Are nature tables not "a thing" any more then?

[MrsWinnibago]

Following on from a discussion on another thread and something I said to my DD today, I'd like to know if nature tables still exist?

My DD is in year 2 and today on the way to school, she picked up a nice feather...at the school gate she asked me to take it home for her and I said "Can't you take it in and put it on the nature table?" and she said "No...we don't have one...we had one in reception."

What's with that then? 6 year olds still like picking up cones and dead mice and things and sharing them Should I be disappointed or isn't it important?

I think I'd better start our own actually!

Well, DS has one at LovelyPrep. He is in reception though so don't know if they have them higher up.

My mum was a teacher and had the best nature tables.

God, my year 2 teacher was a farmer's wife, she used to bring actual lambs into school, they removed our class carpet and replaced it with bales of hay to make a pen for the bloody sheep!

DD never took anything in like that in year 2, although I do remember her reception teacher saying she was the recipient of hundreds of loving gifts of dead spiders, leaves, twigs, snails, earwigs etc :o

6 and 7 is so young and DD loves nature. But it's by the by if the teacher has chosen not to have one isn't it...I can't very well march in and demand "And WHERE is the children's nature table!!???"

I am definitely going to make us one though! V excited now that's occurred to me!

I have an autumn discovery table in my class at the moment

We don't have a nature table in our class - y2. We have a topic area with a table for topic related stuff but don't have room for another one. Our classroom just isnt big enough.

Children do bring things in like conkers, interesting leaves etc and we will do a little bit of informal showing at register time or snack time.

I does also depend in the space in a classroom. We haven't got spare space for topic related table top displays, let alone another as a "nature table".
I know some reception classes that have them, but I've not seen them in any of the schools I visit above that age.

Just asked DD who's in year 2 if she has a nature table, she said they have a bowl that they put their forest schools finds in (love forest school). To be fair their classroom is pretty small I doubt they'd have space for a whole nature table.

My DCs haven't had one for years, I think that the national curriculum and the pressure on schools has meant that there is no time for anything other than what is on the planning :(

Like mrz, we might have a table like that for some of the time, connected with a relevant topic in science or cross curricular. But not all the time. Mine is currently covered with Tudor replica artefacts, for example.

I use cupboard and trolley tops for display

Oh yes, I don't have a 'table' as such, no space - but use the tops of bookcases, shelves etc for similar purposes.

Depends on the space in the room and what it's being used for. I would have an "interest/discovery table" but it would change depending on topic -so not always nature based. However if a child bought in an interesting feather then I'd always find a space for it and be happy to chat with them/the class about it. Depending on time I might give them the job of finding out the bird and making a sign to go with it. I was always getting feathers and flowers brought into class.

do you mean 'an interesting table'?

Noooo and "interesting table" would be full of nice rubbers and sequinned hairslides surely?

Nature tables will probably be making a come back. New Science curriculum states that KS1 children should study seasons, weather and plant life throughout the year, rather than in a block of teaching, so it makes sense to have one. Mine have an Autumn collection going on.

Ours is often a cupboard top too...topic is currently Explorers and Adventurers so the top is currently covered with relevant items for that topic, as is the wall above it - children's work on the topic, from home learning.

Make your own nature table at home?