I use nature tables as teaching tools. They are spiritual for us as well, but for the purposes of this forum, I'll forego the spiritual aspect and focus on the educational.
We made our Spring table the other week. We tend to do our tables before the actual change of the season...when first it appears that the seasons are changing...or when our minds turn to it, that's when we change the table.
There are several things that I feel our nature table is good for introducing. Symbolism is one...that one thing can represent another. For instance, our nature table has different rocks on it - one rather phallic and one rather vulvic (?Is that a word??? LOL). Eli knows that these represent men and women. They also represent my husband and myself. We have smaller rocks to represent the children.
We also have a wooden cup that during the winter was filled with seeds from a Magnolia tree. Eli thought that the cup could hold the seeds like the Earth holds the seeds through the winter. For the Spring table, he knocked the cup over (on purpose) to show nature "letting go of her babies" allowing them to grow. He said that he was like the seeds and I was like the cup because every day I had to let go of him a little more, but that he'd never go very far away.
We have several bird's nests that stay on the table year around, but that we change to represent the season. Through the winter they were empty, but we added a few peach pits and apple seeds to them to symbolize eggs. Eli calls fruit seeds "vegetable eggs".
We also took an old rusty wok and planted iris bulbs. Eli put a few candles into the dirt to represent the sun's warmth returning, helping the flowers to grow. Every day we water and care for the irises. They are coming up very strong and healthy.
As we were finishing up our work, Eli decided it was time to sing a song since, "this is a time for singing" and came up with a lovely song on the spot.

Now the spring is coming.
Now the fall is gone.
Now the flowers are popping.
And everywhere are sunny days.
Oranges are growing.
And we light candles to help Spring flowers grow.
The spring is springing.
Spring is Spring.
Spring is good.
I like the Spring.

I copied the words down on nice paper with a fancy pen and we have it displayed on the table. Eli and Schuyler drew several pictures of Spring and we displayed those as well.

So, if you don't have a nature table, I feel there is a lot of value in having one. There are many lessons to be learned and opportunities for creativity on many levels. We enjoy ours very much. I know it is one of the most meaningful learning experiences my children and I have. And since we use only things we have or are found in nature, it's really cheap.

It sounds so inspiring, Jenn - can we see a picture please?

I really enjoyed reading that!
:)
Tara

Originally posted by JennyC
He said that he was like the seeds and I was like the cup because every day I had to let go of him a little more, but that he'd never go very far away.

:wah:
Our babies are growing up!

I loved reading about your nature table. I want to see it when we come down there this summer. ;)

:thumbsup:

Wow, I always wondered what the nature table was for. Sounds so much like a child's altar! Very inspiring, thank you.