I’m adding to my long list of pressed flower crafts with this fun DIY summer activity! This is such an easy craft that a child could make one, but I know that you will want to make a couple as well! They look beautiful in any room, but we currently have our lamp in our kitchen. This little lamp is the perfect size for our counter and it makes this space look so beautiful!

Ready to give it a try!? Here’s what you’ll need..

Supplies for the Lampshade:

• • Lamp- I used this lamp and like the size and worked well of the craft. Just be aware that this has a USB plug. I think this lamp and this lamp are nice options as well!
  • Mod Podge- I used the matte version for the lampshade. 
  • Pressed flowers– You can always press your own flowers if you have them available in your garden! If you currently don’t have flowers to press, then I suggest purchasing already pressed flowers from Etsy or Amazon. Here is a nice wildflower mix. I love supporting these beautiful pressed flower businesses from Etsy, but these flowers took over a week to arrive at my house. If you need pressed flowers quickly, then I suggest going with Amazon. I’ve used many pressed flowers from Amazon for my crafts and am happy to recommend them as well. I love this set from Amazon. There are a ton of options available! Just type “pressed flowers” in the Etsy or Amazon search bars and a bunch of options will show up. I would suggest staying away from dyed pressed flowers because you don’t want them to bleed on the lampshade. 
  • You also might like this beautiful Wooden Pressed Flower Organizer to keep all of your flowers readily accessible. 

This post contains Affiliate links for your convenience.

Here’s How I Made this Pressed Flower Lampshade:

Step 1: Think of a pressed flower design. 

You have a blank slate on this lampshade, so play around with different flower designs before you add Mod Podge. 

Step 2: Add Mod Podge.

Next, add a layer of Mod Podge on the lampshade. 

Step 3: Place pressed flowers on the lampshade. 

Arrange your pressed flowers on the layer of Mod Podge. I like using a tweezer to transfer the flowers from the table to the lampshade. 

Step 4: More Mod Podge and let it dry.

Add a thin layer of Mod Podge over the pressed flowers and let it dry. Thicker flowers may require extra Mod Podge. The drying process might take a few hours!

It looks so beautiful when dried! It was fun to see how the lamp looked as dusk progressed. 

Pin it and save it for later!

I hope you enjoy this nature craft as much as I do!

-Tara

Need more simple nature ideas?! Check out:

Handmade Pencil Case with Nature Prints

DIY Binoculars with Pressed Flowers

The post DIY Pressed Flower Lampshade appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

We had these boring clear night lights around our home and I thought they would look so pretty decorated with pressed flowers! They turned out even more beautiful than I could imagine and I instantly ordered more night lights and am making a bunch for gifts! Christmas is only a few short months away and I think these would make the perfect handmade holiday gift! 

Ready to give it a try!? Here’s what you’ll need..

Supplies for the Night Light:

• • Night lights   Just an FYI, Mod Podge is non-flammable and I noticed that these particular night lights don’t get warm or hot. Please exercise caution when altering anything that plugs into an electrical outlet. 
  • Mod Podge- I used the matte version because the covers of my night lights have a frosted finish. You can try the glossy version if your night lights have a glossier finish. The last link that I shared has both types of Mod Podge and a handy brush that I highly recommend. 
  • Pressed flowers– You can always press your own flowers if you have them available in your garden! If you currently don’t have flowers to press, then I suggest purchasing already pressed flowers from Etsy or Amazon. Here is a nice wildflower mix. I love supporting these beautiful pressed flower businesses from Etsy, but these flowers took over a week to arrive at my house. If you need pressed flowers quickly, then I suggest going with Amazon. I’ve used many pressed flowers from Amazon for my crafts and am happy to recommend them as well. I love this set from Amazon. There are a ton of options available! Just type “pressed flowers” in the Etsy or Amazon search bars and a bunch of options will show up. 
  • You also might like this beautiful Wooden Pressed Flower Organizer to keep all of your flowers readily accessible. 

This post contains Affiliate links for your convenience.

