If your children love getting outdoors and exploring nature, then these nature activities are for you! Just pick one out of the 16 scavenger hunt options, print, cut out and head outdoors! It’s ok if you don’t find all objects, just have fun and explore. 

What’s included in this Nature Hunt Printable Packet?!

There are 16 nature hunts to choose from and they are great for all seasons and interests. The nature hunts included are: Insects, Spooky Things (great Halloween scavenger hunt), Forest, Get Outside! (general nature items), Snowy Day, Garden, Spring Flowers, Summer Flowers, Tide Pool, Lake, Pond, Leaves, Seeds, Mushrooms (all edible varieties), Clouds and Animal Tracks.

All 16 nature hunt printables come in color and black & white. The circular nature hunt pieces only come in color, for a total of 60+ pages!

Here is an up close look at a few of the nature hunt printables. This Spooky Scavenger Hunt is great for Halloween and fall!

I love this Snowy Day Scavenger Hunt for the Winter Solstice or any beautiful snowy day!

We loved using the ruler handle for the Spring Flower hunt! It was fun to measure the flowers!

Pictured below is one of the circular nature hunt pieces. These are great to use indoors on a rainy day or hide them in your backyard or schoolyard for a different scavenger hunt experience!

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How to Make Your Nature Hunt Printables:

These nature activities are very easy to prepare and use! These should be printed on cardstock to make a sturdier magnifying glass. I also suggest laminating to use them over and over again. You can also cross off items you find with a dry erase marker on laminated scavenger sheets!

I use my laminator at home with thick lamination pouches, which makes them mostly waterproof. The lamination at school will probably be too thin to make them waterproof, but will help with durability!

If laminating, I suggest to print on cardstock, cut out the magnifying glass, run the cut out magnifying glass through the laminator, and cut out one more time. This method will help with water resistance. I highly recommend laminating printables for the Snowy Day hunt or any other hunt that is near water. 

Please Note!

Many of the images are the same in this packet as my Nature Scavenger Hunt Printables Packet. A handful of them are completely new, some of them are the same but have a few different objects to search for, and a couple (animal tracks & clouds) are exactly the same. I believe there is enough variability for students to love both sets and they also compliment each other nicely! Also, the ruler and shape of scavenger hunts add fun new elements. Check out my scavenger hunt bundle by clicking here!

Supplies:

• Nature Hunt Printables available on TPT 
• Cardstock or printer paper- I recommend cardstock for a more durable work mat. 
• Laminator machine
• Scissors

Now that you have all of your supplies, it’s time to get outside and start exploring!

I hope you try these nature hunt printables! I promise, your little learners will love it as much as my boys and preschoolers.

∼Tara

Looking for more fun printables for kids?! Check out:

4 Ways to Use Story Stones in the Classroom

Color Activities for Kids with See-Through Lenses

The post Nature Hunt Printables- Indoor or Outdoor appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

These scavenger hunts are so easy to make and so fun to use! The best part about the magnifying glass, is that it extends the amount of time children spend outdoors searching for items! I guarantee this will be the most engaged your child has ever been with a scavenger hunt. The magnifying glass helps children focus their attention on the objects right in front of them and they love getting an extra close look, through the magnifying glass. 

You can also use the printable without a real magnifying glass. The cut out by itself is a great focal point for imaginative play and learning! Either way, these are fun and engaging leave no trace activities for kids.

What’s included in this Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable Packet?!

There are 18 scavenger hunt printables included in this packet. The scavenger hunts include: general nature, signs of spring, signs of summer, signs of fall, signs of winter, summer flower, spring flower, garden, leaf, seed, insect, color, gratitude, tally mark, cloud, mushroom, animal tracks, and alphabet. Seventeen of the eighteen scavenger hunt printables come in both black & white and color options and one comes in just black & white, for a total of 35 pages!

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Find the Printable for this Activity on TPT or Etsy! 

How to Make the Magnifying Glass?

The magnifying glass is easy to make! Laminate the cardstock and cut out the lens part of the printable.

