Looking for Patterns in Nature

Patterns are EVERYWHERE in nature and there is a lot of beauty to be found in these patterns. What better way to teach kids about shapes and patterns than to take a walk outdoors and try to find them? You can focus on any combination of shapes and/or patterns you choose. I uploaded a few more examples from my own wanderings below. If your kids are old enough to use a camera, have them photograph what they find. You can also have them draw, paint, and journal their discoveries as well. One cool example from a blog called The Imagination Tree (theimaginationtree.com) is to have kids create their own land art inspired by Andy Goldsworthy. Check it out here: Great Andy Goldsworthy Activity from The Imagination Tree.

I LOVE seed pods!

 

Seed pods are awesome! They represent the renewing of life and the transition of the seasons. I love to collect things on nature walks, seed pods being one of those things. Once the seeds have been released, the pods dry up and will eventually fall from the branches and decay into the earth. I like to pick them before the decaying process, so that they are nice and crisp. These cool pods can easily be turned into creative projects such as canoes, boats, mobiles, and jewelry.

Today, I turned a Trumpet Vine seed pod into a boat complete with a found feather sail. I used wire from my jewelry making kit to secure the feather, but you can easily use hot glue (just be sure that if you float it in a pond or stream you make sure to pick it up and not discard it there- you don't want wire or glue being consumed by wildlife). Kids love to make boats and then watch them float (in addition to splashing in the water) and this is a great way to teach units such as buoyancy in an elementary classroom.

In addition to the Trumpet Vine boat, I also made a fun little necklace from a Buckeye seed pod. I secured dried flowers and a cool little green pod, that I have yet to identify, to the Buckeye pod with wire and then strung some hemp string through a jump ring. Little girls especially love stuff like this! They can be queen of their own imaginary fairy kingdom! You can also create head dresses, bracelets, and rings using found objects in nature.

The collection of something like seed pods can easily be turned into a lesson on classification or seasonal cycles, but why not take it one step further and turn it into an art project!? Don't just teach a lesson, but inspire creativity and imagination as well!

Welcome to Singing Cicadas!

I created this blog to share my ideas on nurturing a child's sense of wonder through the creative arts and exploration in nature. I plan to regularly upload ideas and activities for parents and educators to implement at home and in school. I wholeheartedly believe that a child's natural curiosity is her greatest gift and it should be nurtured and developed. As a child grows, they should not grow less curious in the world like so many seem to do. We desperately need more innovators and problem solvers in our world today. It is my belief that if we work together to encourage creative and critical thinking in our children we will see a generation of true leaders come to age.