Materials

• Camera, phone camera etc.
• Printable suggestion lists: photo_search_idea
• Cardstock
• Scissors
• Pencil/ eraser
• Binder ring & hole punch (*Optional, if you wanted to link the cards together)

Directions

• Print your lists.  There are some with suggestions for a forest or beach setting and a blank one for you to personalize.

• Cut out your lists and add any items you might want to look for or hope to find.

• With an adult, go out on your nature walk, taking photos of the items on the list.

• Here’s an example below with the list item of 3 pinecones (including the iPhone photo).

• Our favourite forest finds:

• Transfer the concept to another natural setting such as the beach, looking for items on the list to photograph:

• Or use it with a trip to the aquarium, butterfly garden with Grandpa etc.

• When you return home, print some of your photos if you like or further research items that you have found (investigate the names of plants, where are certain trees found, why are nursing logs important? Etc.)

Purpose

• Using technology in ways that promote investigation, exploration etc.
• Getting out into nature
• Encouraging further research into various habitats and their components.

Safety Notes

• Go on a walk with an adult.
• Use scissors with care and supervision.
• Exercise caution when using devices around water.

Materials

• Shell with a hole
• Elastic beading cord
• Beads
• Scissors
• Soap & water (*Optional: to wash the shell)

Directions

• With an adult, look for a seashell or several that have a natural hole in them.  Wash your shell(s) with soap and water and allow to dry overnight.

• Lace your shell(s) and beads onto your cord, creating a necklace or bracelet, tying a knot at end and trimming off any excess.

• If you would like to further this project, find out what kinds of predators make these holes and the reason why.  We enjoyed learning about this during an aquarium visit.

• Enjoy your necklace as a reminder of your beach day!

Purpose

• Getting out into nature with a specific intent in mind
• Learning about food chains (prey, predators) and what techniques various creatures might use to obtain food
• Developing one’s fine motor skills- lacing, cutting etc.
• Possibility for pattering (for example, alternating various bead attributes such as size, colour, number in a sequence etc.)

Safety Notes

• Use scissors with care and adult supervision.
• Cord, yarn etc. can be a strangulation hazard, therefore be sure to use with direct supervision and for its intended purpose.  Be sure to remove your necklace during play (e.g., the playground) or use a safety magnetic release clasp for younger children, rather than tying a knot.
• Beads can be a choking hazard therefore be sure to keep them out of the reach of children ages 0-3 years of age or those that tend to put things into their mouths.

Materials

• Plastic bags, sheets, tubes etc.
• Acrylic paint (Experiment with a corner of the plastic with your paint type, we found that tempera paint flakes off)
• Brushes or other tools
• Craft tray

We always find a smock helpful too:

Directions

• Don your smock.  Place your items to paint in your tray.  First we decided to paint on a plastic sheet and used a piece of paper towel to move the paint, creating waves (as you can tell we are onto a beach-y theme this summer!) On the smaller items we used bushes.

• Allow to dry overnight.

• Our son then sketched out fish on watercolour paper, painted them, outlined them with permanent marker and a correction pen , cut them out and added them to the ocean, but the process of painting on plastic is just exciting on its own too!  Go with your child(ren)’s energy!

Here were a few of the smaller items (“My sister as a bird & a merman!”):

Purpose

• Re-purposing items
• Painting on various materials

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors with care and adult supervision, if you cut out items to add to your painting.

Check out the full project details in the link bellow (scroll down past the header!):

http://bkids.typepad.com/bookhoucraftprojects/2015/08/project-202-nature-inspired-flower-wristlets.html

Materials

• Craft tray
• Paint
• Brushes
• Paper

We always find a smock helpful too:

Directions

• Don your smock.

• Drip your paint into your tray and mix it around, enjoying the process.

• Apply your paper and if you like, rub over it.

• Carefully remove your paper and repeat with another sheet if you like, making multiple prints.

• Write your child’s name, the date and their age, frame it if you like and hang in their room or wouldn’t this be a great homemade gift for relatives?!

Purpose

• Exploring simple print techniques

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• We recommend that you use non-toxic, washable products.

Materials

• Paper or paper bags  (we decided to make gift bags with the shapes!)
• Paint
• Paint tray

We always find these items helpful too:

• Smock
• Craft tray

Directions

• Don your smock.  Dip your shapes into the paint and apply them to your paper or bag.  Our daughter enjoyed exploring overlapping the shapes, going off the edge of the bag etc.  It is a perfect time to discuss which shape is which and the characteristics of each as you work.  We used the “outline” end, but you could also use the solid end too! Enjoy exploring!

• If you like, fold a piece of cardstock in half and create a matching card.

• Allow to dry overnight.

• Write a personal message in your card, pop your gift into the bag and give it to a friend!

Purpose

• Re-imagining items
• Recognizing polygons and their attributes

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces.

Materials

• Building blocks (e.g., Keva Planks, Ikea Fundera blocks)
• Drill (to be used by an adult)
• Paint
• Old combs (you could also use popsicle sticks to create a similar effect, pulling them through the paint, turned sideways)
• Plastic sheet (we used an overhead sheet)
• Lace
• Beads
• Wood glue

We always find these items helpful too:

• Smock
• Craft tray

Directions

• Don your smock.  Lay out your plastic sheet in your craft tray and make lines of paint.  (This is one way to start to see the effects of the comb, however, then branch out to your own experimentations!)

• Pull the comb through the paint to combine the colours.

• We then took our blocks and put them into the paint, creating a print on them.

• Allow to dry overnight.

• Have an adult drill a hole in the planks on one end.  (These ones were made using a wide tooth comb.)

• To create the tags, write the recipient’s name over the dried paint with permanent marker and then thread ribbon or lace through the hole and affix it to your gift.

• Or create a necklace in the same manner and enjoy this statement piece!

Purpose

• Painting with various materials.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors with care and adult supervision.
• Cord, yarn etc. can be a strangulation hazard, therefore be sure to use with direct supervision and for its intended purpose.  Be sure to remove your necklace for play (e.g., the playground) or for younger children use a safety release clasp.
• Beads can be a choking hazard therefore be sure to keep them out of the reach of children ages 0-3 years of age or those that tend to put things into their mouths.
• A drill is intended for adult use, with the accompanying safety gear.