Last, tape the edges of the credit card sized magnifying glass to the back of the printable! The magnifying glasses are made of plastic and durable.

Below, you can see how well the magnifying glass works! It’s even more fun to use outside in nature. 

Here’s a Couple of ways to use your Nature Scavenger Hunt Printables:

This example shows the printable with a real magnifying glass and clothespins are used to check off items found. Start with clothespins at the top and bottom of the printable and move them to the side as you find items.

This example does not have a real magnifying glass and a dry erase marker is used to cross off pictures of items found. The dry erase marks can be easily erased when finished. Try sticking one velcro circle on the scavenger hunt and other velcro circle on the dry erase marker. This is a great way to keep your supplies all in one spot. When the marker is not in use, just stick it right to the velcro on the scavenger hunt

Here’s a Peak at all of the Scavenger Hunts!

Before we look at the scavenger hunts, I want you to think about a few things. I did not add instructions because I want children to use it in a way that works best for them! To keep the scavenger hunts fresh and fun, try the clothespins one day and dry erase markers on another. Use a real magnifying glass for one scavenger hunt and go without it for a different one. Children will like to use these sheets in different ways and that’s ok!

A few of the scavenger hunts, like mushrooms and clouds, have scientific names. These can be difficult to pronounce and I wouldn’t expect a child to be able to read or remember all of them. That’s also ok! This is all about exposure and having fun.

If you aren’t having any luck finding specific items on the list, try searching for the colors of the items. For example, you can look for the colors of leaves on the leaf scavenger hunt instead of the particular leaves! Make this work for you. 

Now lets get to the scavenger hunts! These scavenger hunts are perfect for seasonal activities! Check out the spring, summer, fall and winter scavenger hunt printables. 

Here are a couple of scavenger hunts that are great for any time of year! For the tally mark scavenger hunt, use a dry erase marker to make tally marks on the laminated printable. This is great for reinforcing early math skills while being outdoors!

The animal track and mushroom printables are fun for adventurous little explorers! Try looking for animal tracks in mud or snow! And remember, don’t touch or eat mushrooms because they could be poinsonous.

These scavenger hunts are fun to try right in your own backyard! Children love spending time in the garden and really enjoy looking for insects and seeds. 

I love these three scavenger hunts! The alphabet scavenger hunt can be used in a couple of different ways: Children can either clip a clothespin on the alphabet letter after they find something in nature that starts with that letter or write the word next to the corresponding letter. For example, if a child finds an apple, they would write “apple” next to the “Aa.” I find an ultra fine dry erase marker works best in these small writing spaces. 

The gratitude scavenger hunt is fun to try around Thanksgiving or Valentine’s Day. And the color scavenger hunt is fun for children of all ages!

The alphabet and color scavenger hunt printables can be used indoors on a rainy day!

Here’s what you’ll need to make these nature scavenger hunt printables!

Supplies:

• Nature Scavenger Hunt Printables available on TPT or Etsy
• Cardstock or printer paper- I recommend cardstock for a more durable work mat. 
• Laminator machine
• Scissors
• Credit Card Sized Magnifying Glass
• Dry Erase Markers  or Clothes pins(I like mini clothes pins for this activity, but regular sized will work too!)
• Velcro Dots– These are completely optional! They are great to stick on the scavenger hunt printable and dry erase marker to keep all of your objects together. When the marker is not in use, just stick it right to the velcro on the scavenger hunt.

Now that you have all of your supplies, it’s time to get outside and start exploring!

These are great for every season, even winter! The snow looked beautiful magnified through the lenses. We could have looked at it for hours!

We preferred to go without the magnifying glass for the cloud hunt. The clouds looked really neat framed in the magnifying glass!

Pin this to save it for later!

I hope you try these nature scavenger hunt printables! I promise, your little learners will love it as much as my boys and preschoolers.

∼Tara

Looking for more fun printables for kids?! Check out:

4 Ways to Use Story Stones in the Classroom

Color Activities for Kids with See-Through Lenses

The post Nature Scavenger Hunt Printables appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

A Simple Stone Activity to Try Today was so popular that I thought it would be fun to try a themed puzzle!

