10 Easy Nature Activities for Kids To Spark Their Imagination

easy nature activities for kids

Looking for easy kids' nature activities?

As parents, we want our children to experience the joys of nature, but sometimes it can be hard to know where to start. So, I have put together a little list of 10 really easy nature activities for kids that will inspire and spark their imaginations, while encouraging a love of nature.

1 - Build a fairy house

To build a fairy house, all you need are some sticks, leaves and other natural materials. Simple put them together into a little nest to create a cosy little fairy house. This activity is great for imaginative play and can be done in any outdoor space.

2 - Nature Scavenger Hunt

Create a list of things for your kids to find in nature, such as pine cones, leaves, stones, feathers or flowers. You can even make specific lists of different habitats or different times of the year. (You can find a whole range of nature scavenger hunts in My Nature Club.)

3 - Leaf Rubbings

Take a walk in the park, forest or around your neighbourhood and collect different types of leaves, then place them under a piece of paper and rub a crayon over the top. This is a really fun way to start teaching kids about the different types of leaves.

4 - Nature Bracelets

Cut a piece of tape and wrap it around your child's wrist with the sticky side facing out. Then, as you do your nature walk, collect small leaves, flowers, seeds and grasses to stick onto the tape. (But make sure you have permission to pick them first.)

5 - Nature Mandala

Collect flowers, leaves, stones, shells and other natural materials and arrange them in a mandala on the ground. This helps promote mindfulness and creativity while also teaching kids about symmetry. (Again, make sure you have permission to pick things.)

6 - Rock Painting

Collect smooth rocks on a walk along the seashore or river bank, then pain and decorate them with different pictures and designs. They can then be used as book ends, paper weights, gifts, ornaments or even to decorate your plant pots or garden.

7 - Bird and Wildlife Watching

Take a nature walk or try a nature sit spot and observe the different birds, insects and wildlife you see. This activity not only helps develop patience and attentiveness, but is also a great way to teach kids about our different wildlife and perhaps spark an interest in nature conservation.

8 - Nature Photography

Give your kids free rein to use a camera or smartphone as a way to promote observation of the natural world? Yes! Allow them to look around and notice the world around them with the excuse of using technology - and also document your nature observations and capture family nature adventures.

9 - Make a Bird Feeder

Use a pine cone or coconut shell and some peanut butter and bird seed to make a really simple homemade bird feeder. Then hang it up outside and see which birds come to eat. You can even sketch and try to identify them. This activity is a fantastic way to learn about birds and their behaviour.

10 - Make Some Nature Art

Collect all kinds or natural materials such as sticks, stones, moss, leaves and create pictures or collages with them. These can be teeny tiny or as big as you can go! It is a great way to encourage creativity and helps kids to appreciate the different textures, shapes and colours found in nature.

Summary

Nature is full of wonder and inspiration and these easy nature activities for kids are a great way to introduce your children to the natural world. By encouraging them to explore, observe and create, you can help foster a lifelong love of nature that will benefit them for years to come.

So get ready for endless, imaginative fun! (and if you enjoyed this tutorial and would love more ideas and inspiration for learning about and connecting to nature with your family, subscribe below and be the first to know about new articles and resources.)

See you soon and happy nature walking,

Leila x

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How to preserve autumn leaves in four easy ways.

how to preserve autumn leaves

Four Ways To Preserve Autumn Leaves

Hello! In this tutorial, we are going to learn about four easy ways to preserve autumn leaves ready for use in your nature crafts or nature journal. Are you ready? Lets get started! Here are your quick links:

Why preserve autumn leaves?

Who can resist swishing through a pile of autumn leaves? Scuffing and kicking them up with your feet? Stopping to pick up a beautiful leaf? There are so many things you can do with them ... press them in journals, weave them into wreathes; crown yourself queen of the forest ...
 

You can of course use them just as they are. But, it helps if they are supple - they are easier to work with or, if you have a bit more time to enjoy them before they disintegrate or break. One way of making them last longer and increasing their flexibility, is to preserve them. There are multiple ways to do this, some more complicated than others. In this tutorial, we will look at the four easiest ways to preserve autumn leaves:

How to press leaves

This method is the simplest and easiest way of preserving autumn (or any) leaves. You simply use a heavy weight and some kind of blotting paper to dry the leaves out.

Uses:

Leaves dried by pressing are useful for sticking into nature journals or creating pictures. They can also be arranged with pressed flowers to make a more interesting feature.

