cover then cover both front and back with clear contact paper. this will help keep the book in better condition when you get it outdoors and into some “natural” situations.
what to put in the nature notebook? start by taking a little walk around the yard. ask the child to simply look for something they find unusual or interesting. then, date the first page and ask them to draw it in their notebook. you can use carbon pencils, colored pencils or both. later, as everyone becomes more comfortable with the notebooks, you can look up the item in a field guide and perhaps label the parts or write a little bit 