Fun Nature Crafts for Preschoolers: Great for Spring, Summer and Fall
Pine Cone Potpourri
Mix equal parts water and glue together to make a sticky liquid, and prepare bowls with several sweet smelling spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or ground cloves. Instruct your child to use a paintbrush to coat a pine cone with the liquid glue, and then to roll the pine cone in one or several of the spice bowls. Allow the pine cones plenty of time to dry, and display them in the bathroom in a nice dish as potpourri!
Rockin’ Animals
Help your child find several large, smooth rocks. Let your child use non-toxic paint and other art supplies (e.g., googly eyes, feathers) to make the rock into the animal of your child’s choice! Better than a pet rock, this craft can double as a unique paperweight.
Nature Bracelet
On a nature walk, gather some very small natural objects, such as pieces of leaves, tiny pebbles, and pieces of bark. Place a length of masking tape, sticky side out, around your child’s wrist. Your child can stick the tiny objects to the masking tape to create a nature bracelet! Some children may wish to coat the remaining sticky surface in dirt to give their bracelet a brown background.
Leaf People
Did you know that different leaves can have different personalities? If your child has collected some favorite leaves, you can use them as the bodies or heads of leaf people. Glue them to a sheet of construction paper, and have your child draw the rest of the leaf person. You may wish to provide additional art supplies, such as pipe cleaners for arms and legs, googly eyes and buttons for facial features, and scraps of material for clothing.
Leaf Prints
Another great way to memorialize leaves is to create a leaf print. Put a piece of colored construction paper on the ground, and place the leaves in a pattern on top of the paper. Place small rocks on top of the leaves to weigh them down, and leave them in a sunny area for a few hours. When you remove the leaves from the paper, leaf prints will be left behind. Hang their creation on your refrigerator and refer to it often.
Now that you have read some great nature craft ideas for kids, get to it! Have fun on a nature walk and use your finds to make beautiful creations. Nothing is better then the great outdoors and the natural curiosity of children.
See this article for additional nature games and activities.
