Phenology Wheel Template

So what’s a phenology wheel? Phenology is defined as the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant and animal life. Creating a wheel is a great way to visually record and view these cycles. You could create a phenology wheel for many things – phases of the moon, the night sky, a vegetable garden, or even a single object like a tree. I’ve included a couple of blank wheels that you can customize if you want to record a different cycle.

For this phenology wheel, your child will record what happens over the course of a year. There are a number of ways to do this. One way is to go to the same “special spot” at the beginning of each month and draw what he/she notices from that vantage point. This would be recorded in the middle ring. Then, choose what he/she most likes about this month and draw a picture or symbol to record it in the center section. This could be anything from foods enjoyed (apples in October!) or special events or celebrations (a birthday cake in his/her birthday month or happy daffodils in April). There are really no rules – use this as a visual recording of the year and how that looks wherever you are. I love the idea of creating a phenology wheel each year and compiling them together for a memory book!