This DIY activity makes a fun spider anatomy game in the classroom or beautiful Halloween party centerpiece on a table. Kids will be drawn to the beautiful stones and love matching them to their shape outline on the paper.

When matching the stone pieces, you can teach where the abdomen and cephalothorax are on the spiders. The smaller (first) rock is the cephalothorax and the larger rock is the abdomen. These might be big words for young kids to learn, but I think it’s never too early to expose them to interesting parts and pieces of nature!

Here’s what you’ll need…

Supplies:

• Paper- We use Melissa and Doug easel paper
• Stones- We collect ours from the lake. If you don’t have a spot in nature to collect stones, I recommend purchasing from the Dollar Store or craft store.
• Marker

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RELATED: Do you have beautiful fall leaves?! Check out A SIMPLE LEAF ACTIVITY TO TRY TODAY!

Here’s What We Did:

Step 1:

Lay out a large piece of white paper. You can tape it down with painters tape if you would like to keep it secure in one spot. I placed a few small spider figures in the bowl of stones so my boys could get a closer look at the different parts of a spider.

Step 2:

Place the stones on your paper where you want to outline them. Make sure you leave enough room in between spiders to add legs. I had a couple of close calls because I didn’t take this into consideration!

If you want to make the puzzle easier, you can draw the eyes on the cephalothorax (smaller) stone. This will not only give  children a clue as to which outline to match the stone with, but also help them figure out which side of the stone should be facing up.

Step 3:

Outline the stones, place them back in the bowl, and draw fangs and eight legs on each cephalothorax. It’s kind of fun to say once you get the hang of it! At this point, you can add a few more spider figures on the paper if you would like.

Step 4:

The first time around I introduced the stone puzzle to my boys, but since they have already done a few nature puzzles with me, I let them get started right away. Leo was working fast and furious so it was difficult to get a picture of him in action!

He’s now a pro at turning the stones around inside the outline and flipping them from one side to the other to get the best fit. I want to share again, that it’s ok if your child doesn’t get this 100% correct. Some of the stones might be very similar is size and can be difficult to match. This is about the process and having fun!

If you’re helping a struggling child, use guiding prompts like:

“What does it look like if you flip the stone?”

“Can you turn it another way in the outline?”

“I wonder what it would look like if you tried it in that outline?”

About 10 minutes later, we were finished. I’ll keep this nature invitation out for the next week or so and my boys will play with it whenever they feel like it!

Please pin this activity if you love it!

I hope you give this simple activity a try! I promise, your little nature lovers will love it as much as my boys.

∼Tara

Need more simple nature activities?! Check out:

10+ Simple and Beautiful Stone Activities for Kids

Nature Find and Count Math Activity

The post DIY Spider Stone Puzzle appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

We love searching for spiders in the fall! They seem to be everywhere, piquing my boys natural curiosity of these eight-legged animals. My boys have so many questions about their interesting appearance. I can hear them now…… “How many legs do they have?” “Do they have eyes?” “Where is the mouth?” So.Many.Questions!

So instead of searching for pencil and paper work on Pinterest, I got out some of our favorite crafting supplies and got busy creating a fun, hands-on and engaging activity.

I started the spider for my boys and their job was to finish the spider using what they know about spider anatomy.

Supplies:

• roll of white paper
• black marker
• googly eyes
• black Wikki Stix

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RELATED: Check out Wikki Stix and Stones- A Must Try Activity!

Here’s What We Did:

First I drew the spiders in pencil. I have a serious fear of drawing circles;) I can’t do it no matter how hard I try, so I used a cup to draw the spider abdomen and just tried my best with the fangs and cephalothorax. (Say that 10 times fast!) I drew a couple of spider web threads and one corner web for the third spider.

Then I traced over the pencil with black marker.

Step 2:

Next I prepared the supplies. I unpeeled the googly eyes and cut my Wikki Stix in half. I stuck the eyes on the side of my bowl to make it easy for my boys to grab.