Related: Check out 20+ Beautiful Pressed Flower Crafts

Here’s How I Made these DIY Night Lights:

Step 1: Make a design with pressed flowers

First, play around with the flowers on the night light, without Mod Podge. You can move the flowers around until you find a design you like without committing with glue. We came up with a bunch of different designs, but this is my favorite!

Step 2: Add Mod Podge

Add a thin layer of Mod Podge to your night light. Just an FYI, Mod Podge is non-flammable and I noticed that these particular night lights don’t get warm or hot. Please exercise caution when altering anything that plugs into an electrical outlet. 

Step 3: Place pressed flowers on night light

Arrange your flowers on the Mod Podge. I like using tweezers to transfer pressed flowers from the table to the night light. 

Step 4: More Mod Podge and let it dry

Add a thin layer of Mod Podge over the pressed flowers and let it dry. Thicker flowers may require extra Mod Podge. The drying process might take a few hours!

They look so pretty during the day and night! Which one is your favorite?

I hope you enjoy this nature craft as much as I do!

-Tara

Pin it and save it for later!

Need more simple nature ideas?! Check out:

Jar Lantern with Pressed Flowers

DIY Pressed Flower Candles

The post DIY Pressed Flower Night Light appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

I know summer just started, but I want to share this fun craft that will get anyone excited for the coming school year! These homemade sweet pencil cases can be made AND used by children! They can also be handed out as homemade teacher gifts or teachers can make them for the classroom or themselves. This is a craft for everyone and it has many uses!! 

This could also make a lovely make up case for Mother’s Day!

Ready to make one or two? Here’s what you’ll need….

Supplies:

• Flowers and leaves
• Canvas pencil case
• Tape
• Hammer
• Iron

This post contains Affiliate links for your convenience.

RELATED: Check out 20+ Beautiful Pressed Flower Crafts

Here’s How We Made These Homemade Pencil Cases:

Step 1:

First, gather some of your favorite flowers and leaves. We had the best luck with pansies, random wildflowers, and ferns. I suggest using one pencil case as a tester to see which unique pieces of nature available to you work the best for this craft. 

Once you have your pieces of nature, start experimenting! There are several different ways to hammer nature prints onto fabric, but we found this method worked the best for this canvas material. 

Place your flower face down on the bag. 

Step 2: 

Place tape over your piece of nature to secure it in place when you hammer the print. I found it best not to have overlapping tape (as pictured below). This can sometimes leave lines on your nature print. Try your best to cover the entire piece of nature with one piece of tape. 

Step 3:

Place a thin piece of wood or cardboard inside the bag. Then hammer way! I found it best to hammer around the outside of the plant first and work your way towards the center to complete the print of each piece of nature.

I modeled this technique once, then let my boys have a turn! It was a fun collaborative effort. 

Step 4:

Take off the tape to reveal your print! I like to slowly peel off the tape to make sure we got the entire piece of nature. If not, I just placed it right back in it’s spot to continue the process. 

If the print is wet, let it dry before removing excess plant material. My pansies were pretty juicy, so I let them dry before I gently swept away the dried bits. 

Once you get the hang of it, you can tape a bunch at one time for a more dramatic reveal!

Once dried, you can iron the prints to help the colors set.

Here are some after photos! Which homemade pencil case do you like the most?

The large fern piece was a bit more difficult because we had overlapping tape which made it a bit uneven, but I think it still looks pretty!

Here are all of our designs in one spot.

Pin this activity to save it for later!

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

∼Tara

Looking for more nature crafts and activity ideas?! Check out:

Clay Dish With Evergreen Pieces

Stunning Leaf Lantern

The post Homemade Pencil Case With Nature Prints appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

Nature Christmas Card #1- Sticky Paper Card

Supplies

• White cardstock
• Pine needles
• Brown construction paper
• Clear contact paper– I did not purchase ours from Amazon so I am not 100% sure this is the type we used. You can get a closer look at the different types of contact paper at your local craft store
• White pom poms
• Clear sticker gems

This post contains Affiliate links for your convenience.

RELATED: Looking for another Christmas craft? Check out Pick a Pine Tree Nature Craft!

How to Make this Card:

Step 1: Draw a triangle on your card.

