Nature was our special guest at storytime today. The sun was warm and the air was breezy, so we had an outdoor storytime under the apple trees. We talked about how nature is an artist, and we looked around us at all the art projects nature completed this spring. From cotton ball clouds to the tiny, hand-painted blossoms on the trees, nature’s art was on full display.
Picture Books That Inspire Nature Art Projects
- Nature is an Artist by Jennifer Lavallee and Natalia Colombo
- Anywhere Artist by Nikki Slade Robinson
- Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds
We read about nature and the art it creates, and the children were inspired to make fingerprint bumblebees, sandcastle sculptures, and rainbow-colored jars (1)! They imagined making patterns out of puddles and animals out of sticks and leaves (2).
We read a story about sky color, and I asked the group, “What would you do, if you didn’t have blue (3)?” One said, “sky color can be orange like a sunrise or pink like a sunset.” Another said, “sky color can be black like night or gray like rain.” A third said, “all the colors of the rainbow.” They were all correct.
Nature-Inspired Patterns for Kids
I told them here, at Orchard & Hive, we love to create nature-inspired artwork. We create patterns with snails, flowers, bumblebees, and apples, just to name a few! Nature makes patterns, too! Spirals, fractals, waves, stripes, and spots. I showed them how we turn stepping stones into a pattern filled with polka dots!
Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt
The children couldn’t wait to make their own nature-inspired art! So, we put the books away and set out on a wander to see what we could find. We searched for twigs, rocks, wildflowers, and tiny green clover. We took only what we needed and still our arms were full and bursting with nature’s art supplies. By the time we returned, there were tables set out in the orchard, waiting with a few craft materials, ready for us to create!
DIY Nature Crafts & Art Projects for Kids
The children chose their own art projects. One decided on a collage of all the things she had found. Another painted a rock, a little keepsake from our storytime.
One child said no, he wasn’t an artist. He wasn’t good at painting or paper crafts or drawing. And he didn’t know what to make. A friend said, “Maybe you just don’t think you’re an artist because you haven’t created art, yet.”
So, they worked together to paint and decorate sticks and leaves. Then, they hung the leaves from the branches, making a painted tree mobile. There were so many amazing ideas! Here are a few, in case you’d like to make nature art, too!
- Found Objects Nature Collage – Collect objects from your nature walk and make a collage.
- Sidewalk Chalk – Use sidewalk chalk to create art.
- Photo Scavenger Hunt – Go on a nature scavenger hunt and take pictures of the objects you find.
- Paint a rock – Find a rock and paint it. Paint a design, a friendly face, or mix paints to make new colors!
- Twig String Art – Gather some twigs and colorful string to make a design of your choice!
- Clay leaf prints – Use moldable clay to make impressions of leaves. This is a great project for learning about fossils!
- Pressed flowers – Pick a few of your favorite blossoms from your garden and press them. Extend this activity: Once the pressed flowers have dried, use them to make a picture or a collage!
Outdoor Learning & Inspiration
Art made from nature teaches children that beauty is everywhere, and that creativity doesn’t need a classroom. It needs curiosity. A stone becomes a storyteller. A feather becomes a paint brush. A puddle becomes a palette.
So next time you’re outside, pause. Look down. The forest is waiting.
Until next time, happy reading!
Granny Smith
Have you created a nature art project? Leave a comment below or share your art with @orchardandhiveco! We can’t wait to see what you create!
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