Many Nature Educators will be familiar with the term “Sit Spot” and possibly another term some use “Special Place.” While its the most common, I have never liked Sit Spot because it doesn’t sound special enough, so we decided to split the difference and use the term “Special Place.”
Your special place is a quiet place to visit in nature.
It should be accessible enough the you can visit it regularly- we try to get to ours at least once a week. It can be at your house, in your yard, in a nearby park or even a street tree that speaks to you. Regardless of where it is it should calm and relaxing. Don’t get too hung up on a grown up idea of what nature should look like if your child/ student wants to sit by a play structure or sidewalk and that works for them then go with it. They should be in charge of picking their spot and they should decide what’s important for their spot. (My kids always prioritize seating lol) You can also have more than one- we have one in our yard that is convenient and then one at a nearby park that is near a lake and in the woods and that is the one we try and get to weekly. If you live in a city and/or don’t have a yard don’t be afraid to notice the nature that around you. Weeds and vacant lots are no less natural!
There is something magical about coming back to the same place over and over- you start to notice things that you wouldn’t if you only visited every once in awhile. You notice the colors shift, you notice changes in the light and the sounds. It’s the perfect place to start recording your observations in a Special Spot Nature Journal- collecting data and drawing all of the treasure that you find. Not only can children/students practice mindfulness and “being” in nature, but they can practice all kinds of academic skills without even realizing they are doing it!
You can use any journal you like, or learn how to make one here
Find some prompts to get you started here