diy

  • CRAFTS, HOLIDAYS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, WINTER

    20 DIY Nature-Inspired Holiday Ornaments for Kids

    We love finding fun ways to incorporate nature into our home and decor. While it may be cold outside, now is a great time to get out into nature, collect some fun items, and get crafty! Today, Meghan Garriott, Illinois mom of three, is here with 20 nature-inspired holiday ornaments that you can make with your kids. These DIY ornaments are all made with items found in (and just outside) your home! Not only are they the perfect (non-breakable) addition to your tree, but they also make adorable gifts for friends, family, teachers, and neighbors. 

    20 diy nature inspired holiday ornaments

    Nature-inspired holiday ornaments

    Decorating for the winter holidays can be a fun family experience. Each year we like to put on music, dance and decorate. Unfortunately, with 3 little kids, it’s hard to not have a ton of broken or damaged decor by the end of decorating, and definitely by the end of the season.

    This year we are doing things a little differently. I’m pardoning all my glass bulbs and heirloom ornaments. They’re staying in their boxes, safe and sound this year. Instead, we are made all of our own nature ornaments.

    Not only does that mean that we got to spend some time outside in the fresh air collecting items, but we got to spend time together making the ornaments and putting them up. 

    Plan your crafting day

    Below, I’ve included ideas for making 20 different kinds of nature-inspired ornaments. Each ornament uses both natural materials and traditional craft supplies. Making the ornaments is super fun, but so is collecting all your nature items. Since you will be using a lot of the same materials over again, I recommend making a full day out of it and do both the collecting and ornament making in the same day. Spend the morning gathering all your materials and then go home and start making your ornaments. Your nature items will be fresher, there will be less whining about when you’ll make them, ess clean up and fewer sticky/painted fingers this way!

    Nature ornaments for kids

    Gather your craft supplies 

    For our day of ornament making, we used only the craft supplies that we had at home. No additional trip to the store for supplies – we made do with all the scraps, ends, and bits we found in our craft closet and boxes. Every ornament we walk you through below is very easy to customize based on what you have at home and I’ll include fun variations for a lot of them.

    Our non-nature material included:

    • string
    • twine
    • glue
    • construction paper
    • Mod Podge
    • wood beads
    • oranges
    • salt dough (water, salt, flour)
    • paint

    Some additional fun things to consider using would be:

    • leftover ribbon
    • leftover wrapping paper
    • spare buttons
    • popsicles sticks
    • glitter
    • sequins
    • stickers

    Collect your nature materials

    The next thing to do is get outside and find natural materials. You likely won’t have to venture too far from home to collect most of your nature materials. In our own yard, we collected sticks and pine cones. We went to the park to collect some pieces of arborvitae/red cedar tree clippings and some pine clippings. We had some pressed flowers from over the summer that we used as well. Acorns were on our list of things to find but unfortunately, the squirrels beat us to most of them. I’ve included how we planned it used them.

    My kids had a great time finding the perfect sticks and pine cones to use. To make the most of your hunting day check out this Fall Scavenger Hunt how-to.

    Holiday salt dough tree ornaments with pine and red string

    20 DIY nature-inspired ornaments (and how to make them)

    Ok, let’s get to the good part. Are you ready for 20 easy DIY tutorials on how to make the cutest nature-inspired holiday ornaments with your kids? Here we go! 

    Salt dough ornaments

    There are so many different fun types of ornaments you can make with salt dough. Have you ever made salt dough? It’s super easy and guaranteed to be fun for the kids. I’ve included the recipe and instructions below, as well as three different types of nature-inspired ornaments you can make with salt dough.

    Salt dough recipe

    • 1 cup of flour
    • 1/2 cup of salt
    • 1/2 cup of water (may add more as needed)

    Knead the dough till smooth then use a rolling pin till thin. Use cookie cutters to cut desired shapes. Using a reusable metal straw poke holes for string to go through. Bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 20min then flip over and cook for 10 more minutes.

    1. Salt dough Christmas tree ornaments

    Gather small Arborvitae/red cedar clippings. Choose the pieces that look the most like a Christmas tree. Cut them to fit your salt dough shape. Place clipping on salt dough and paint with thick layer of Mod Podge. It will likely take a few coats with about 20 min dry time between each coat.

    Once the Arborvitae is securely on your dough you can paint ornaments or a star on your tree, or leave it as is. (As an added bonus, these clippings smell really lovely)

    Painting modge podge on ornament - how to make diy salt dough ornaments2. Salt dough pressed flower ornament 

    As above you organize then pressed flowers on your cut and baked dough. Carefully handle the pressed flowers.  They may be delicate. Once arranged how you like paint with. Thick layer of Mod Podge. It will take a few coats.

