Nature As Healer!

Even while I am on vacation, I still find myself thinking like an educator. Every place we visit holds a story, and I want to share ways teachers can bring some of those stories back to their students.

While visiting the Anne Frank House, I kept thinking about the chestnut tree Anne could see from the attic window.

During more than two years of hiding, Anne often looked outside at the tree, the sky, and the birds. In a life filled with fear and confinement, nature gave her a glimpse of freedom, beauty, and hope. The tree reminded her that a world still existed beyond those walls—a world hatred could not completely take away.

Anne wrote about how nature helped her feel less alone and less afraid. Her words remind us that nature is more than a beautiful backdrop. It can be a refuge, a source of courage, and a quiet reminder that life continues—even during the darkest moments.

The original chestnut tree fell in 2010, but saplings grown from it now live in places around the world. In that way, Anne’s tree continues to grow, carrying her story and reminding each of us to notice beauty, protect hope, speak out against hatred, and never forget what can happen when evil is allowed to prevail.

More than 80 years later, we still need Anne’s courage. We still need her hope. And perhaps we still need the reminder she found outside that attic window: even in darkness, keep looking toward the light.

Inspired by Anne’s connection to the natural world, I created 30 nature prompts for our educators to use with their students. These prompts can open the door to observation, writing, art, reflection, history, and meaningful conversations about hope, freedom, courage, prejudice, and our responsibility to stand up for others.

The official Anne Frank House also offers online and 3D experiences that allow students to explore the Secret Annex and learn more about Anne’s life from anywhere:
https://www.annefrank.org/en/museum/web-and-digital/

Request an online guided school visit

• 30 Nature Prompts Inspired by Anne Frank’s Chestnut Tree
• Look through a window. What part of nature catches your attention first? Why?
• If you looked at the same tree every day, what changes would you begin to notice?
• Draw or describe a tree that makes you feel peaceful.
• What do you think Anne may have felt when she looked at the chestnut tree?
• Find something in nature that reminds you to have hope. Explain your choice.
• Write a journal entry about the sky as if you could see it only through one window.
• How can watching birds help someone feel connected to the world beyond a room?
• Choose one natural object—a leaf, stone, flower, feather, or seed. What message might it carry?
• Write a letter to Anne telling her about a tree or natural place that is important to you.
• Imagine that Anne’s chestnut tree could speak. What might it have said to her?
• Describe a time when being outside helped you feel calmer or happier.
• What can a tree teach us about standing strong during difficult times?
• Observe one tree for five minutes. Record everything you see, hear, and wonder.
• Draw the view from your favorite window. Include every part of nature you can see.
• Complete this sentence: “When I spend time in nature, I feel…”
• How does the natural world remind us that life continues?
• Write a poem titled “Outside the Window.”
• Imagine receiving a sapling from Anne’s chestnut tree. Where would you plant it, and why?
• Design a small garden that could give people hope during difficult times.
• Find an example of nature growing in an unexpected place. What does it teach you about perseverance?
• Compare a tree in winter with the same tree in spring. How might its changes represent hope?
• Write about a bird flying past Anne’s window. Where might it have been going, and what might Anne have imagined?
• Choose a color from nature that represents courage. Explain your choice.
• Create a nature symbol for freedom. It could be a plant, animal, weather pattern, or landscape.
• What is something beautiful in nature that people often overlook?
• Sit quietly outdoors for three minutes. What sounds make you feel connected to the world?
• Write a message of hope that could be placed beside a tree for someone else to discover.
• Anne’s tree lives on through saplings planted around the world. How can one small living thing carry a much larger story?
• What can we do to make sure stories like Anne’s continue to be remembered?
• Finish this thought: “Even in darkness, nature reminds us…”