First, I used a ruler to help measure the triangle and keep the lines straight.

Step 2: Cut out the triangle.

Next, gently poke your scissors through the middle of your triangle and cut it out.

Step 3: Put clear contact paper behind the tree.

Then, make sure you put it sticky side facing up so you can stick pine needles on the triangle once the cover is closed. This paper is translucent so you can add a picture, fingerprint lights, or a special message on the inside of the card and it will show through the front of the card!

Step 4: Stick the pine needles on the contact paper.

Finally, make a design with the pine needle or just add them to look like a real pine tree. I started the design just to test it out and my son finished the top of the card for me. Isn’t this nature Christmas card so pretty?!

Step 5 (optional): Decorate your tree.

At this point, you can decorate the tree if you wish! I like the card both ways, but Leo was ready to decorate! We used sticker gems and pom pom. Just so you know, the pom poms didn’t stick very well and we needed to glue them one the contact paper.

Nature Christmas Card#2- Mini Evergreen Trees

Supplies

• White cardstock
• Little evergreen pieces
• Mini wooden beads
• Hot glue gun

How to Make this Card:

Step 1: Collect little pieces of evergreens from a tree.

The flat variety works the best. We used branches from an arborvitae in our yard.

Step 2: Invite your child to arrange the mini trees on the paper and glue them on.

We tried Elmer’s glue first and it didn’t work, so we stepped it up a notched and I used a hot glue gun.

Step 3: Invite your child to arrange the beads on the mini trees and hot glue them on.

Nature Christmas Card #3- Nature Ornament Card

Supplies

• White cardstock
• Hot glue gun
• Pine branch
• Dried orange slice- See how we made them over at Winter Solstice Hiking Stick
• Dried star anise
• Cinnamon Stick
• Hemp twine
• Star paper punch

How to Make this Card:

Step 1: Hot glue the star anise in the middle of the dehydrated orange slice.

This is a wonderful sensory activity and kids will love smelling the orange slice, star anise, cinnamon stick, and pine branch!

Step 2: Poke a little hole in the orange and thread a piece of twine through it.

Children can help tie the knots. This is great practice!

Step 3: Hot glue the cinnamon stick to the top of the orange and tie the twine around the top of the cinnamon stick.

Step 4: Tie a piece of pine on top of the cinnamon stick.

The pine and cinnamon stick give this ornament a pretty rustic feel!

Step 4: Punch a star near the top of the paper and tie the ornament to the card.

Add a Christmas message on the front of the card and this is a perfect card that doubles as a gift!

Save it for later and Pin it!

I hope you try making these nature Christmas cards! I promise, your little nature lovers will love them as much as my boys.

∼Tara

Need more Christmas nature activities?! Check out:

A Simple and Adorable Holiday Wreath

Holiday Candy Cane Stick Bouquet

The post Nature Christmas Cards to Make with Kids appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

I hear you…It’s a couple weeks before Christmas and you’ve been meaning to buy that special gift for a while now. I’m here to help! Wether you are looking for a special holiday or birthday gift, this list is for you. Check out these 15+ awesome nature-inspired gifts for kids!

I Saw It First

I Saw It First is a favorite board game in our home! Six triangular pieces turn into a stunning game board featuring 300 jungle animals. Pull an animal counter from the bag and be the first to spot that animal! My boys love this game and will often keep it set up for days at a time and stop in to play it when they have a chance! *Just an FYI, the jungle version is currently unavailable, but the EGYPT version is stunning and ready to ship!*

Laurence King Publishing I Saw It First! Jungle

$29.99

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06/13/2026 11:03 pm GMT

Moon in My Room

Moon in My Room was such a hit with my boys that they both have one! This is a authentically detailed 3D moon that illuminates the 12 main moon cycles. This is a must have for any moon-loving kid!

Uncle Milton Moon in My Room - 12 Light-Up Lunar Phases with Remote Control

$24.95

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06/13/2026 11:02 pm GMT

Rainbow in My Room

Rainbow in My Room is another beautiful gift that is sure to stir up a few oohhhhs and ahhhhs. This awesome gift projects rainbows across the walls and ceiling in your nature-loving kid’s bedroom!