You will need:

  • Flat, thin leaves
  • Newspaper or other blotting paper
  • Heavy books or weights

Directions:

  1. Lay your leaves carefully on half a sheet of folded newspaper.
  2. Gently lay the other half of the newspaper on top of the leaves.
  3. Place the heavy books or other weights on top.
  4. Keep them somewhere cool and dry.
  5. Gently lift the top sheet and check up on your leaves once a week.
  6. If any are looking mouldy, make sure to remove them.
  7. Your leaves are ready when they are completely dry.

Tips:

  • To make the leaves softer, you can soak in them in a little diluted laundry conditioner first.
  • Alternatively, you can gently brush them with a thin layer of vaseline or oil.

How to preserve leaves with waxed paper

This method uses a blanket of waxed paper to enclose the leaves. Applying heat, then makes the wax melt and coat the leaves.

Uses:

Leaves dried by this method can be used for garlands, bunting and lanterns.

You will need:

  • Flat, thin leaves
  • Waxed paper
  • Hot iron
  • 2 cloth rags
  • Ironing board

Directions:

  1. Lay one of your rags on the ironing board.
  2. Lay a sheet of waxed paper, waxy side up, on top of the rag.
  3. Carefully places your leaves on top of the waxed paper.
  4. Gently place another waxed paper, waxy side down, on top of the leaves.
  5. Carefully place the second rag on top of this second sheet.
  6. Slowly and smoothly, run your hot iron over the cloth on top of the waxed paper/leaf sandwich.
  7. Next, gently press down and hold the iron over the cloth for a few seconds, before moving to the next area.
  8. Do this for the whole cloth/wax-leaf-sandwich area.
  9. Make sure the wax has al melted, then remove the iron and allow to cool.
  10. Once they are completely cool, you can carefully tease the paper off the waxed leaves, then cut the leaves out.

Tips:

  • Try and leave a margin around each leaf when cutting them out. This helps ensure they stay sealed.

How to preserve leaves in a microwave

This method uses a microwave oven to dry out and preserve your leaves. 

Uses:

Leaves dried in the microwave can be used in nature journals, book marks and for inserting in clay tiles.

You will need:

  • Fresh, pliable leaves. 
  • Paper towels
  • Paper
  • Ceramic coaster or flat, microwaveable plate
  • Microwave oven

Directions:

  1. Fold a piece of paper in half, then open it up
  2. Carefully lay your leaves in one half of the open paper
  3. Fold the paper in half, sandwiching the leaves inside it.
  4. Then sandwich the paper-leaf sandwich inside your paper towel.
  5. Place this bundle carefully in the microwave
  6. Gently place a ceramic toaster or flat plate on top of the bundle.
  7. Microwave on medium heat for 30 seconds, then check your leaves.
  8. Keep checking every 30 seconds.
  9. Your leaves are ready when they are nice and dry and no longer stick to the paper.

Tips:

  • Make sure you keep checking your leaves every 10-30 seconds - if they become too dry, they may scorch and burn.
  • Thinner leaves will dry much faster than thicker leaves. So, it may be useful to dry thick and thin leaves in separate batches.

How to preserve leaves in a glycerine bath

This method uses a mixture of water and glycerine to preserve your leaves.

Uses:

Leaves dried in a glycerine bath, maintain their soft, supple quality. They can be used in bunting, vase decorations, leaf crowns or other crafts.

You will need:

  • Fresh leaves or twiggy branches
  • Water
  • Glycerine
  • Container

Directions:

  1. Mix 1 part of glycerine to 2 parts of water
  2. Carefully submerge your leaves into this water-glycerine mix
  3. Place a heavy dish on top to help push the leaves under and keep them submerged
  4. Leave them in the solution and check on them every 2-3 days
  5. Your leaves are ready when they are soft, flexible and shiny.
  6. Take them out, and blot them dry on  some paper towels
  7. Voila! Your leaves are ready to use.

Tips:

  • You can also preserve whole branches with leaves attached too. Just crush the ends of the branches and place them in a vase containing the water-glycerine solution. Store it away from heat and sunlight. The branch is ready once little dew-like beads appear on the leaves. Take them out of the solution, blot them off and leave them to dry.

Other leaf preservation methods

Above, we have discussed four methods of preserving autumn leaves ready for use in your autumn leaf nature crafts. But, there are also several other methods you can use. Some of these include,

  • Dipping in melted wax
  • Coating in PVA glue
  • Laminating in plastic
  • Using nail varnish
  • Painting in glitter glue

Why not experiment and see which methods you prefer? If you want to identify the leaves you find, you can check out this post here.

Summary

Well... there we go! A quick introduction to four ways you can use to help you preserve autumn leaves ready for use in your nature crafts. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial? Let me know in the comments. Happy nature walking and see you soon!

P.S. If you enjoyed this tutorial, don't forget to subscribe by clicking the button below x

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