    If you don’t have any pressed flowers this year, keep this idea in mind come spring and summer! Collect them and press them in a book until you’re ready to use them next December. Add some ribbon or twine to hang and some accent beads if you have them.

    3. Salt dough pine needle ornament

    For this ornament you will coat the whole ornament with Mod Podge before placing the needles. While the Mod Podge is still wet use the pine needles to make designs on your ornament. Let dry then coat with one more layer of Mod Podge.

    Pressed flower on salt dough - easy nature inspired holiday ornaments to make with your kids

    Acorn ornaments 

    4. Acorn silver bells ornament 

    Paint acorns in metallic silver. Add a black cross-hatch on the bottom of the acorn to look like the bottom of a bell. Tie a red ribbon or string around the acorn stem to hang

    5. Acorn bulb lights

    Paint the bottom part of multiple acorns in bright colors. Hang separately or along one long string like a strand of lights.

    Twig star wrapped in twine - holiday ornaments made from nature

    Ornaments made from sticks and twigs

    6. Stick star ornaments

    Use 5 fairly equal in length sticks. Fashion them in the shape of a star and glue edges together. Regular glue works ok, but has a longer dry time. Hot glue works best. Once dry wrap string, twine, or ribbon around the star. Wrap just the points of the star, wrap the individual twigs or wrap the whole thing like we did. There is no wrong way to decorate your star.

    A fun variation would be to make tassels and attach them to the end of the points. If you don’t have string or ribbon just paint that star or cover it in glitter ( if you’re brave). You could also paint the sticks/twine or add sequins to make them more colorful.

    7. Stick letter ornaments

    Use sticks to make the first letter of all the names in your family. This was a good activity for my 3 year old who is learning how to spell his name. Wrap letters in ribbon, yarn or twine. Decorate with buttons, paint, or glitter.

    8. Stick reindeer ornaments

    Make a triangle with sticks with one point of the triangle pointing at you. This will be the reindeer’s nose. Bring the furthest side from towards you a few inches, the extra length on the sides will be the antlers. Use  construction paper to make a red Rudolph nose and put some eyes on each side a few inches above the nose.

    9. Stick snowflake ornaments

    Using 6 sticks of equal length, glue them all together at one point to create a circle. At the end of each stick glue 2 small stick pieces to each side of each stick to form the full snowflake. Paint it white, cover it with glitter or just leave it as is.

    Christmas tree made of sticks and string -diy nature inspired holiday ornaments for kids

    Tree ornaments made of sticks 

    10. Stacked stick tree ornaments

    Start with a stick about 6 inches long, place gradually shorter sticks above to form a Christmas tree. To keep the stack together you can glue to a. Popsicle stick base or tie them together with knots between each stick as seen below.

    11. Wrapped twig tree ornament

    For this tree we used a stick that naturally branched off into a V then glued another stick across the bottom to complete the triangle. We then use a small piece for the trunk of the tree. Wrap twine, yarn or string around the triangle to fill in the tree. Add a star at the top.

    Tree made from string and twigs

    Pinecone ornaments 

    12. Pinecone Christmas tree ornament

    Paint the scales if the pine cone green. Feeling artsy? Try using two or three different colors of green on the same cone. Add a star at the top and maybe some homemade ornaments to finish it off. You can use sequins or little pom-poms for the ornaments. Or even nature confetti (use a hole punch on some vibrant colored leaves). 

    13. Snow covered pinecone ornaments

    Paint the edge of each scale white. For glistening snow add iridescent flake paint on top of the white or sprinkle with white, silver, or gold glitter.

    14. Beaded pinecone ornaments

    Use smaller pine cones for this one. Tie string to the top of the pine cone, add colored or plain wood beads to the string on top of the pine cone. If you have small beads, glue then to the pinecone scales like ornaments on a tree.

    15. Disco ball pinecone

    There are a few ways to completely glitter your pinecone in order to turn it into a sparkly disco ball. You can spray the whole pine cone with spray adhesive then put pinecone and glitter in ziplock bag and shake till completely covered. Another way to cover it in glitter is to paint each scale with glittered acrylic paint. Either way you do it these are a great addition to the holiday decor because they are so sparkly and reflect the lights beautifully. 

