Arts and Crafts

Arts and Crafts

In this chapter we will show you some of our favourite arts and craft activities. There is so much you can create from what you find in the forest. It can be a great source of inspiration for us in our lives. Have fun and be creative!

Write your own Tree Poem

Mandala

Step 1 Go for a walk in the woods having a bag at hand. Pick up things you see on the forest ground. Depending on the season, the things you will find will vary from leaves, petals, acorns, conquers, stones, feathers and so on….On your walk pick up the various things and collect them in your bag.

Step 2 Choose a place where you want to make your mandala. It might be under a tree or on a patch of grass. Decide what will go into the centre. The centre can also be a symbol of why we do the mandala, for example a heart in the middle can symbolize love. Discuss why you make a mandala. Start from the centre and work your way out.

Berry Paint

½ cup blackberries or blueberries
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vinegar
piece of fabric
pestle and mortar
jar with lid

Make sure the children are wearing aprons because it’s very difficult to get rid of blueberry stains

Mix 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of vinegar and half a cup of berries. Mash the lot with a mortar and pestle until it becomes a smooth mash. After that, squeeze it out through a piece of fabric into a jar and voila! You have made a perfect paint without any nasty chemicals.

You can also make your own brush out of moss and a stick or use a leaf to paint patterns.

Bark painting

What do you need?

Sheets of paper – crayons – a tree, that’s it!

How to do it?

First, go out with your paper and crayons and find a nice tree with wrinkly bark.

Greet the tree:

You can start by touching the bark with your hands and feeling the texture. You can also put you head against the trunk and see if you can hear something. Or even introduce yourself to the tree and ask the tree for its name?

Then, put a piece of paper somewhere on the trunk. With one hand hold the paper down and with the other push the crayon against the paper and run it up and down the paper.

Try with one colour, two colours, three colours, try with as many colours as you can manage. Be playful and have fun!

You can try different parts of the tree and observe the different patterns and shapes that emerge.

When you finish don’t forget to say “Thank you” to the tree!

When you are back home take out you drawings, pick your favourite drawing and spend some time to look and notice the different shapes and patterns. Can you see a figure, a face or a landscape?

If so, highlight it with a marker or a pen.

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