Nature crafts for kids

Summer is a perfect time for children to explore the outdoors and learn about nature. Encourage children to go outside to find items that can be used for nature crafts. This is a fun way to enjoy nature and the outdoors. Plus, children can develop vital skills while getting essential vitamin D boosting their mood too.

To help you with a few ideas on how to incorporate nature into crafting and art, we have teamed up with a few friends to bring some nature crafts for kids inspiration. Discover how to create these amazing nature crafts and have a go during the summer.

Tree drawings

Head outdoors to create amazing tree drawings using all the different types of leaves you can find. Let children’s imaginations run wild with creating their trees and encourage them to incorporate flowers to brighten their trees up.

We have teamed up with Mrs G to show you how to create this perfect nature craft. Follow our step by steps to create your own unique trees and enjoy nature this summer.

Step one

Go on a hunt for different types of leaves and flowers to use with your drawing. Try using ones that have fallen on the floor instead of picking them.

Let children explore nature and learn about different plants, trees and flowers as you go along. Give them some nature cards where they can find the specific outdoor things to make this a fun few hours. You could also do some of the activities suggested by the cards too before heading back to create the craft.

Step two

Set aside the leaves and flowers you found. Grab a piece of paper or card and supply children with colouring pencils for them to use. Draw a tree trunk from the bottom of the paper to about halfway.

Encourage them to draw a trunk as realistically as possible. Talk through the use of trees and why we need to protect them whilst they draw. You could also talk about textures of bark to help them with their drawing.

Step three

Colour the tree trunk in. Grab the leaves and flowers you found earlier and let children choose which ones they want to use to create the rest of the tree.

Step four

Use Elmers Glue to stick down the leaves around the tree trunk in any way you want. These glue sticks are perfect to use for nature crafts as they are eco-friendly and made from 93% natural glue formula.

Once stuck, fit in the flowers wherever looks best. Rearrange first to find the best look for the tree then stick down. If you don’t have any flowers, draw them with thick felt pens.

Step five

Finish the tree drawing with any extra materials such as pom poms or eco-glitter. Encourage children to draw a background to make it more realistic and vivid. They could imagine where their tree would be and boost their creativity skills by recreating that place.

Nature journal

We have teamed with @earlyyearsoutdoor to create this amazing nature journal that uses nature around us as inspiration. Children can learn about nature and use it as a scrapbook or draw different aspects of nature. They can also write about their feelings for nature or what they have done outdoors throughout the summer. Follow these steps to create nature journals in your own way to use how you wish!

Step one

Head outdoors and source flowers, leaves or anything you can find that would be great to put in your nature journal. Create a little quiz for children to find specific items to make the forage more fun for them. Plus, they can learn all about nature and its purpose, as well as identify differences between them.

Take some to stick in the journal and then note down or take photos of other types of nature that children can use as inspiration to draw.

Step two

Once you have collected your nature items, open the sketch pad to start the nature journal. This can be done however you like.

Stick down the items and draw the rest and let children explore their creativity through different art. Use colouring pencils, colouring pens and watercolour paint.

Step three

Children can also draw items they have seen or paint them. Make sure that they use different ways to create their artwork so that they develop different creative skills.

Step four

Write down experiences with nature around the nature art. This could be a log of all the outdoor activities children have done over the summer that can be continued. It could also be a story based on their outdoor experiences; however they would like to record it.

Step five

Personalise the front of the sketchbook to make the journal special for children. They will be more likely to treasure it and look after it if they decorate the front to how they would like it. You can use glitter, sequins, paint, marker pens and even pom poms. Let children go wild with designing their nature journals.

These nature crafts for kids are a perfect way to get children outdoors while improving their creativity. Ensure you have all the supplies you need and find ways to forage nature items without picking them to help nature grow and thrive. Set little activities and challenges for children whilst you look for nature items to use for these crafts so that they learn as they go too.

Want some more outdoor activity inspiration? Check out our outdoor summer activities for children blog.