    Pro tip: When temperatures are low pinecones tend to close up. To open them back up just put them in the oven at 200 for about 15 minutes. 
    Painting glitter on pinecone

    Globe ornaments 

    16.  Filled globe nature ornaments

    Start with some clear plastic globe ornaments (like these). Then, fill them up with your favorite nature finds. You can make beachy ornaments (filled with sand or shells from your favorite beach), pine forest ornaments (filled with pine needle clippings) or even wildflower ornaments (filled with dried flowers). The possibilities are endless!

    Pro tip: This is also a great way to remember a particular trip or vacation. While you’re there (wherever you are), remember to collect a bunch of small items that can be placed in a globe ornament. When you get home, put all the things in the ornament and write the destination and date of the trip on the globe. 

    17. Pressed flower globe ornaments

    Instead of putting dried flowers inside a clear ornament, you can decorate the outside of your ornament with them! Paint the entire outside of the globe ornament with Mod Podge. Gently spread pressed flowers onto wet Mod Podge and allow the first layer with the flowers to dry. Next, add a second layer on top of the flowers to seal. The Christmas tree lights shining through the flower petals is so pretty.

    Orange slice with cinnamon stick and red string

    Dried fruit ornaments

    Decorating with dried fruit is so simple and festive! To dry oranges or grapefruit, slice the fruit into thin even slices. We used a potato slicer/mandolin to make sure all slices were the same thickness. Place slices on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Before baking punch holes for hanging. We used a reusable metal straw to punch these holes. Bake for 2-3 hours or until dry. 

     18. Dried orange ornaments

    While the dried oranges are beautiful hung just by themselves, we also made a few with pine clippings, cinnamon sticks and beads on the string above the orange. Another variation and to add some color, use grapefruit or blood oranges. 

    19. Dried fruit garland

    Instead of one single ornament, string oranges or grapefruit slices together using twine or string. Add beads, cranberries, acorns or popcorn between each orange for fun variations.

    Suncatcher nature ornament 

    20. Suncatcher nature ornament

    Using clear contact paper, place colorful leaves, pressed flowers, ferns, nature confetti, or pine needles in a fun arrangement. Place another layer of contact paper over the top to seal in arrangement. Cut out into shapes and poke a hole in the top to hang on tree. Check out this fun flower suncatcher for more ideas. 

    Get creative with your nature ornaments

    Nature-inspired ornaments are so much fun to make with your kids. The good news is that there is no wrong or right way to make any of these ornaments. You or you children will likely come up with many variations as you are working on them. The beauty of working with natural materials is the are already perfectly imperfect and leave a lot of room for creativity. Thankfully,  if any of these get knocked off the tree by tiny excited gift retrievers, you don’t have to worry about glass or ruining an heirloom. You can go outside and gather your supplies to make another.

    How will you be using nature ornaments to decorate for the holidays this year?

    About the author

    Meghan is a country living, mom of 2 boys in rural central Illinois (with a baby girl on the way). She is a Physical Therapist Assistant by trade but spends most of her time outside with her family. At home, she has large flower, herb, and vegetable gardens to tend to and 3 large dogs to play with. As a family, they enjoy hiking, camping, boating, fishing, and helping her in-laws show and raise livestock. Photography became a hobby while in isolation after her oldest son’s bone marrow transplant. It has since become a passion to capture her family’s daily life. Throughout her family’s journey with rare disease and transplant, the outdoors have been a safe space for the whole family to grow, learn, and thrive.

    You can find more from Meghan online in the following locations:
    Instagram: @meghangarriott
    RWMC posts: Meghan Garriott

  • ANIMALS/WILDLIFE, CRAFTS, GOOD FOR NATURE, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, URBAN NATURE

    How to Build a Bat House with Kids

    October is the perfect time of year to think about bats! If your kids are curious about bats and would love to learn more about these fascinating (and really beneficial) creatures, this post is for you! Today, Lissy Perna, Massachusetts mom of two and founder of Get Outside Cape Cod, is here to discuss all things BAT! Lissy walks us through the benefits and importance of bats and provides step-by-step instructions on how to build a bat house with kids. This hands-on DIY is easier to do than you might think! She also includes additional bat resources, bat book recommendations for kids, and some really interesting bat facts. 

    How to build a bat house with kids

    Have you ever thought about building a bat house with your kids, but you weren’t sure if it would be too much work? Well, I want you to know that you can totally do it! Building a bat house is an easy project that can be done in an afternoon. The shallow design of a bat box is perfect for bats because they like cramped, dark spaces for nesting. Get your kids involved in the planning and the work. Kids can help with picking the location, measuring the wood, cutting the pieces, driving nails, and decorating the bat house. Follow these steps while including your kids, and you’ll not only have built a bat house but will have formed a lasting memory together too!

