Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Tag Archives: nature craft ideas

How to Cultivate Independent Play in Your Child

How to Cultivate Independent Play in Your Child

It’s probably safe to assume that most parents would agree that allowing your child to park him/herself in front of the TV all day is a bad idea.  So why is it that in 2009, the average 2-5 year old watched a screen (TV, DVD, iPad, computer) for an astounding 32 hours per week?!?  (And 6-11 year olds weren’t that much better, at 28 hours per week.)  That’s more than an entire day out of every week!  As shocking as those statistics are, I think the reason behind them is simple.  Parents are tired, and stretched too thin – an educational DVD…Read the rest of this entry →

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Quickie Nature Craft – For the Birds (and Squirrels)

Quickie Nature Craft – For the Birds (and Squirrels)

Sometimes you just want a quickie activity to entertain your little one before heading out for the day.  I don’t know about you, but I’m always on the lookout for ideas that involve more nature and less screen time.  And if it can be educational/useful/environmentally-friendly…all the better, right?  Sometimes we try out our own original ideas, and other times we glean from others (usually after a night of Pinterest research…).  But sometimes, the classic stand-bys are just as fun, if not more so!   A few weeks ago my hubby celebrated his birthday, and one of the more thoughtful gifts…Read the rest of this entry →

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Fall Craft Project: Leaf Placemats (and Window Decor…)

Fall Craft Project: Leaf Placemats (and Window Decor…)

One of my favorite craft mediums from nature has got to be autumn leaves.  They come in a spectacular array of colors, each one unique, and are available for free in unlimited supply!  That’s why in addition to family raking days, we try to do at least one art project with our leaves before they fall down and turn brown.  Last year, one of our projects was making leaf-covered vests at McDowell Nature Preserve.  This year I opted for something a little more decorative that we’d be able to use throughout the season.  But considering that he’s 3 and I’m…Read the rest of this entry →

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Toddler Science Experiments: Ice Ice Baby!

Toddler Science Experiments: Ice Ice Baby!

All winter long I’d been wanting to do a science experiment with C involving water turning to ice, but our sub-freezing temps have been few and far between (and for some reason, using the freezer felt like cheating…unless it was July, of course).  But one day last week we finally saw the forecast we’d been waiting for – a low of 22!  We gathered our supplies and headed outside.  Here’s how our experiment worked: 1.  Collect – We walked around the yard with a large muffin tin, picking up nature items off the ground.  We used twigs, pine needles, clover,…Read the rest of this entry →

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Birdseed Wreath: Wintry Decor for your Feathered Friends!

Birdseed Wreath: Wintry Decor for your Feathered Friends!

Just before Christmas I wrote about “5 Homemade Ornament Ideas for Outdoor Trees.”  Most of the ideas also doubled as a holiday treat for the birds and squirrels (or in our case…deer.)  One of the ideas listed was a Birdseed Wreath, and at the time I posted we hadn’t had a chance to make one yet.  Well, eventually we got around to it, and after a lot of trial and error experimenting with various online “recipes,” we ended up with a beautiful wreath that was too awesome not to share!  In fact, it was so simple (once we figured it…Read the rest of this entry →

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“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN