Using Natural Materials in Play
Looking for some activities for February half term? Why not head outdoors with the family and then make some wonderful pieces of natural art with materials from your local park or woodlands.
We asked Forestry England to share some ways you can support your child to use colour, pattern, texture and sculpture to develop creative artworks using natural materials. These activities work best for children aged 5 — 11 but really, anyone can join in.
Animal art gallery
Discuss the different types of animals that might live in your outdoor setting. What animal does your child want to focus on today? Work together to collect four (or more) sticks to make a picture frame. Then, choose the perfect spot for their picture. Your child can prepare the ground by gently sweeping any leaf litter to one side. Then, lay the sticks on the ground to make a square or rectangular frame. Using natural materials collected from nearby, encourage your child to make a picture of their animal inside the frame. Use only what is on the ground already – don’t pick fresh plants or leaves. Older children can be encouraged to select materials that capture the characteristics of the animal they have chosen. Which materials would work well to express a fox’s bushy tail or a hedgehog’s prickly spines?Exploring leaf shape
Next, see what different types of leaves you can find together. Once you’ve got a good selection, it’s time to record different shapes by making leaf rubbings. Place leaves with the veins uppermost between a piece of a paper and a clipboard. Hold a wax crayon flat on its side and rub it over the leaf. Cover the whole piece of paper with colourful rubbings. You could try bark rubbings as well. Leaf lacing is another great activity to try with your little one. For this, you need fresh leaves and small twigs. Overlap two leaves and push a small thin twig through both leaves at one end where they overlap. Then push the twig back through the other side. The twig will now hold the leaves together. Repeat with lots of leaves. Encourage your child to try different ways of arranging the leaves; in size order or varying colours. When you’ve got a string of leaves, hang them from a tree for others to enjoy.