Step 3:

Find a spot to put your activity. This doesn’t need to be an outdoor activity, but we are soaking up the beautiful fall weather before it turns super cold this winter.

You can also tape this to a table!

Step 4:

Once my boys saw the googly eyes, they could hardly contain their excitement! They just love these things and beg to use them all the time. We have a rather large collection and I thought it would be fun to use the eyelash variety. My boys got a kick out of it!

We discussed again that *most* spiders have 8 eyes so that’s the number we went with.

Now they moved on to the legs. My boys love using Wikki Stix, so they were excited about this part as well! If you have never tried Wikki Stix, you need to test them out! They are made out of wax and yarn so they stick to most surfaces with light fingertip pressure. They are really fun to fun to use!

It looked pretty neat in the end and they learned a lot in the process!

You can always unpeel the legs and do this part over and over again! The eyes don’t come off as easily, but you could do this activity on white contact paper and tape it up sticky side out if you would like to peel off the eyes as well.

Save it for later and Pin it!

I hope you give this activity a try! I promise, your little nature lovers will love it as much as my boys.

∼Tara

Looking for more spider anatomy activities?! Check out:

Fall Nature Anatomy and Lifecycle Activities for Kids

Looking for more Halloween Ideas?! Check out:

Glow-in-the-Dark Mummy Hiking Stick

A Simple Mummy Rock Nature Craft for Halloween

The post A Simple Spider Anatomy Activity for Kids appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

In an effort to make your life a lot easier (and mine too), I’ve compiled a list of 25 nature-inspired summer activities for kids right here so you have all the information you need at your fingertips! I’ve included links to a few supplies you need along with simple instructions. Here we go!

This post contains Affiliate links for your convenience.

Make sure to check out my best-selling scavenger hunt printables for more summer fun!

#1 Retell Your Summer Adventures With Story Stones

We are huge fans of story stones! My boys use them in many ways, but in the summer we use them to retell our outdoor adventures. After we go on a hike or nature walk, we get out our story stones and talk about what we saw and experienced during our adventure.

Want to know more about how we use story stones or how we make these beauties?- no artistic ability required, just a little Mod Podge ! Check out Four Ways to Use Story Stones in the Classroom or How We Used Story Stones on Earth Day

Ready to make your stones?! Click Here

#2 Make a Nature Badge

It doesn’t get any easier than this one! All you need is duct tape and nature. Just make a loop of duct tape, put it on your kids’ shirts and they are ready to make their own unique nature badge.

Want to learn more about this activity? Read Nature Badge

#3 Make Nature Words

This is such a fun and beautiful activity! We do this for every season and it’s interesting to see how the nature available to us changes throughout the year.

It’s super simple! Just cut the letters out of white contact paper and tape them onto a wall. Now start looking for pieces of nature and start decoration the letters!

Looking for a challenge? Try tying in early literacy skills! As you identify the pieces of nature, figure out their beginning sounds. If it starts with a letter in the word “summer,”  stick it on that letter. For example, “mulch” and “marigold” both start with “m” so we stuck them on that letter.

Don’t want to cut out letters? Just write the seasons on a piece of contact paper and line the letters with nature!

Want to learn more about one of our favorite summer activities for kids? Read Our Favorite Seasonal Nature Activity

#4 Go on a Matchbox Scavenger Hunt

I love this activity! It’s a great way to discuss the different sizes in nature. We usually collect large sticks and rocks when we are outside, but this time we focused only on the teeny tiny pieces of nature we could find in our yard. I have to say, the collection is stunning!

You can find a lot of decorative matchboxes on Amazon. I like this butterfly matchbox! Or you could decorate an ordinary matchbox with washi tape.

Want to see more? Here is the Instagram post.

#5 Create Art With Berry Paint

I just loooove this summer activity for kids! Did you know that berries make the most beautiful paint? Its true! Just mash berries and grab your paintbrush. It’s that easy! I created this scenery starter for my little one to finish outside. This is nature journaling at it’s finest!