    Benefits of bats

    Bats get a bad rap, as they are often associated with Halloween, vampires, and even the most recent pandemic. But, bats are crucial to their ecosystems and are generally not harmful or dangerous to humans. Here are some of the many valuable aspects of bats that you might not have been aware of.

    Bats that consume insects provide a critical amount of pest control – $3.7 billion worth in the United States alone each year. And, in a bittersweet way, these bats become sustenance for larger predators such as hawks, raccoons, and snakes. (Did anyone else start to sing “The Circle of Life” from the Lion King?)

    When you think of pollinators, bats probably aren’t the first creature that comes to mind. Bees, butterflies, or birds might top your list. But, some bats, like the Mexican long-tongued bat, are perfectly adapted to pollinate the agave plant in the Southwestern US. Sweet!

    Bat guano is rich in nutrients. Did you know that bat excrement (or bat droppings), also known as guano, is high in nitrogen and can be used as organic fertilizer? It’s more effective than cow manure, so moo-ve over heifers, we have a new way to fertilize our gardens.

    Flying bat in the evening skyPhoto credit: Stephen Ghio            

    What do bats eat?

    Bats eat various things, like fruit, nectar, pollen, and insects. Some even drink blood! However, out of 1400 species of bats, only 3 are vampire bats species that survive by consuming blood.

    Did you know that bats are the prime pollinator for the agave plant, an ingredient in tequila? So the next time you’re drinking a margarita, make a toast to a bat!

    The bat populations in our area in Massachusetts are all insectivores, meaning they only feed on insects. In just one hour, a single little brown bat can eat up to 1,000 insects. A nursing mother bat can eat up to 4,000 insects in one night; isn’t that wild?

    More amazing bat facts for kids

    Let’s face it, bats are pretty interesting creatures. Here are ten more facts about our winged friends that I thought were unusual that might interest your kids:

    • Bats are the only mammal that can truly fly.
    • The oldest living bat on record was found in Siberia; it lived to be 41 years old!
    • Bats have lived on earth for over 50 million years, and the oldest fossil was found in Wyoming near Yellowstone National Park.
    • The saying “blind as a bat” doesn’t hold much weight, as bats can actually see. Some bats that eat fruit rely almost entirely on their vision to find their food.
    • The largest known colony of bats is in Texas at the Bracken Bat Cave. There are more than 20 million bats living together!
    • Bats are a symbol of happiness in Japan.
    • Bat excrement or guano was used to make gun powder during the Civil War.
    • There is species of bat in West Africa that live in spider webs!
    • Bats’ echolocation is so precise that it can detect an object as thin as human hair.
    • The smallest known bat is Kitti’s Hog-nose bat also known as the Bumblebee Bat because it only weighs 2 grams.

    Now that you’ve learned so much about these truly magnificent mammals and the critical role they play in our ecosystem, are you ready to build your bat house? Great! Just hang in there because I have all the information you need up next.

    Flying batPhoto credit: Adam Olliver

    Bat house design

    Typically, bat house design is pretty straightforward. Bat houses are usually in the shape of a narrow flat box, with an opening at the bottom for the bats to fly in and out of. The goal for bat house design is to make a bat house that mimics the space between tree bark and a tree trunk. The space inside a bat house should be very narrow, unlike a birdhouse, which would house a round nest. Bats like tight spaces. They also like warm spaces when raising their young. The open bottom designs allow the bats easy entrance/exit. 

    Gathering materials to build your bat house

    First, you will need to gather all materials to build the bat house with your kids.

    Tools needed:

    • Hammer
    • (24) 2-inch nails, aka “6-penny nails”, or galvanized screws
    • Circular saw
    • Compound miter saw
    • Power drill
    • Tape measure
    • Pencil for marking measurements and straight edge
    • Safety goggles
    • (2) 3″ exterior screws for mounting
    • Paint and paintbrush (optional)
    • Plastic mesh netting and staple gun (optional)
    • Wood boards (preferably cedar boards)

    Pieces of wood cut into the following sizes:

    You’ll need to cut 6 separate pieces of wood to assemble the house. Measuring the boards is a great project for kids. I’ve included the dimensions for a basic bat house below, but you can certainly make a bigger bat house if you’d like; adjust the sizes accordingly. 

