Creative Nature Crafts for Kids
by Christy Camburn
© 2003 Child Care Finders
Here are some creative arts and crafts ideas to do with young children ages 2 to 8. You can find most all of the supplies right in your own backyard or around the house!
 Apple & Pear Prints
Supplies: Apple & pear cut in half, paint and paper.
Directions: Use red paint to dip the apple, light green for the pear then have your child stamp prints of each on paper, cardboard, tile etc.
Leaf Bracelet or Rose Petal Bracelet
Supplies: Masking Tape and leaves or rose petals
Directions: Wrap a piece of masking tape backwards (Sticky side up) around your child's wrist, let them collect leaves or rose petals to stick to their bracelet.
Nature Collage
Supplies: Glue, paper plate or construction paper, leaves, flower petals, seeds, twigs, pebbles, sand.
Directions: Before you start this project, have your child go on a scavenger hunt for the items to use in the collage. Then have your child spread out glue over entire surface then arrange all of the nature items that they found right on top.
 Macaroni Necklace
Supplies: Macaroni that is tubular in shape, hand sanitizer (or rubbing alcohol), food coloring and yarn.
Directions: At least one hour before, color the macaroni by mixing in a bowl or ziplock bag.
1 cup of macaroni to three squirts of sanitizer, add three drops of food coloring then mix.
Spread out mixture on a wax paper covered cookie sheet, let dry.
Have kids string the noodles with yarn for necklaces.
Music Shakers
Supplies: 2 toilet paper tubes, beans, seeds, pasta or rice (uncooked), paper, tape, markers and stickers (Optional).
Directions: Fill the tubes with beans/seeds/pasta/rice then wrap with any kind of paper, like you would a gift by folding up or tying the ends closed. Let the kids use their imagination and decorate with markers, crayons, stickers or paint.
Glitter Rocks
Supplies: Small smooth egg sized rocks, Elmer's glue, and glitter
Directions: Have children roll a rock in glue then cover completely with glitter, let dry for 30 min. to 2 hours, depending on how thick the glue is, then add a top coat of Elmer's and let dry completely.
Stick Picture Frame and Magnet
Supplies: Four straight sticks of the same size, fridge magnet, photo, glue and paper plate.
Directions: Glue photo to paper plate place sticks around picture, glue down and let dry overnight. Cut around picture and frame. Attach magnet to the back.
Flower Wreath
Supplies: 10-20 flowers (dried or fresh), card board circle or paper plate, glue and ribbon.
Directions: Cut out center in cardboard or paper plate. Place a substantial amount of glue all over your card board/paper plate, place flowers all around let dry, tie a ribbon around the top and use to hang up.
 Pine Cone Bird Feeder
Supplies: 1 small pine cone, or you can substitute a small milk carton (cute) or juice box. You will also need peanut butter, bird seed and yarn.
Directions: Have children spoon the peanut butter onto the pine cone, then roll into the bird seed. Hang with yarn or wire.
Grass Mat
Supplies: Grass, dandelions, clovers, transparent contact paper and scissors.
Directions: Cut contact paper into two equal lengths, let children gather grass, clovers, dandelions or anything you would like. Remove the backing from one side of the contact paper, have children place there collection on the sticky side. Cover with the remaining piece of contact paper, press and cut to size. |
More Nature Craft Ideas for Kids:
 Daisy Chain
Supplies: Daisies with stems, small stick
Directions: Push the stick through the stem of the first daisy (or simply split the stem with your fingernail). You want to create a hole in the stem just large enough to thread another stem through it.
Take another daisy and thread its stem through the hole in the first daisy. Continue adding daisies until your daisy chain is the desired length. You can connect the ends to make daisy chain bracelets or necklaces.
Seashell Soap Dish
Supplies: Large seashell or clam shell, three or four smaller shells, all about same size and glue.
Directions:
The shiny inside "bowl" of the clam shell or large seashell will become your soap dish. The three or four smaller shells should be glued on the outside, to act as legs and prevent the dish from overturning. Experiment with the position of the shells until you have an arrangement that will balance your soap dish securely then glue the smaller seashells in place. Allow glue to dry completely before using.
 Seashell Wind Chimes
Supplies: Assorted seashells, twine, craft glue, twigs or craft sticks.
Directions: Arrange the sticks in a cross shape, and wind a small amount of twine around the center of the sticks to secure them together. Leave a circle of twine at the top to serve as a hanger.
Tie a length of twine to each end of the crossed sticks. Cut each piece of twine to the same length and glue a seashell to the end. Tie four more pieces of twine between the end of each stick and the center of the wind chime. Make these four strings about the same length as well.
Finally, add one more piece of twine from the center of the crossed sticks. The length of this piece can be shorter or longer than the rest. Add a large, pretty seashell to this string. Let the glue dry, then hang your wind chime where the seashells will tinkle together in a gentle breeze. |