Next time we try this activity, I will use a large sheet of paper from a roll of paper and draw a simple scenery starter similar to the one pictured below.  This way, we will have much more space for painting!

Want to see more? Here is the Instagram post.

#6 Make a Nature Bracelet

This incredibly simple activity is a classic. Don’t go another summer without making a nature bracelet! You can use the same contact paper that you used in nature activity #3, listed above.

Cut a little strip and wrap it around your child’s wrist. It isn’t double sided, so it won’t stick to their skin. Just add nature and you have yourself the most beautiful bracelet!

Want to see more? Here is the Instagram post.

#7 Create Beach Land Art

You don’t have to be at the beach to make land art, but it’s the perfect spot to find a wide variety of nature to create a beautiful work of art!

Check out this website to learn more about land art and how to try this timeless activity with kids!

Want to see how you can turn this into a learning activity? This isn’t JUST land art. See my Instagram post to find out!

#8 Make Nature Sensory Bottles

Try making a nature sensory bottle for a calming activity at the end of a busy summer day. The whole process is relaxing and this sensory experience will surely be one your kids will remember!

Just fill bottles or jars with water or oil and then place nature finds in the jars. The end result is beautiful and the pieces of nature are fun to observe in the jars!

We used random jars that we had around the house, but these plastic jars look perfect!

Want to learn more? Here is the Instagram post.

#9 Create With Sun Art Paper

This one right here is one of my favorite summer activities with kids! You only need the sun and a Sun Art Paper Kit to try this magical activity.

There are simple instructions on the kit:

1. Select nature pieces
2. Assemble the nature pieces on the sun paper and place acrylic sheet on top of paper
3. Expose the paper to sunlight (1-5 minutes)
4. Carefully remove paper from sun
5. Rinse the paper for 1 minute

This process is so simple and the results are so stunning!

Want to see how we turned this activity into a game? See my Instagram post here to get all the details.

#10 Collect Nature in an Egg Carton

The egg carton is the absolute BEST container for a collection nature! Those little sections serve as the perfect spots for sorting and organizing nature.

Just make sure there were not cracked eggs in your carton because you don’t want to risk salmonella exposure. Better yet, if you have a plastic egg carton you can always wash it!

Want to see more  of one of the best summer activities for kids? Here is the Instagram post.

This pretty label makes the nature collection even more special and beautiful! You can find it here at My Wild Finds.

#11 Make a Nature Mandala

There is nothing more beautiful than a nature mandala! However, they can be a little tricky for young kids to make. I solved that problem for you with these ‘mandala makers.’

Want to learn more about this beautiful and calming activity? You can read all about it here in How to Make a Nature Mandala with Kids.

See an example of another mandala maker here.

Ready to print your mandala makers? Click here

#12 Make a Nature Mask

Becoming a nature ninja turtle has never been so easy! My little guy loved turning this printable into a nature ninja mask and had even more fun running, jumping, and kicking his way through our next nature walk.

Make a mask today! You can find the mask template and much more at My Wild Finds.

#13 Make a Nature Picture

Have you ever tried dressing up a printable with pieces of nature? It’s a calming activity and the end result is always so beautiful! Check out these pretty butterflies below. Just decide if you want the colorful watercolor butterfly or black and white option and start creating! And remember, you can glue the pieces on or keep them loose.

Make a nature picture today! You can find the nature picture template and much more at My Wild Finds.

#14 Paint Wildflower Shadows

This is one of those activities that turned out so much more beautiful than I expected! We brought some paper outside and found a tall patch of wildflowers to paint with watercolors. My son loved painting the shadows and was so proud of the final result.

Want to see how we extended the activity? Here’s the Instagram post.

#15 Make a Nature Lantern

Work on those fine motor skills with this pretty nature craft!

How do you make a nature lantern?

1. Put rubber bands around a jar. We used a plastic jar.
2. Weave flowers through the rubber bands.
3. Put a flameless tealight at the bottom of the jar.

This makes a beautiful centerpiece for the night or lantern for an evening nature walk.

Want to see more? Here is the Instagram Post.

