Product Description (Parent-facing | Digital Download)

Mystery Plants & Trees is a gentle, place-based Adventure Resource that invites children to slow down, look closely, and connect with the natural world through observation, drawing, and imagination.

Inspired by real bushland walks in Darwin, Northern Territory, this parent and family resource supports children as nature detectives — noticing shapes, textures, patterns, light, and living things in their local environment. Children are encouraged to draw what they notice, wonder aloud, and explore at their own pace.

This is not a worksheet-heavy program, and it is not a test of knowledge.There are no right answers, no expected outcomes, and no need to identify plant species correctly.

Instead, the resource offers a calm framework for:

careful looking
creative expression
repeated visits to familiar places
building a sense of belonging to local environments

Parents and carers are invited to act as companions rather than instructors. Pauses, unfinished pages, revisiting activities on another day, and following a child’s curiosity are all considered valuable parts of the process.

What’s included

A thoughtfully structured parent & family booklet
Gentle guidance pages for adults
Open-ended observation and drawing activities
A nature-inspired poem and illustration prompts
Optional watercolour extension activity
Example pages showing one possible way children might work
A printable Nature Detective Certificate
Extension ideas for continued exploration

Designed for

Ages 6–9 (flexible — suitable for younger or older children depending on interest)
Families, homeschoolers, and educators
Outdoor learning, nature walks, and quiet creative time

How it works

Activities can be completed:

during one longer walk
across several short outings
by returning to the same place multiple times

Children may choose to observe closely, draw simply, tell stories, or explore imaginatively. The resource supports repetition, variation, and deepening attention over time.

Watercolour extension (optional)

Children may choose one favourite plant or tree to explore further using watercolour pencils.A limited palette (two or three colours) is encouraged to help lines, shapes, and movement stand out.

Families who have previously used the Watercolour Critters resource may choose to follow the same familiar, gentle painting sequence, though this is not required.

File details

Digital download (ZIP file)
Printable PDF
For personal, family, and single-classroom educational use

Mystery Plants & Trees – Parent Adventure Resource

$12.00