“Does {child_name} notice and talk about the natural world — animals, plants, weather, the seasons?”
Follow-up: “Has {he_she} started understanding why things change — leaves falling in autumn, water freezing in winter?”
Not yet
Doesn't notice or comment on natural surroundings
Emerging
Names familiar plants and animals; notices weather
Developing
Observes and asks about plants, animals, weather changes; describes seasons
Secure
Observes the natural world in detail; explains seasons, changing states (water/ice), similarities and differences across environments
Garden walks with no agenda — letting {him_her} pick up sticks, study slugs, notice clouds — does more than any nature documentary.