy to replace them as needed. 

By using common items such as the child’s own paint set and glue, it empowers the child to craft their own learning materials using what’s available to them in their environment.

Sustainably designed + made in Toronto, Canada.

 

assembly

paint + glue
Pull the 6 colour wheel pieces off the base, discarding the temporary double sided adhesive. 

Prepare your red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple paints. The colour wheel pieces can be painted with water colour or acrylic paints. After the paint has dried you may choose to finish the pieces with a non-toxic wax or oil to increase colour steadfastness, but the patina from worn colours is also a welcomed sign of a much loved nature wheel. Wood glue is recommended for adhering the colours to the wheel, but craft glue will also work. You can start with red in the top-right section and work your way around the wheel, using the dividing lines on the back side for guidance 

After all paints, finishes, and glue have dried, we suggest storing it on an open shelf for easy access by all children.

Introducing the wheel

Young children use the colour wheel to associate the colour with its name.

Sit somewhere comfortable with the child. Point to a colour and say the name.“This is red”.

Ask the child to find the colour. “Where is red?” If they are able, ask the child to repeat after you. “Can you say red?” 

Repeat for other colours for as long as the child shows interest. Keep lessons short and fun, letting the child guide the length. 

For children beyond the toddler stage, be sure to introduce the wheel by name. You might say “This is a nature walk wheel. Where should we take it? What do you think we’ll find that is blue?”

The wheel can be used as an aid in learning primary and secondary colours.

On the back side of the wheel are the genera of native trees. Your child might be interested in finding one leaf of each genus, or multiple species of the same genus. 

activities + extensions
a spring board for exploration

Whether it’s quiet observation, or an energetic hunt for colours through the woods, your wheel can encourage conversations about plant life cycles, anatomy of plants, biological classification (family, genus, species), native vs. non-native or invasive, animal and human food sources, migration, and so much more.

 

Bueno Market aims to provide aesthetically beautiful educational materials inspired by Montessori principles. Our products are designed with a soothing colour palette and use natural materials to effortlessly fit into your space. 

Every detail of the products is considered to support learning. The minimalistic aesthetics are chosen purposefully to reduce distractions and help children focus on the tasks at hand.