DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Camp Crafts: Nature-Inspired Projects for Kids
Ready to turn on your creative engines? At DLTK's Crafts for Kids, we have some delightful ideas that will help us appreciate nature's beauty even more! So, let's get started!
Nature Bracelets
Age Rating: 4+
Materials:
Our toolkit will include masking tape or adhesive tape, scissors, and the real stars - various natural objects like leaves, flowers, and small twigs.
Instructions:
Wrap a piece of tape gently around your child's wrist with the sticky side facing outward. Let them stick natural objects onto the tape. Watch as they create their very own nature-inspired bracelet!
Leaf Prints
Age Rating: 5+
Materials:
You'll need leaves, paper, and crayons or paint.
Instructions:
Let's make a leafy impression! Just place a leaf on a piece of paper and gently rub a crayon or paint over it. Voilà! You have a beautiful leaf print.
Rock Painting
Age Rating: 6+
Materials:
Grab some smooth rocks, acrylic paint, and paintbrushes.
Instructions:
Unleash the inner artists in your children! Let them paint colorful designs, cute rock creatures, or inspiring messages on the rocks.
Friendship Bracelets
Age Rating: 7+
Materials:
We'll need colored embroidery thread, and beads if you fancy.
Instructions:
Show the kids how to weave friendship bracelets using basic knotting techniques. They can mix and match with different colors and add beads to personalize.
Twig Picture Frames
Age Rating: 8+
Materials:
Four sticks, scissors, twine and photos.
Instructions:
Here's a charming way to keep memories! Lash four sticks together and cross the twine in an X to make a simple photo frame. This is a great project for learning how to lash sticks together!
Paper Bag Nature Journals
Age Rating: 8+
Materials:
Brown paper bags, stapler, scissors, paper, pencils, and markers.
Instructions:
To encourage your child's budding interest in nature, we'll make a nature journal! Fold the brown paper bags in half (or leave them the full length) and staple the folded edge. Instead of stapling, you can also punch a few holes along the spine of your book and use string or ribbon to tie your book together.
The kids can now record their nature observations and sketches by printing on the brown paper and they can store special finds inside the bag!
Pinecone Bird Feeders
Age Rating: 6+
Materials:
For our feathered friends, gather some pinecones, peanut butter, birdseed, and string or yarn.
Instructions:
Spread peanut butter onto the pinecones and then roll them in birdseed. Attach a string or yarn to hang the bird feeders on trees or branches. Bird-watching has never been so much fun!
Recycled Bottle Wind Chimes
Age Rating: 9+
Materials:
We're recycling plastic bottles here, and adding colorful string or yarn, beads, and bells.
Instructions:
Cut the top of the plastic bottles and decorate them with paint or markers. Thread string through the bottles, adding beads or bells.
Make a small hole in the bottom of the bottle and thread your string through. Tie a button, large bead or stick onto the string on either side of the bottle (inside and outside) so the string stays in place.
Hang the strings from a stick or branch to create a whimsical wind chime.
Nature Scavenger Hunt
Age Rating: 4+
Materials:
Let's get adventurous with a visual scavenger hunt list using a paper bag and tape.
Instructions:
We'll create a visual list of natural objects for the kids to find during a camp walk or hike. They can joyfully fill their bag with each item as they discover it. This is a great project for kids to make for each other (each can create a bag for the other to fill).
Tin Can Lanterns
Age Rating: 10+
Materials:
Some clean tin cans, a hammer, a nail, and tea light candles.
Instructions:
Light up the night! Use a hammer and nail to poke holes in the tin cans creating fascinating patterns or images. Place tea light candles inside the cans and light them up for a magical lantern effect in the evening. Optional: You can spray paint your cans if you want them to be a color.
Remember to supervise younger children and ensure they use any tools or materials safely.
Happy crafting!
Leanne
Print friendly version of these instructions.
