Dive into the vibrant intersection of art and the natural environment, where children can use materials found in nature to craft beautiful works of art. This blog post will explore the endless possibilities of nature art, encouraging young artists to look closely at the textures and colours surrounding them. I’ll provide practical advice on collecting and using natural art materials and various art and craft ideas designed to inspire. The benefits of integrating these artistic endeavours with outdoor learning will also be highlighted, showcasing how these activities support a holistic educational experience.
Discovering Nature Art in the Great Outdoors
You might be wondering where to start. A good starting point for me was taking my class on a nature walk, where they foraged natural art materials and used those natural materials for art projects in the school. If you have a natural area in your school with trees and natural foliage, this could be the perfect beginning for your natural art-making adventures.
However, I am very aware that all school contexts are different, and access to quality natural areas may not be available. So use what is available to you. Many good quality outdoor art lessons are easily facilitated in the most basic playground environment. Please click on my previous blog, where outdoor learning can take place, for further discussion on learning environments.
Gathering and Using Natural Art Materials
Young children naturally gravitate to playing with natural resources around them. Gaining an education in nature helps children connect to their natural surroundings. For example, in a study by Eva Änggård (2010), it was suggested that when children learn about the natural world around them, the unseen becomes visible, which means that children start to understand the cycles and rhythms of the natural environment around them. This helps them feel connected to the natural world and have a foundation to learn how to live harmoniously. Therefore, when we encourage children to gather natural art supplies from our “outdoor classroom”, we are encouraging the beginning of a positive connection between them and nature.
The importance of strengthening a child’s development through interaction with nature to enhance [their] cognitive and physical development can be underappreciated (Summers et al., 2019). By taking arts and crafts lessons outside, we are helping to nourish the child’s overall health and development.
Using natural materials for art also helps stimulate children’s senses. Most children are more interested in utilising their senses to explore what they see (Edgington, 1998). For example, infants often investigate things by putting them in their mouths; this way, they learn the texture and taste. Being a fundamental characteristic of young children, outdoor art lessons can be perfectly attuned to them because they emphasise activities that heighten observation skills and sensory-rich tasks.
Learning Outdoors
It is suggested by Szczepanski et al. (2006) that learning outdoors can increase students’ overall motivation. Furthermore, in his research on the potential for outdoor education, he talks about the benefits of working with natural resources. When using natural materials for arts and crafts projects, children reinforce what they are learning with kinesthetic movement and hand-eye coordination. In addition to this, it should be noted that outdoor learning is often a social act where children learn through play and the creative process. The paper also concluded that physical movement when we learn outdoors assists children’s ability to concentrate and improves their overall health.
Besides enabling the children to get involved in careful observation and sensory-rich experiences, learning outdoors can stimulate and strengthen both sides of a child’s brain. An example of an art activity encapsulating these benefits is the leaf drawing and description of the project. In this activity, children are grouped into small teams and given different plants to describe and draw their physical features. They also record the leaf texture, colour and size. The drawing process strengthens the right side of the brain, while the research and analytical aspect strengthens the left side (Harrington et al., 2017).
For further information on the benefits of outdoor learning, please click on the related blog posts below.
Developing the Wellbeing of Children Through Outdoor Learning
Fusion of Outdoor Learning, Cross-Curricular Skills and Artistic Creation
Searles (2020) states a tremendous potential synergy exists between the creative process and outdoor learning. He further suggests that learning happens by doing and being active. Plus, creative outdoor learning is often collaborative. This social act of learning in the company of peers and educators, in turn, fosters a safe space for our children to develop creative thinking skills. There are also many options to make cross-curricular links when combining outdoor learning and art.
Some of My Favourite Outdoor Art Lessons
My Students love to learn outdoors. Here are some of my most successful cross-curricular arts and crafts ideas you might like to do with your students when taking art lessons outside.
I would love to hear from you. Have you tried an outdoor learning art activity that your students enjoyed?
Readings
Änggård, E. (2010). Using “nature” in an outdoor preschool: Classroom, home and fairyland. Children, Youth and Environments, 20(1), 4-25.
Edgington, M. (1998). Developing a sense of place. 1998, 3-3.
Harrington, G., Farias, D., Davis, C., & Buonocore, M. (2007). Comparison of the neural basis for imagined writing and drawing. Human Brain Mapping, 28.
Searles. M, (2020). Creativity in the Outdoors. Inspiring Scotland guest blog. Accessed: 15th January 2024. Available: Tuesday-tips-Creativity-in-the-Outdoors.pdf (inspiringscotland.org.uk)
Szczepanski, A., Malmer, K., Nelson, N., & Dahlgren, L. O. (2006). Outdoor Education-Authentic Learning in the Context of Landscape Literary education and sensory experience. Perspective of learning environments’ Where, What, Why, How and When. Inter-disciplinary context and the outdoor and indoor dilemma. In The Third International Outdoor Education Research Conference–Widening Horizons: Diversity in Theoretical and Critical Views of Outdoor Education Conference.
Summers, J. K., Vivian, D. N., & Summers, J. T. (2019). The role of interaction with nature in childhood development: An under-appreciated ecosystem service. Psychology and behavioral sciences (New York, NY 2012), 8(6), 142.