    • Front panel – 18.25″x12″x1″
    • Sides (2) – 22″x4″x.1″, make 30-degree cuts on one end of each
    • Back panel – 25″x 12″x1″
    • Roof – 16.5″x7″x1″, you can make a 30-degree angle on the roof if you choose to, not necessary
    • Predator Buffer – 12″x 1.5″x 1″

    Also, cedar is generally recommended but tends to be expensive. We chose to build with rough-sawn native white pine from a local mill, as it was less costly and has worked fine in bat boxes that we have made in the past. Whichever wood you decide to use, remember that it must not be treated with any chemicals, as they can be harmful to the bats. Purchasing an 8-foot by 1-foot plank of wood from a lumberyard should give you enough material to build your entire bat house.

    Drill, saw, hammer, nails, staple gunWood pieces needed to build bat house

    How to assemble a bat house

    Create kerfs in the wood

    The first step in assembling your bat house is to make sure that the interior sections of the house are not planed or smooth. As you can see on our back piece, we created multiple horizontal lines with the saw. These “kerfs” were a quarter-inch deep and made with the compound miter saw. (This step would most likely be a job for an older child, but using power tools can be an empowering skill to learn!)

    These kerfs make it easier for the bats to hang when sleeping upside down in the house. Another option is to use plastic netting and staple it onto the interior of the bat house. Carefully trim any excess edges to avoid injuring the bats while inside the house. Bat houses should not contain fabric or plastic mesh. 

    Keep the predators out

    Next, nail the predator buffer to the bottom of the inside of the front piece. This piece of wood is vital to prevent predators from climbing inside the bat house and create a safe home for the bats. However, the small opening is still big enough for the bats to squeeze through. The gap at the bottom should be three-quarters to one inch.

    Nailing this piece of wood is a great way for the kids to get involved in building the bat house. You can help stabilize the pieces using wood glue, but that’s not necessary. Kids can use a hammer to pound in a few nails, and it’s great for hand-eye coordination! Pro-tip: Holding the hammer farther down on the grip, away from the head, will give you more force and more “BANG” for your buck.

    Hammering on predator buffer

    Add the sides to the bat house

    Next, use the power drill to start the holes in the sides of the house. We made three evenly spaced pilot holes along the edge. Pre-drilled holes made it easier for the kids to bang in the nails. These side pieces then get nailed to the back of the bat house.Drilling holes in side piece of bat houseNailing in side piece of bat house

    Add the front and landing areas

    The next steps are to slide the front piece into place and add the landing area. A little gap along the upper edge is a good thing – it’s necessary for ventilation. Use three more nails on each side. The overhang on the bottom is called the “landing area” this is where the bats land and climb up inside the house. A four-inch landing zone is sufficient for the bats to perch and climb comfortably.

    Attach roof and mount

    The last piece to attach is the roof. We used four nails after pre-drilling holes.

    Finally, drill a hole in the bottom center of the back piece & the top center of the roof for the exterior screws to mount to the side of a building or the side of a house. 

    Done building the bat house!

    And with that last step, you just built your very own bat house with your kids! Pat yourself on the bat- I mean, back. Great work!

    Decorating your bat house

    While it’s not necessary to paint your bat house, paint color can affect the inside temperature, which in turn can either attract or repel bats. You should either paint your bat house a light color or dark color depending on the temperature where you live. Here is a trusty map I found from Bat Conservation and Management that will guide you to what color you should paint your bat house based on your location if you decide to paint. Colder climates need darker colors to absorb warmth. 

    When painting your bat house, the most important rule is to choose non-toxic water or oil-based paint that will withstand natural elements such as snow and rain. You can use a drop cloth or old sheet to protect any surfaces from paint splatter. Remember to let the paint dry fully before hanging your house! 

    We decided not to paint our bat house and hung it up as-is. However, we did make another one and added a bat stencil to the front. The little brown bat stencil was initially drawn by my younger brother about twenty-five years ago when he first made a bat house with my dad. Can you believe my dad still had the stencil in his barn? This project ended up being incredibly special because my kids got to make this house with my dad and me, and he passed some of his carpentry skills on to them!

    Finished bat house with bat stencil

    bat stencil

    Where to hang a bat house

    Choosing a place to attach your bat house is very important and depends on whether bats will decide to move into your newly constructed dwelling. There are a few factors to keep in mind when choosing the best location and mounting your bat house.

    • The bat house should face south or south-east and get 6-8 hours of sun per day.
    • Mounting the house at least 12 to 20 feet from the ground is ideal.
    • The bat house should be away from bright lights.
    • Trees are not the best option for mounting a bat house because they are usually too shaded and predators can more easily access the house.
    • A fresh water source should be within a quarter-mile from where you place your bat house.
    • Multiple bat houses can be grouped side-by-side on a home or building or back-to-back on a pole mount.