#16 Make a Nature Crown

Nature crowns and be difficult to make. There tends to be a lot of weaving and tying involved and that is tricky to figure out. I think there is value in learning those skills and we will revisit other methods of nature crown making when the boys are a little older. For now, we like the method shown below. I printed out a crown template and let my boys decorate it with nature and glue. This is the perfect way to make a crown with little nature lovers! And now even a three-year-old can be the king of nature; even if it’s just for a day.

Make a crown today! You can find this crown template and much more at My Wild Finds.

#17 Make a Journey Stick

Here is another classic activity that everyone should try!

What is a journey stick?

A journey stick is a keepsake featuring items collected during a nature walk. These items could include things like sticks, flowers, feathers, or anything else natural that you find along the way.

How do you make a journey stick?

1. Find a walking stick at the beginning of your adventure and wrap rubber bands around it.
2. Collect items along the way and weave them in the rubber bands. We start at the top and work our way down to make it easier to track our adventure.
3. Talk about your adventure when you get home and use the walking stick to retell your journey. This is such a fun way to discuss order of events!

Want to see more photos of our journey stick? Here is the Instagram post.

#18 Make a Sidewalk Game

We try to bring as many games as possible outdoors in the summer. Here is a simple early math game that I created:

1. Make the game grid. Our grid was 5×5 and I wrote numbers 1-10 in the grid, in no particular order.
2. My son rolled the giant dice, counted the dots on the dice, and said the sum.
3. He found the sum on the grid and stacked a Lego tower as high as the number.

This game is simple to set up and so much fun to play!

#19 Make and Adventure Bag

I’ve recently come across the genius idea of making DIY adventure bags! You can make a special adventure bag for any type of adventure, but here is what we put in our BEACH bag:

1. Funnels, strainers, water dropper, and a water bottle for water exploration
2. Sand toys and a little pan for sand play
3. A jar with clay to make shell and rock impressions. Another small jar to collect sea glass.
4. An animal track identification book in case we find any tracks in the sand. The book “If You Find a Rock“ to spark creativity.
5. Our adventure log from Family Trails, along with an ink pad to stamp something we found during our adventure in the log.
6. Our magnifying glass and little nature journal.

Now get started on your own adventure bag and tag me #littlepinelearners on Instagram. I want to see it!

#20 Nature Weave on a Tree Stump

This is another one of our favorite summer activities for kids! You just need a tree stump, nails, rubber bands, and flowers to make this simple invitation to play. 

How did we make this?

1. Nail a grid into the tree stump.
2. Place rubber bands around the tree stump and let your child put them on the nail to practice their fine motor skills. The rubber bands don’t need to be placed in any particular way.
3. Weave flowers from your yard into the rubber bands!

Isn’t this beautiful?!

#21 Make Beaded Bug Stones

These make the perfect garden accessory or gift! It might look a little complicated but its actually quite simple.

How did we make these beauties?

1. Thread beads on wire to look like bug bodies.
2. Place the beads on the rocks and drew legs, antenna, and wings around the bodies.
3. Wrap wire around the rocks.

Want to see how we made bead bugs on sticks? Read Insect Handcraft for Kids.

#22 Make a Water Bottle Vase

Here is a sweet alternative to the typical water bottle vase! This vase creates a full flower arrangement that will last for about a week!

How did we make this?

1. Poke holes in a water bottle.
2. Fill the bottle with water, below the last hole so the water doesn’t spill.
3. Find flowers to poke through the holes and stick through the top of the bottle.

This is such a fun way to work on hand-eye coordination!

#23 Nature Weave on a Rock

Here is another incredibly simple activity! Just put rubber bands around a large stone and weave flowers through them. This is an inviting activity and a great way to work on fine motor skills!

#24 Make Lavender Ice Cubes

This is one of the most beautiful summer activities for kids around! Let me start by saying you don’t need lavender for this activity, but it sure does make for an incredible sensory experience! Freeze flowers (or any bits of nature) in an ice cube tray and take them outside on a hot day.