Brainstorm Toys My Very Own Rainbow 250 x 175 x 120mm

$19.91

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06/13/2026 12:02 pm GMT

Tree Stump Pillow

These pillows are perfect to sit on and read a book! You can stack them high or get one for a cute accent pillow.

Wood Log Round Throw Pillow

$13.99

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06/13/2026 11:02 pm GMT

Rainbow Suncatcher

This rainbow sun catcher makes a great gift for a kid or adult! I love these so much! Just hang one on a sunny window and this rainbow sun catcher will transform the sunlight into an explosion of multiple hues. Seriously, tap on the link and check out the product photos!

Rainbow Prism Suncatcher for Window

$21.95

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06/13/2026 11:04 pm GMT

Wildcraft

Wildcraft is a cooperative board game that teaches kids all about medicinal and edible plants. This game is super educational and perfect for budding naturalists!

Wildcraft! an Herbal Adventure Game

$39.99

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06/13/2026 11:03 pm GMT

Light-Up Terrarium

This light-up terrarium is a lot of fun! We got this last Christmas and the boys had a lot of fun setting it up and watching the plants grow. This glows in the dark, so it makes the perfect nature nightlight!

Light-Up Terrarium Kit for Kids

$19.99

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06/13/2026 11:03 pm GMT

Crystal Growing Lab

This crystal growing lab is another favorite from last Christmas. My boys loved watching these beautiful crystals grow! They grow in eight vibrant colors and come with a lighted display!

Mega Crystal Growing Kit for Kids- Grow 8 Crystals with Light-Up Stand

$39.99

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06/13/2026 10:01 pm GMT

Break Open Geodes

This was an instant hit with my boys and nephew! This is definitely one of my favorite nature gifts for kids.  They all opened this gift together and were so excited to start cracking open their geodes together. The geodes were all very unique and the boys liked using the guide to identify the geodes!

Break Open 10 Premium Geodes - Includes Goggles and Display Stands

$31.99

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06/14/2026 05:03 am GMT

Flower Press and Craft Kit

This is a classic gift that every child should have! This gift comes with a 4 inch flower press and crafting supplies to help spark some creativity with those beautiful pressed flowers.

Pressed Flower Art Kit

$14.99

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06/13/2026 11:03 pm GMT

Sun Print Paper

Sun art paper is the COOLEST gift you can buy! Just place natural materials on this sun-sensitive paper and set it outside. Within minutes, the sun will turn the paper into a beautiful shade of blue, leaving images of your nature finds on the paper! This paper works on cloudy, wintery days as well as sunny, summer days! This looks so beautiful framed If you want a larger size, then try this brand!

Sun Art Paper Kit 5x7

$11.60

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06/14/2026 02:06 am GMT

Young Naturalist Kit

Every kid needs an adventure bag with the essentials! This young naturalist kit comes with everything you need to get outdoors and start exploring.

Kids Explorer Kit & Bug Catcher Kit, Outdoor Exploration Set with Hat, Vest, Butterfly Net and Bugs Book

$24.99

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06/13/2026 11:03 pm GMT

Educational Talking Microscope

My boys got this microscope for Christmas last year and love it! This microscope comes with beautiful slides and fun facts and questions related to each slide. My boys have pulled this out multiple times throughout the year and play with it for days at a time!

Talking Microscope Featuring Bindi Irwin

$47.99

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06/13/2026 11:02 pm GMT

Butterfly and Bird Identification Blanket

I absolutely love these learning blankets! This company has multiple blankets that are so adorable and useful. Check out the different styles at Birdy Boutique.  

Double Sided Learning Blanket Butterflies & Backyard Species

$39.99

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06/14/2026 05:02 am GMT

Gentle Bug Vacuum

This gentle bug vacuum will keep your little ones outside exploring for hours! We got this last summer and both of my boys thought it was really fun to play with. 

Nature Bound Bug Catcher Vacuum with Light Up Critter Habitat Case for Backyard Exploration

$34.99

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06/13/2026 11:03 pm GMT

Treasure Blocks

Get outside to collect pieces of nature to fill your treasure blocks. These unique observational stacking blocks can be filled with special nature treasures found by your little ones!