    These seem like many requirements, but they are just general guidelines for the most successful bat houses. The goal is to do your best. If you only have a tree to mount it on, then try that. Or, if you don’t have a water source nearby, it’s still worth it to build a bat house!

    Attracting bats to your bat house

    Another thing to mention is building and hanging a homemade bat house does not guarantee that bats will decide to move in. Many factors are beyond your control that will determine whether or not you have a successful bat house. Some factors include predators nearby, other established roosts in the area, temperature and location of your bat house, etc. Ninety percent of bat houses become occupied by local bats within two years of installation, so practice patience. Hopefully, you will see some bat action sooner rather than later.

    Hanging the bat house

    “When day fades away, bats come out to play”

    Best times to look for bats

    If you want to look for bats in your backyard or a local park, choose a clear dry evening. Bats mainly come out at about dusk to feed, so find out when the sun sets and head out around that time. Where we live in New England, Spring, Summer, and early Fall are the best seasons to look for these flying mammals, as they hibernate during the colder months.

    When we set out to look for bats in our yard, we lay blankets on the lawn and ensured all outdoor lights were off. Then, staring up into the sky as the sunlight slowly fades away, we keep our eyes peeled for any movement above the trees. There’s certainly no shortage of mosquitos, so we hope the bats will soon follow. 

    SWOOP! We saw our first bat! It was a flash of jagged flight, looking almost uncoordinated, but we knew better. These winged mammals are precise hunters and we had front-row seats.

    My kids are always so excited to count bats. They love pointing at the sky and yelling out – “There’s one!” “I see another!” “Did you see those big brown bats, Mommy?!” It’s awesome. I try to capture photos of these insectivores, but they are too fast. As a result, only blurs of black in the early night sky showed up on my screen. The memory of this experience, however, is clear as a bell.

    Looking for bats at dusk in the back yard

    Become a bat-tivist (bat-activist)

    Now that you’ve built a sturdy bat house to help support the bats in your neighborhood, there are other ways that you can help protect and support bat populations.

    • Keep those dead trees up on your property! If they aren’t going to be a safety hazard, let them stay. Their natural cavities create the perfect habitat for bats, as well as many other creatures.
    • Refrain from using dangerous pesticides, as these can unintentionally harm bats and other animals. There are all kinds of natural alternatives that are safer for the animals and our planet, too.
    • Keep domesticated cats indoors, as they are dangerous to bats. House cats kill over 250,000 bats each year. Also, bat rehabilitators report that about one-third of injured bats are due to house cat attacks.
    • Share your knowledge! Tell your friends that you know how to build a bat house and how beneficial these winged animals are.

    Learning about bats

    Effortless options for a bat house build

    Here are some alternatives for certified bat house kits for kids. They come with pre-measured and cut wood pieces that are easy to assemble, creating safe and attractive homes for bats without needing to use power tools. 

    Reading about bats

    Bat book recommendations for kids

    If you’d like to read more about these marvelous flying mammals that will hopefully soon be living in your bat house, here are some beautiful books that you can find at your local library or book store. Who knows, maybe you’ll have a bat-tivist on your hands in the future!

    Learn more about bats

    If you (or your kids) are super interested in learning more about bats, check out Bat Conservation International. Their website is filled with amazing bat-tastic information including the latest bat news, bat facts, bat conservation efforts, and how you can help the cause. They also have free plans for building a bat house. 

    Are you ready to build a bat house with your kids?

    Lissy Perna

    About the author

    Lissy lives near the ocean on Cape Cod, Massachusetts with her husband, 2 rambunctious boys (aged 4 & 7), and an ever-growing number of pets. She grew up walking nature trails and finding joy in the beauty of nature. She now shares that love for local adventures with her community through her blog, “Get Outside Cape Cod”. Lissy knows that everyone can benefit from spending more time outdoors, and wants to inspire and support families to do just that!

    You can find more from Lissy in the following online locations:
    Instagram: @getoutsidecapecod
    Website: Get Outside Cape Cod
    Facebook: @getoutsidecapecod
    RWMC Posts: Lissy Perna

  • CRAFTS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, PARK, PRINTABLES, SUMMER

    How to Make a DIY Park Tour Guidebook

    Parks and playgrounds offer endless opportunities for outdoor active and creative play for kids. From swing sets to sporting areas, picnic places, and lakes and streams, exploring new parks with kids can be so much fun! If your local park has lost its appeal and you’re ready to find something new (or you just love new experiences and want to find some fun new places to explore), we’ve got the answer for you…a park tour! Today, photographer and Minnesota mom of three, Angie Mahlke shares how to create your very own DIY park tour guidebook to use while exploring new (to you) playgrounds in your area and ranking them for fun! Give your children the chance to become park connoisseurs on a quest to find their favorite playground!

