Nature Journaling Prompts

I’ve been keeping a nature journal for years, and it’s easily one of the most grounding creative habits I’ve picked up. Whether I’m sketching a bird mid-hop or writing a quick thought about a windswept coastline, I find that using nature journaling prompts helps me slow down and notice more. And if you’re new to nature journaling or just want fresh inspiration, this post is for you.

Nature journaling doesn’t need to be pretty or polished. Mine often has smeared ink, pages wrinkled from damp leaves, and sketches of animals that definitely moved halfway through. But that’s the point—it’s alive. It reflects being outside, paying attention, and recording what matters to you.

If you're just getting started, check out my nature journaling basics guide or dive into this what is nature journaling overview. Both will give you a solid foundation before jumping into prompts.

Key Points

• Choose prompts that suit the mood and environment—don't force deep reflection on a loud beach day.
• Revisit the same location with different prompts to build layers of observation over time.
• Let your drawings lead the writing—especially helpful if you’re visually minded like me.

Nature Journaling Prompts for Deeper Observation

I return to these nature journaling prompts often when I feel stuck, distracted, or want to reconnect with my surroundings. They aren’t just for beginners—these are the same questions and ideas I use in my own field journals as a wildlife artist.

Seasonal Prompts

Notice how the environment shifts across seasons. This is one of the easiest ways to train your eye and document change.

When I revisit the same trail or patch of coastline every few weeks, I like to ask myself:

• What signs of the current season can I find?
• Which animals are active today that weren’t last month?
• What’s blooming, dying, or changing colors?
• What’s different here than the last time I visited?
• What seasonal event do I expect to happen soon, and what are the early signs?

Answering these helps me become familiar with the rhythm of a place, which in turn sharpens my drawing and storytelling.

Sensory Prompts

When drawing feels hard or rushed, I lean into sensory observations. They help me stay in the moment.

Sometimes I just sit and listen, or run my hands across the ground before making a mark on the page. Here are a few go-to prompts:

• What can I smell right now?
• Which textures are around me? (Try sketching a few)
• How would I describe the air today—dry, heavy, salty?
• What sounds are furthest away? Closest?
• What temperature changes do I notice on my skin?

This sensory stuff is what brings my journal pages to life. Even a rough sketch becomes vivid when I write that the tree bark felt like sun-warmed stone.

Animal-Focused Prompts

As a wildlife artist, this is my favorite section. I use these when I’m tracking animals with my sketchbook.

I carry binoculars and use fast, scribbly sketches to track animal movement. These prompts help me go deeper:

• What behavior is this animal showing? (e.g., foraging, grooming, calling)
• How does it move? Try capturing one movement in three tiny sketches.
• What animal signs can I find? (tracks, scat, feathers, chewed leaves)
• How does the animal interact with its surroundings?
• What might this animal be sensing that I’m not?

Sometimes I don’t see the animal at all—I just find traces. But those traces tell a story, and that’s something I’ve learned to value more over time. You can explore more nature journaling animals and field sketches in my post here.

Weather & Sky Prompts

I used to skip the sky. Now it’s often the first thing I draw. It frames the entire mood of a journal entry.

Even if I’m focused on a plant or animal, I take a moment to glance up and consider:

• What direction is the wind coming from?
• How would I paint this cloud color with watercolors?
• What bird calls am I hearing overhead?
• Are there any weather fronts moving in?
• How does the light shift over the landscape as I sit here?

I’ve noticed that sketching the sky first helps me settle in. It’s like setting the stage before introducing the actors. If you're into painting, I recommend checking out my watercolor nature journaling guide too.

Quick Prompts for Busy Days

Sometimes you only have five minutes. These are easy prompts that still get your creativity flowing.

When I’m traveling or juggling a lot, I still want to journal. I’ll do one of these:

• Draw the first leaf you see and label its parts
• Write one sentence that captures the whole moment
• Zoom in on a tiny subject (bug, moss, rock pattern) and sketch it large
• Record one question that popped into your head about the landscape
• Draw the shadow of something instead of the object itself

These five-minute pages often surprise me later. They hold a clarity that sometimes gets lost in more complicated spreads.

How I Use Prompts on a Real Nature Journaling Adventure

Last month I was hiking in eastern San Diego, sketchbook in my back pocket, when I spotted a kestrel hovering over a field. I sat down immediately. My prompt was simple: “Sketch the bird in three positions.” It turned into a whole page spread of tiny flying forms. I added notes about the wind direction, the type of field it was hunting in, and a quick sketch of the field mice I found nearby.

That's how prompts work best for me. They're not rigid tasks. They're starting points for observation. I often bring a folded slip of paper with a few prompts written down, tucked inside my nature journaling bag.

Sometimes I don't even pull out a prompt right away. I just sit and look around. Then if I start to lose focus or get the urge to check my phone, that's when I reach for the prompt list.

If you're interested in planning more immersive days like that, I've written about creative nature journaling excursions that go beyond the backyard.

Nature Journaling Prompts for Different Audiences

For Adults

If you’re journaling as an adult, you might want deeper or more meditative prompts. These work well alone or during group workshops.

I like these when I’m in a more reflective mood, maybe after a long hike or camping trip:

• What parallels can I draw between this plant's growth and a season in my life?
• What parts of nature do I usually ignore? Why?
• What’s one thing I’m curious about here that I’ve never researched?
• What natural element here feels most familiar to me, and why?
• What do I feel drawn to, even if I don’t understand it?

I wrote a full post just for nature journaling for adults if you want to explore this further.

For Teaching Students or Group Sessions

If you're leading a group, prompts that spark engagement are gold. I've shared a guide on how to teach nature journaling, but here are a few go-to ideas:

These work especially well for kids, workshops, or journaling clubs:

• “Find something smaller than your thumb. Draw it.”
• “Write down three questions about something you see.”
• “Make a sound map—mark where you hear different sounds around you.”
• “Find a color in nature and list everything nearby that matches it.”
• “Draw the shape of a cloud and turn it into something imaginative.”

These are great starting points for journaling activities and nature journaling workshops.

Building a Prompt Practice Over Time

Nature journaling prompts work best when they become part of your regular flow. I rotate through favorites seasonally and keep track of which ones lead to the richest pages. Over time, you’ll build your own list.

Some prompts will feel flat. That’s normal. Others will unlock a flood of observation. I try to notice which ones actually get me to draw more, notice more, or stay outside longer.

If you're not sure where to begin, browse this page of nature journaling ideas or download my Field Guide to Nature Journaling. They’re packed with inspiration.

I’ve also gathered some of my favorite nature journaling supplies if you’re still getting your kit together.