Guidecraft Treasure Blocks - Clear: Smooth Wooden Observation Stacking Blocks with Transparent Windows

$49.95

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06/13/2026 11:02 pm GMT

I hope you enjoyed this list of nature gifts for kids!

Check out these gift lists:

Outdoor Gifts for Kids

Skills-Based Gifts for Kids

The post Last Minute Nature Gifts for Kids appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

We have a lot of beautiful pieces of nature that we incorporate into our learning activities. Flowers don’t seem to last very long because they’re fragile and tear so easily. I always miss those bright colors in our activities so I thought this method of preserving flowers would be perfect for our style of learning and playing.

Supplies:

• Flowers- Try bouquet flowers if they are currently out of season. You can also purchase already pressed flowers here. You can find many different options so look around on Amazon to see the different pressed flower “arrangements”
• Stones- We grabbed a few from our nature collection. You can also find stones in craft stores, landscape shops, or The Dollar Store.
• Mod Podge– We use gloss, but I’m interested in trying the matte finish!
• Wax Paper

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RELATED: Check out another way to use Mod Podge with stones here: Four Ways to Use Stones in the Classroom

Here’s How To Preserve Flowers:

Step 1:

Press flowers.

Not all flowers are easy to press and dry. I look for flowers with naturally flat blooms such as violets, daisies, and other single-petal flowers. I had this idea later in the flower season, so I couldn’t be very picky. The Black-Eyed Susans and Queen Anne’s Lace worked perfectly. I wish I would have removed the stamen from the purple Mexican Aster because the pollen stained part of the flower. Lesson learned! Ideally you want to pick flowers in the morning after the dew has evaporated. You’ll want to harvest them when they are just before their peak.

You can always buy a bouquet of flowers if you don’t currently have any growing outdoors. Just look for flowers with a single layer of petals and have fun experimenting with different types of flowers!

Once you pick or buy your flowers, place them between 2 pieces of wax paper in a book and close the book. Place a couple more heavy books on top and check back in a week or two.

Step 2:

Arrange your flowers on the stones. Each flower and stone has it’s own unique shape, so I like to find the perfect match before bringing out the Mod Podge.

Step 3:

Seal the flowers on the stones with Mod Podge. Start by taking the flower off the stone and applying a generous amount of Mod Podge on the stone.

Then put the flower back on the stone and apply another generous layer of Mod Podge on the flower. Since I put so much sealer on the flower, this will take about an hour to dry.

And there you have it! You will never need to look up how to preserve flowers again! This is such a fun method!

They are the perfect manipulatives to add to your favorite nature learning activities. You can learn all about patterns, colors, counting, and size/shape with these beautiful learning tools. More on those ideas soon!

You can also set these out as gorgeous decorations! Kids will love picking them up to play with as a loose part. Start making your beautiful flower stones ASAP so you can join in on the fun.

Until then, check out 10+ Simple and Beautiful Stone Activities!

Pin it and save it for later!

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

∼Tara

Need more nature craft ideas?! Check out:

A Beautiful Nature Frame

How to Make a Flower Hiking Stick

The post How to Preserve Flowers for Nature Activities appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

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The printables you will see in this post feature beautiful watercolor clipart that are personalized by children through different crafting techniques. As stated above, we love to display them in our home before we tuck them away for the season.

How to Display Your Keepsake Crafts

Here are three ways we like to display our keepsakes:

1. In a Nature Area

We hung a few on a bulletin board in our nature area! This worked well, because we had leaves and other pieces of nature on our nature table, so the boys could use those for the posters. 

2. In a Dollar Store Document Frame

Document frames fit an 8.5×11 inch paper perfectly! I took the glass piece out so there were no accidents. If you don’t have a Dollar Store near you, you can find one here.

3. In an Oversized Thrift Store Frame

Find an oversized frame, tape twine on the back and attach the keepsake crafts with clothespins! You can find inexpensive frames at thrift shops.

Let’s check out the keepsakes!