    How to make a diy park tour guidebook

    Why parks and playgrounds?

    Being active outdoors doesn’t have to be complicated or require a lot of gear or planning – it can be as easy as exploring a local park or playground with your kids. Checking out a new park allows parents and kids to be adventurous, without needing to travel far or spend a lot of time researching or packing for an exotic outing. Most of the parks near us have wooded areas, lakes or ponds, hiking trails, and a playground, of course, which is always the most attractive feature for my kids and the first thing they want to check out upon arrival.

    Like probably most families with small kids, we spend a lot of time at our local parks and playgrounds. They are free and easily accessible and provide endless hours of entertainment for the kids. I wonder what the hour count would be if I had started logging the amount of time we actually spend at parks from that first visit with our new baby 12 years ago? It feels like we’re probably into the millions by now!

    Last year, when COVID restrictions hit and indoor places closed, suddenly, parks were one of the only things available to many families (after the brief window during quarantine when they weren’t, of course). Our parks got more crowded than ever and we got an itch to try branching out to find fun new places to explore. This is what prompted the idea (read: necessity) to spice up our playground adventures! 

    The importance of play and playgrounds for kids how to plan a local playground tour Benefits of playgrounds for kids

    Benefits of playgrounds 

    Playgrounds are safe spaces where children can be themselves and express their fun-loving nature while developing crucial cognitive, physical, social, and emotional skills. Play is a spontaneous activity that children engage in to have fun. But it’s much more than that. Experts in a variety of fields have conducted a multitude of studies on the concept of childhood play all proving the same critical fact —play is an essential aspect of learning. 

    As a child grows, their play becomes more complex. Without being able to play, children’s ability to develop and learn is stunted. Playgrounds provide a place for children to get a full-body workout, including exercises that strengthen their arms, legs, torso, and so on. From the cardiovascular system to the circulatory system, each is nurtured and benefited through vigorous and active outdoor play.

    Exploring new playgruonds and parks with kidsexploring local park tour

    A park tour adventure

    As our local parks got busy (and started becoming a bit boring to us), we decided to venture out. We started talking about plans to explore more parks. And then, we had an idea! What if we hit up all the parks in our area? We could make a list of every park, map them all out and start park hopping. We could call it a park tour! Doesn’t it sound more exciting to give it a fancy name instead of just saying we’re going to hit up a ton of playgrounds?

    But that’s not the big idea. We can go bigger! Let’s not just check out the parks and play, but let’s turn it into a bigger activity. We can record what we liked (and disliked) about each park we visit. We can use a park rating system —similar to a movie rating system—to determine how much fun each park is. Who doesn’t like giving things a thumbs up or thumbs down? What would it take for a park to be worthy of the full five stars?

    It’s time to be an official park critic!

    DIY park tour guidebooks

    And then, we decided to go all out and take it one step further. Why not create our own DIY Park Tour Guidebooks complete with a rating system to fill out after each park visit? Then at the end of the tour, we can look back at our ratings to determine which park is our favorite.

    So, that is exactly what we did! All last summer we carried our homemade guidebooks with us from playground to playground, diligently recording our every like and dislike. Each kid made their own park tour guidebook because they all have varying opinions on what made a particular park great. What one rated a “good” park, another deemed a “bad” one. 

    diy park guide booksdiy park tour filler pages

    To be fancy or not to be fancy

    Making a park tour guidebook is easier than you think. They do not need to be fancy! (Although, if fancy is your thing, you can certainly do that!) When we started making our park tour guide books, I simply wrote out a quick rating system on a piece of white printer paper. Then I made several copies and stapled them together in a bundle for each of us. Everyone decorated their cover page. Then we were off! Easy peasy.

    Your park tour guidebook can be that easy, or you take it up a notch and get a bit more creative. This summer, we decided to do another park tour and make books, but we wanted to do something a bit more fun. Our guidebooks now involve recycled brown paper grocery bags, so of course, the fancy meter is off the charts.

    You can choose to make your books however you want and be as creative or as simple as you would like. If you have older kids, they’ll love making their books personalized to their favorite interests and colors. Little ones might need a bit more help, but they’ll love making it theirs. Cater your books and style to your family and what works best for you.

