Crafting and playing with nature is not just easy but it’s also absolutely free, so just gather conkers, leaves or flowers and create fantastic mandalas, bird feeders or other beautiful items inspired by the natural world.
In this handy guide, we’ll show you our best nature arts and crafts for children of all ages.
Make A Nature Boat
Wherever you live, there is always a river, lake or brook nearby. Gather a few sticks, some conkers and a few leaves to create a small boat made with natural materials.
Kids can use their imagination and creativity to make a leaf boat that they can float down the river.
Flower Pressing
Flower pressing is a favorite with many teachers because it is quick and easy to do. You just gather some flower petals or leaves with the kids.
Place the petals between two sheets and put them between two heavy books. This is a fantastic way to create an entire collection of different pressed flowers.
Plus, you can use them in a number of ways. Add them to a pretty greetings card or create a nature collage.
You can also create an entire book with pressed leaves and flowers divided into the four seasons. This can give a child a wonderful overview of the different flowers that grow from spring to winter.
Homemade Bird Feeder
There are a number of ways to teach children about birds and other wildlife, such as making their own bird feeder.
This attracts local garden birds. It doesn’t just offer birds a fantastic food source during the busy spring time but it also allows children to observe robins, blue tits and other feathery friends close up.
There are many different ways to make your own bird feeders with a wide range of bird food. As a rule of thumb, you just need some type of solid vegetable fat, such as lard, and bird seeds.
It’s also a great way to decorate your garden. You can even use different cookie cutters to vary the shape of your bird feeders.
If you want to use up apples, then you can just hang the fruit on a string and birds will peck away at them.
Alternatively, you can also fill an empty coconut shell half with the lard and bird seed mix. Put a hole in at the top and hang it on a tree branch for your small garden birds to feed on them.
Nature Mandala
Mandalas are a popular type of nature art. The term mandala comes from Sanskrit, meaning “circle”.
Children can use any type of natural material to create their own large or small mandala, including flowers, leaves, stones, pine needles, sticks or acorns.
Stick And Pine Cone Mobile
Sticks and small tree branches are fantastic building materials for almost any kind of nature craft with children.
You can use a few sticks and some pine cones or conkers to create an impressive nature mobile. If you love a bit of color, then your children can even paint the pine cones.
It’s a truly unique item that children can give as gifts or as a pretty window decoration.
Wax Leaf Garland
Whenever the leaves drop off the trees during fall, you can head outdoors and gather the many pretty colors for a varied garland.
Try to collect as many different colors that you can find. Then poke a small hole into each leaf and hang them all up on a string.
It’s a perfect garland for decorating your home in autumn or even celebrating your child’s birthday in a unique way.
Make A Miniature Garden
If you don’t have your own garden and you don’t have access to a patch of green, then you can make and tend to your own miniature garden at home.
Design your little mini garden with the different plants you like and then go out to find your materials. From sticks and stones to moss, you just need a container and some soil for the basis of the garden.
There are no limits as to what you can do with your little garden. You can even add small toys to bring the garden alive.
Carve A Pumpkin
Carving a pumpkin is a great fun activity for children of all ages. They can create their own spooky Halloween designs and allow their imagination to flourish.
Parents and teachers just need to supervise children carefully to ensure that they don’t hurt themselves with any carving tools.
Grow Your Own Plants
Whether your child loves bright yellow sunflowers or the uplifting smell of lemon balm, growing their own plants from seed can be a wonderfully rewarding experience for children.
Many herbs, such as rosemary or mint, are easy to grow on the windowsill. Plus, they have a fantastic aroma that is perfect for sensory input.
Flowers, like sunflowers or poppies, may need to grow in small pots first and should be planted out later. They are ideal for garden borders or your backyard.
Final Thoughts
Crafting and playing with nature are some of the best activities to encourage children to learn more about the environment they live in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can You Make With Nature?
From pressing flowers to making your own conker tree, you can make almost anything with fruit, leaves and small items that nature provides.
Why Is Nature Craft Important?
Nature provides all the materials that can stimulate a child’s senses, promote brain development and improve motor skills.
This is the reason why natural materials for craft activities with children is not just fun but also vital for their development.
How Can Children Connect With Nature?
There are many ways that children can get in touch with nature, from outdoor walks in the local park to growing their own plants at home.
They can also gather different materials, such as leaves or bark, to work on small craft projects.
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