Keepsake #1

Leaves are one of my favorite fall nature finds so it’s fun to add them to a keepsake and look back on the leaves we gathered in previous years! We loved searching for a couple of feathers that were just right for this keepsake. Once you find them, just cut some fringe in the leaves, glue them on the keepsake and hang it on the wall for thanksgiving!

You might want to consider pressing the leaves first to help preserve them, but we skipped this step. These were pretty hardy leaves and didn’t curl at all.

Keepsake #2

We love going on moon walks and tend to see bats flying over our heads at night in our area. I want to remember these moments forever so we made a cute button full moon. If you haven’t already, I suggest starting a moon walk tradition! Your kids will love it and the fresh air makes everyone happy.

Keepsake #3

With two young children in our home, the alphabet song is in constant singing rotation;) I remember the first time Leo sang it with Sonny and I couldn’t believe how fast time goes. It seems like just yesterday they, were little babies. Time needs to slow down! To remember this early academic milestones, I made this stamp the alphabet acorn keepsake. They loved making them and we all thought it made a nice decoration!

Keepsake #4

Yes, Halloween is one of our favorite holidays and ghosts are a fun part of the day! I thought these adorable footprint ghosts made them a little less spooky and a fun Halloween tradition for my boys. You can use either fingerprints or bingo daubers for the eyes and mouth.

Keepsake #5

Who else goes to the pumpkin patch every year?! This is on our annual fall bucket list and is never EVER passed up. Trace your child’s hand and glue it to the pumpkin, frame it and hang it up! Make sure you save this one! You can compare hands from year to year.

Keepsake #6

Apple picking is also a favorite fall activity for us! We have a special orchard that we go to every year that involves a train ride and apple sugar donuts. It’s so special to me that I hope to bring my grandkids to the same spot for apple picking! This apple thumbprint keepsake is one of my favorites and also makes a great keepsake craft gift!

Keepsake #7

Speaking of great gifts, each grandparent got this keepsake for thanksgiving last year! It’s still hanging in their homes a year later. Just cut a simple leaf shape out of construction paper and either let your children write what they are thankful for or you can write if for them! Glue the leaves on the tree and you are all set.

Keepsake #8

Make some wonderful leaf pile jumping memories and then bring a few inside to cut into little pieces. Glue them on this printable and you have a beautiful keepsake to save for years to come. Every time you dig it out, you will be reminded of those joyful fall memories!

Keepsake #9

We love observing spiders in the fall! Spiders that were babies in spring have had all spring and summer to grow and grow. So, they are much more noticeable in fall. We did a little marble painting for this activity to create a beautiful silvery metallic spiderweb! This process is so fun and I think makes the perfect keepsake to remember all of our fall spider nature walks.

Keepsake #10

Go on a leaf hunt and bring in a few to stamp on this pretty printable. Again, we used a shimmery metallic paint to make this keepsake extra special. It’s a fun way to document a memorable leaf hunt!

Keepsake #11

Those beautiful pieces of nature that fall from trees are what makes fall so special! Glue some special nature finds onto clothespins and invite your children to arrange them in any way they would like on this paper autumn wreath. This looks beautiful hung on the wall!

Keepsake #12

This is the annual bucket list that we check off every year! I attached our glittery acorns which was our nature craft for last fall. They were so shimmery and easy to attach to the bucket list. We still have those acorns and we turned them into magnets!

If you love these keepsake crafts, you can find them here!

Looking for all four seasons?! You can find them here!

Save these ideas for later and Pin it!

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

∼Tara

Need more fall ideas?! Check out:

The Cutest No-Carve Pumpkin Design

Stunning Leaf Lanterns

The post 12 Low-Prep Fall Keepsake Printables appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

Check out 20+ FREE OUTDOOR NATURE WALK CHECKLIST AND SCAVENGER HUNT PRINTABLES for more fun ideas!

Ready for some fun and creative butterfly activities that children will love?! 

