Think Like an Insect

Insects are so cool! Their bright colors, patterns, and bold eyes make them fascinating to examine. Why not encourage your kids to look more closely at these critters? Have them get down on the ground and try to imagine life as an insect. They can write stories or draw pictures from this perspective.

 

 

Have the kids use magnifying glasses to examine the insects they find carefully. Create enlarged, abstract pictures of a single section of an insect (for example, its eyes or a portion of its pattern) . They can paint, draw, or color these. They can use wax crayons to separate the parts and then paint it in with watercolors. If you have ever done this, you know that the watercolor paint won't stick to the crayon and a neat effect is created. The possibilities are endless!

 



Making Masks with Leaves!

I thoroughly enjoy collecting leaves that have fallen from the trees any time of the year. There are so many different shapes, colors, and patterns to be found. On the 4th of July this year, I walked out in the backyard to find an adorable little Screech Owl perched in the tree as it rained all around us. He let me walk right up to him as he stared back at me with his large, bright eyes. It was after this wonderful encounter that I came up with my most recent idea- making an owl mask from found leaves! First, I collected my supplies: leaves picked up on walks, string, a cardboard container from last night's dinner, glue, and scissors.

I cut a cat-like shape out of the cardboard to act as my base and then I cut holes for eyes and attached string so that the finished mask could be worn. After doing this, I began strategically gluing on my various leaves in a pattern that I felt mimicked the feathers of an owl.

This is a great project for kids slightly older than mine. Bug would not let me put the mask on her to model it, let alone participate in the project (she is only one after all). I was quite pleased with the final product. One could also use a watered down non-toxic glue mixture to varnish the leaves, similar to decoupage.  What a great seasonal project for Autumn, or art project to integrate into a unit on animals.

 

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.