Painting with items found in nature is a great way for kids to get in touch with their natural surroundings, while engaging in a sensory painting experience. We paint with nature all the time at Everwood Day Camp. We go on “nature walks” to collect our items and come back to paint on different canvases.
You can find a lot of great natural painting ideas at Hands On As We Grow and Kids Craft Room ! Here are a few ideas to get you started!
Natural Items that can be used for painting:
- Pine needles
- Leaves
- Small sticks
- Pinecones
- Blades of grass
- Flower petals (preferably found on the ground and not pulled from their roots!)
Once your natural items have been collected, you can use them in lieu of the everyday paintbrush. You will still need the paint, but now you can use the items you collected to “paint” onto your chosen canvas (paper, construction paper, an actual canvas, etc.). For example, you can combine some pine needles together to create a natural “paintbrush,” or you can use a pine cone to roll paint onto your canvas. Natural items lend themselves nicely to stamping opportunities, as well! This is a great way to show off creativity and resourcefulness. We can’t wait to see your natural masterpieces!