Giant Butterfly Identification Chart

This chart is really fun to create and looks beautiful when complete. Here’s how me made it:

1. Print out the labels, butterflies, and poster from the packet.
2. You can choose to skip this step, but I suggest laminating the pieces of paper if you want to try this activity multiple times. My boys were begging me to try it again as soon as they were finished so I highly recommend it! Plus you can reuse the laminated pieces for the activities below as well. That’s as huge timesaver!
3. Cut out the labels and butterflies.
4. Tape contact paper on the wall, sticky side out. Contact paper is an inexpensive material that has a decorative surface on one side and an adhesive material on the other side. The paper sticks to the desired surface with minimal effort. We just used white contact paper.
5. We hung the butterfly poster above our chart for extra reference. I framed it with a document frame.
6. Set the butterflies out on a table and invite your child to look carefully at the features on the butterflies and match them to the correct label. We talked about their colors, designs and wing shapes as my boys matched them.
7. Do your kids have extra energy? Move the butterflies across the room and turn it into a movement activity!
8. If you laminated the pieces, just peel them off and they are ready to go for the next activity.

Outdoor Butterfly Fact Scavenger Hunt

This activity not only focuses on butterfly identification but also helps your child learn more about various butterfly species. Here’s what we did:

1. Print off butterflies, fact cards, and recording sheet of your choice from the packet. We printed off the butterfly checklist for my four year old and butterfly list for my six year old.
2. First glue the butterflies to clothespins. Feel free to use the same cut out butterflies as the previous activity! I presented the butterflies a different way for this activity by cutting on the circle outline instead of the actual butterfly.
3. Clip the butterflies around your yard before the activity.
4. Once you finished that, put the recording sheets on clipboards, gather your fact cards, and start searching for the butterflies!
5. As you find the butterflies, mark them on the recording sheet and read the three interesting facts on the card. This is a really fun way to move around and learn at the same time. Keep going until you find all ten!
6. If its raining outside or you don’t have the outdoor space, you can always do this activity indoors!

Sensory Butterfly Identification Activities

These activities are guaranteed to keep your kids busy for a while!

For the sensory bin, I poured rainbow rice into our bin and added wooden pieces, glass gems, and various wooded scoops/sensory tools. I added the butterfly poster to encourage butterfly identification practice.

For the butterfly play dough tray, I added blue glass gems, pebbles, fake flowers, and play dough tools. We talked about the benefits of butterfly feeders and made one on the play dough tray!

During both activities, we talked about the colors, designs and wing shapes of the butterflies as they matched them to the poster.

Stick Butterfly Bouquet

This is another activity that can be enjoyed over and over again! We attached the butterflies on sticks with velcro dots so my boys loved peeling them off the velcro and sticking them in different spots. Without prompting, they discussed the butterfly attributes that we have been studying all week and shared their favorite butterflies with each other. It was exciting to watch them learn through play!

At one point, my boys started running around the house with their favorite butterfly stick and it got me thinking about all the different ways to enjoy this activity! Here’s a few more I thought of:

1.  Butterfly wand
2.  Butterfly hiking stick
3. Mother’s Day butterfly stick bouquet

Velcro Butterfly Stones

Check out this beautiful invitation to sort butterfly types! Here’s how we set it up:

1. Print the butterfly labels and butterflies from the packet or reuse the butterflies if you tried a previous activity.
2. Use the same velcro dots as the stick butterfly bouquet activity and put as many as you need on each stone.
3. Put the other side of the velcro dots on the butterflies and place them on the table near near the labels.
4. I didn’t give my boys any direction for the activity but they naturally started sorting them on their own. They were so excited to tell me the names of the butterflies and share a fact or two that they remembered from the outdoor scavenger hunt!

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Please Pin this activity if you love it!

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

∼Tara

Need more creative outdoor ideas?!

Check out 25+ Nature-Inspired Summer Activities for Kids

The post Hands-On Butterfly Identification Activities for Kids appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

Summer is a magical time when the days are filled with adventure and no schedule. We pack so much fun into those three months that it can be difficult to remember to pause and appreciate those fleeting moments. I decided to make this nature frame to help me stop time and reminisce on those days when my boys were running through wildflower fields with the sun shinning on their sweet faces!

If you would like to freeze time in this beautiful and special way, join me and make a nature frame. Here’s what you will need..

