The weather is warm, the sun is shining, and the kids are enjoying the summer holidays. You’ve already been swimming and to the park a million times this year and are looking for something different to do outdoors with your kids. These craft ideas are sure to get your creative juices flowing while still getting your family outdoors to have fun in the sun.
Giant Nature Canvas
Materials:
Sheet
Acrylic Paint
Clothesline
Leaves, Sticks, Rocks, etc.Instructions:
Put up the clothesline outside and hang the sheet over it. Now your child has a giant canvas on which to paint on. Collect different shaped objects from nature such as rocks, sticks, and leaves. Dip your findings into the acrylic paint and use them to make prints on the sheet. Before you know it, your child will have a giant painting with the help of nature.
Designer Rocks
Materials:
Assorted Rocks
Acrylic Paint
PaintbrushInstructions:
Take your child on a nature walk and pick up different rocks along the way. When you get back home, use the acrylic paints to paint the rocks to look like bugs, flowers, or anything else. Allow your child’s imagination to run wild.
Leaf Rubbing Scrap Book
Materials:
Assorted Leaves
Tracing Paper
Yarn
Hole Punch
Dark Colored CrayonsInstructions:
Take your child out on a nature walk and pick up assorted leaves. Lay a leaf on a flat surface. Place a piece of tracing paper over top of it. Peel the paper from a crayon, and holding it on its side, rub it over the paper on top of where the leaf is. You will see the shape of the leaf come up onto the paper.
Do a rubbing of each leaf, one on each piece of tracing paper. Once all of the leaves have been used, stack the tracing paper into a pile. Use the hole punch to put 3 evenly spaced holes down one side of the stack. Take a piece of yarn and string it through one of the holes. Tie the ends of the yarn together securely. Repeat this for the next 2 holes. Now your child has a scrapbook of all different kinds of leaves that you found on your walk.
Just when you thought you were out of ideas for what to do with your kids outside over the rest of the summer, these craft ideas are sure to help you out. Have fun in the sun and let your creativity flow. Just don’t forget the sunscreen.