My boys made a maze, letters, and shapes out of these ice cubes before they melted! Want to see the pictures? Check out this Instagram post.

#25 Make a Wildflower Identification Board

Yes! Those are little tubes of water on our living wildflower identification board. I love this activity so much because it’s hands-on learning that turned into a beautiful piece of art!

Want more details on this activity? Read DIY Wildflower Identification Board.

#26 Make a Flower Hiking Stick

Are you looking for a beautiful nature walk accessory that will motivate your little hiker to explore the great outdoors? Here is the perfect idea for you! Make a flower hiking stick out of flowers and Mod Podge.

We used a piece of driftwood, but you can experiment on any type of stick. You can also whittle a section of a regular stick so you have a nice smooth surface to work with.

How did we make this?

1. Put a little Mod Podge on the stick. We tried outdoor Mod Podge for this craft, but I think the glossy Mod Podge that we used in the first activity for the story stones would work just fine! Just remember to keep it inside or in the garage so it’s not exposed to the elements.
2. Place the flower or leaf on the Mod Podge.
3. Cover the piece of nature with another layer of Mod Podge.
4. Continue until you are finished putting your pieces of nature on the stick.
5. Wait about 20 minutes for it to dry and add another layer if needed.

You little hiker will love walking with this stick and will hopefully lead to more time spent OUTDOORS!

Want more details on this activity? Read How to Make a Flower Hiking Stick.

I hope you give these summer activities for kids a try! I promise, your little nature lovers will love it as much as my boys.

∼Tara

Looking for more fun ideas?! Check out Not Your Average Nursery Rhyme Activities

Do you love these ideas? Make sure you pin your favorites to remember them!

The post 25+ Nature-Inspired Summer Activities for Kids appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

Supplies

• Jewelry Wire
• Beads (from Michaels Craft Store)
• Scissors
• Thin Sharpie Markers
• A piece of nature to wrap and draw on. We used a large stick.

This post contains Affiliate links for your convenience.

The Activity

We spent the morning at the beach. My boys had so much fun throwing rocks into the lake and exploring the shore. We found beautiful colored rocks, sea glass, and observed insects on logs and driftwood! We identified ladybugs, ants, and bees. I knew the perfect insect craft to create with my boys when we got home!

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies for the Insect Craft

Grab your scissors, wire, beads, Sharpies, and piece of nature! Once you decide on the insects you want to create, you might want to look them up in an anatomy book so you can choose beads that resemble the parts of the insects you are making. As you can see below, we used a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes to make our insect craft. Also, make sure you choose a piece of nature that you can draw on!

Step 3: Tie a Knot

I cut about two and a half feet of wire per bug. I tied a knot in the middle of the wire to keep the beads in place.

Step 3: String the Beads

Leo helped me string the beads on the wire. After the beads were on the string, tie another knot at the other end of the beads.

Step 4: Draw Insect Details

It’s a good idea to draw the insect details before you wrap the wire because the wire will most likely be in your drawing space after the wire is wrapped. I held the beaded wire in the spot I wanted to wrap it and Leo helped draw the antenna and legs. I drew the butterfly wings because that was too difficult for him. This insect craft definitely a collaborative effort!

Step 5: Wrap Wire Around Piece of Nature

Leo helped me wrap the wire around the stick, but I needed to tighten it up move it back in place so it lined up with the drawings.

When we were finished, we compared our ant and butterfly to the insects in the book Nature Anatomy!

The Skills we Built

Fine Motor Skills

Putting the beads on the wire helps improve hand eye coordination and holding/pulling the wire helps strengthen hand muscles.

Insect Identification and Anatomy

Observing insects gives children the opportunity to work on insect identification skills. Making the insect craft helps them learn the basic parts of the insects.

I hope you give this fun insect craft a try! I promise, your little nature lovers will love it as much as my boys.

∼Tara

Need more outdoor fun?! Check out:

A Simple and Beautiful Nature Craft to Try Today!

A Simple Spider Anatomy Activity for Kids

The post Insect Handcraft for Kids appeared first on Little Pine Learners.