Spring is one of our favorite times to pull out the craft bins.  Plants and critters inspire us, and to be perfectly honest, I like messy things to happen outside as much as possible. The woods and yard also offer all sorts of free materials. There are no directions or rules. Nature crafts invite us to collect, make, and display, tap into our imaginations, and explore.

What follows are some of our favorite nature crafts.

Kids Create- Easy Nature Crafts

Step1- Gather Supplies

You may already have everything you need. We find most of our craft materials outside or in the recycle bins. There are, however, a handful of things I always try to have on hand.

Craft Supplies

• Glue in various forms and a Glue Gun
• String- lightweight, heavy, embroidery floss
• Scissors
• Acrylic Paint

We also keep cardboard boxes and scraps, used corks, buttons, string, rubber bands, and a lot of cardstock on hand.

To get started collecting supplies, I like to hand my kids a basket or container and a pair of scissors. I then encourage them to “shop” the woods or yard for supplies. Be sure they know what plants like poison ivy and stinging nettle look like. Never fun to pick those!

My kids love to find-

• pinecones
• bark
• different grasses
• wildflowers
• leaves in various colors and states of being
• old flower pots
• moss
• dirt and mud
• lost toys
• sticks
• nuts and seeds
• feathers
• rocks

If you’re short on natural objects, start making it a habit to collect things when you’re outside. Pinecones, rocks, acorns, sticks, and shells can be collected and stored for later. Just be sure you’re allowed to collect the items, there aren’t eggs or critters living inside, and nothing you take is invasive or endangered.

Step 2- Create

Supplies gathered. Imaginations at the ready! Now the fun begins!

Create Creature Homes

Flower pots, milk or juice containers, a pile of rocks or sticks- there are many ways to make our furry, crawly, and scaley friends the perfect home. We especially love using flower pots. Second-hand stores like Goodwill often have them really cheap.

Make Nature Journals

In my experience, writing and nature go hand-in-hand. It’s fun to write or draw outside, and inspiration is around every tree. There are lots of ways to make nature journals.

One of our favorite ways is shown above. Here’s how to make them.

1. Cut different types of paper (lined, blank, tracing, graph) all the same size.
2. Cut two pieces of thicker paper, like card stock or cardboard, slightly bigger than the other pages. These are the front and back covers.
3. Punch two holes in each piece of paper and line them up.
4. Find a good stick and break or cut it to the size of the paper.
5. Thread a rubberband through the holes and over each end of the stick.

Fill journals with-

• pressed flowers

• drawings

• words and stories

• leaf rubbings

• all of the above

Plant Fairy Gardens

One of the first things my daughter did when we moved into our new home was find a place to create a new fairy garden. She has created many over the years, and I think likes re-creating them as much as she does spending time playing there.

Fairies are little, so they need little tiny things. Acorn top bowls, stone seats, leaf placemats. The recycle bin and under trees are great places to find fairy furniture and accessories. Old toys can get a new life in a fairy garden too.

Paint Rock Animals

I must admit; I like this craft as much, if not more, than my children. I currently have a handful of rocks waiting to become owls and foxes. Fun additions to planters, garden paths, porches, and fairy gardens, a rock and a little paint make creatures come alive.

Tip- if your rock animal is going to live outside, spray it with some adhesive after the paint dries.

Take on the Egg Drop Challenge

There is something so fun about dropping an egg from a high place and seeing if it breaks. This is a great activity to do with kids before recycling day. Outside materials like grasses and moss are fun to use too. The sky’s the limit!

If you aren’t familiar with an egg drop challenge, it’s just what the name suggests. Kids drop an egg from a high place and hope it doesn’t break. To keep the egg safe, they create a container for the egg. This container can be made out of anything. Parachutes (plastic bags) can also be added to slow the egg’s fall.

Build Forts

It never fails to amaze me what my kids can create with sticks. Sometimes they resemble structures they have seen in books or documentaries; sometimes, they are creations all their own.

Forts can be created in all sizes and shapes. Kids can make forts for chipmunks or fairies if they want to play with balancing sticks before they go big.

My son loves making forts with sticks and good sturdy rope. He’s also used PVC pipe and tarps.

Design an Obstacle Course

Add heavy cord or rope to the pile of sticks, and all sorts of amazing creations can take form. Inspired by a wilderness class they took, an obstacle course complete with a balance beam once came to life in our yard.

Obstacle courses can also be made out of whatever you have lying around. A hose can be a balance beam, and a picnic table can be something to climb over or under.

My favorite structure of all time, I have no idea how they did this. All I provided was a quick trip to Lowes for rope.

Put Treasures on Display

Some treasures need to be displayed! Melissa and Doug wooden trays make awesome shadow boxes. All you need is a little paint and some glue.

Add nature crafts in your garden, a special shelf, to pathways and porches. Create special spots in your yard just for fairy gardens or for fort building. The more kids see their works of art preserved and displayed, the more they will want to make more!

Perfect for sunny days, rainy days, or boring days, there are so many fun ways to get creative, thanks to nature.