Supplies:

• Cardboard
• Twine or String
• Scissors
• Tape
• Nature

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Here’s How We Made The Nature Frame:

Step 1:

Collect pieces of nature. Find a spot with a field of wildflowers and grab a fistful:)

Step 2:

Cut your cardboard piece and cut out the middle part. I traced a photo in the middle of the cardboard and cut out the outline. It’s not perfect but once you weave the flowers, you don’t notice the minor flaws.

Step 3:

Start wrapping the twine around the frame. I used tape to secure the twine to the frame.

Step 4:

Continue to wrap the twine around the nature frame. You’ll need to pull it tight and tape it on the back so the twine doesn’t loosen.

When you’re finished with this step, you can cut all of the runaway fringe from the twine. You don’t want it to distract from the photo! You won’t have to do this if you choose string.

This looks like a lot of work, but only took me about three minutes!

Step 5:

This is where my boys helped me! They wove the flowers and ferns in the twine. Don’t be scared to add a lot of flowers because they will shrink quite a bit during the drying process.

Step 6:

Now it’s time to dry your flowers. First, Place a piece of wax paper on top of the flowers and nature frame.

Step 7:

Place a heavy book on top of the wax paper and frame. Check back in about a week.

If the flowers are not dry, give it one more week. Ours dried in 6 days!

Just look at that beautiful detail in the dried flowers and ferns!

Add a sweet summer memory to your nature frame and it’s ready for hanging!

Please Pin this activity if you love it!

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

∼Tara

Need more nature craft ideas?! Check out:

How to Make a Simple Dandelion Frame

A Simple and Beautiful Nature Craft to Try Today!

The post A Beautiful Nature Frame appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

*If you love this post, check out 10 Nature Heart Activities for Kids!*

My boys are definitely my inspiration for this nature craft. They are OBSESSED with these reversible sequins! They just love them and I totally understand why! These special sequin patches are really neat to look at and are so incredibly soothing to flip. I know you agree;)

Here’s how I envision these being used:

• These make for the most lovely back to school or Valentine’s Day gift for a teacher. As a second grade teacher, I would LOVE to receive this as a gift from a student. The combination of the smooth stone and reversible sequins make for the perfect stress reliever when things get a little crazy in the classroom.
• Speaking of Valentine’s Day, can you imagine the cheers your children would receive if they brought these as gifts for their classmates?!
• This sequin craft also make fantastic Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gifts!
• They are the perfect accessory in any calming corner! Just put a few in a basket and watch the calming vibes work their magic.

Are you ready to make a few? Here’s what you’ll need…

Supplies:

• Rocks-We collect ours from the lake. If you don’t have a spot in nature to collect rocks, I recommend purchasing from the Dollar Store or craft store.
• Reversible Heart Sequin Patches– I couldn’t find any reversible patches in the craft stores and Amazon has limited options. We went with this package that also comes with stars. I found a few of the stars a little difficult to flip, but the hearts are perfect!
• Gorilla Glue– These sequins take a lot of flipping so I wanted to make sure the patches didn’t go anywhere.
• Water

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Here’s How I Made This Sequin Craft:

Step 1:

Gather your rocks, water, sequin patches and Gorilla Glue.

Step 2:

Next, put a little water on the rock. This helps the glue do it’s job!

Step 3:

Then, put Gorilla Glue on the back of the sequin patch. You don’t need a ton because this stuff is strooong and for adults ONLY! Feel free to try a less powerful glue if you don’t feel comfortable using this product.

Step 4:

The directions on the Gorilla Glue say to clamp the objects together, but we don’t have one. I decided to stack printer paper on top of the sequin patches and it worked just fine.

Finally, just wait a couple hours for the glue to dry then give it a try. Easy as that!

This sequin craft was love at first sight of all of us! My boys shrieked with delight and were so excited to play with them. What do you think? Tell me in the comments!

Please Pin this activity if you love it!

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

∼Tara

Need more stone activities?! Check out:

Four Ways to Use Stones in the Classroom

A Simple Stone Activity to Try Today!

The post Reversible Sequin Heart Nature Craft appeared first on Little Pine Learners.