    If you’d like to make our oh-so-fancy paper bag guide books, I detail the process below.

    diy park tour book

    Paper bag DIY park tour guidebook supplies

    • Brown paper shopping bag (one for each person)
    • Filler paper with a rating system (print my PDF if you’d like) 
    • Hole punch
    • String, yarn, or ribbon
    • Scissors
    • Markers, crayons, paints, or other art supplies

    exploring local playgrounds

    How to make a park guidebook

    I’ve learned after many years of doing arts and crafts projects with my children that it goes much smoother to do all the prep work before calling them in to help. If your kids are little (and maybe not the best with scissors), I would suggest doing steps 1 – 2 on your own before including them in on the fun decorating parts.

    So, gather your supplies and have them ready. For the filler paper, you can either use pre-printed pages (use our free PDF above) or plain ol’ blank paper. If you’re using our template, print out your pages (one for every park you plan on visiting).

    Step 1: Cut the paper bag

    You will need to cut the bag to create two separate panels—a front and a back. You can leave the handles of the bag attached for a fun way to tote it around. Like a briefcase.

    The bags have a natural fold about a fourth of the way up from the bottom. I cut right across the horizontal fold and discarded the bottom half of the bag. Then I cut off both the “sides” of the remaining top half of the bag. This left me with two panels, both containing a handle.

    Step 2: Punch the holes

    If you have a three-hole punch, lucky you. You are set for this next step. But if you’re like me and only have a regular ol’ single-hole punch, you may want to follow the steps below.

    1. Find a scrap piece of paper the same size as your filler paper and punch three holes (as evenly spaced as possible) along the left side. Use this scrap piece of paper as your hole punching template.
    2. Put your front and back panel from the paper bag on top of each other, the handles touching.
    3. Then place your hole punching template on the top and punch the same three holes.
    4. Do step 2 for the filler paper as well.

    Voila! You just took thrice as long to do the same job as the three-hole punch, but you still got the job done!

     

    diy park tour bookdiy park tour book

    Step 3: Decorate the cover page

    What work of art is complete without some actual art? Spruce up the front cover of your park tour guidebook any way you want! This is the perfect step to bring in the little kids.

    My kids chose to draw some pictures and label their park guide books with their names. You could use paint, stickers, stamps, or (gasp) glitter (cue horrified moms everywhere). Be as creative or as simplistic as you’d like.

    DIY Playground books - park ranking system and guidebookshow to create and assemble a park ranking guidebook for kids

    Step 4: Assemble the pages

    Now that all the leg work is done, it’s time to assemble these babies!

    You will need to cut three pieces of string (or yarn, ribbon, twine, etc.) to use to bind the pages together. Loop the string through all the layers (front cover, filler pages, then back cover) for all three of the holes and tie them loosely. You will want to leave a little give so the pages can open and close with ease.

    And with that, your DIY park guidebooks are now done and ready to be tested!

    diy park tour filler pages - free PDF template for ranking favorite parks

    Creating your park ranking system

    So what exactly do the filler pages of the park tour guidebook contain? Other than the park name (that’s important), everything else is really up to you! Last year we listed out and ranked pretty much every single thing we could think of that we may find at a park (slides, swings, climbers, shade trees, picnic area, water features (ponds, creeks), hiking and biking trails, wildlife, parking, uniqueness, etc.). This year, though, we kept it a bit simpler and only included the basics. 

    As the creator of your park tour guidebook, you (and your kids) get to determine what you want to include in your books to judge and how you want to judge/rank it. Think about what’s most important to you when finding a new park. Is it the playground equipment? Fishing pond? Is it a soccer or baseball field? Or maybe other things like size, distance from home, location, privacy, and remoteness?

    And now you get to determine what your ranking system will be. Do you want to give points? Hearts or stars? Thumbs-up and thumbs-down?

    We use a five-star rating system, with five stars being the best. We individually rank each of the items, then we tally the number of stars to determine the final score the park earned. This year we added the fun “thumbs up, thumbs down” rating system as well, to give the park as a whole. Thumbs-up means we’ll come back.

    playground swinging - exploring new parks with kids

    How to create the park tour guidebook ranking pages

    How you want to create the filler pages with the ranking system is completely up to you and your kids. Older kids may want to create their own pages. They can either do that with pen/marker or maybe on a computer. Then you can make as many copies of the page as you need. Or, maybe each page is recreated on the spot and individualized to the park? For younger kids, maybe you create a page for them and make copies. 

    Like I noted earlier, last year I simply hand-wrote the categories and drew the stars. Then I made copies on my home photocopier for each of our guidebooks. This year, I created the template on Microsoft word. I searched Google for some free clipart since my five-year-old can’t read yet. Then I set to work creating a rating system.

    Feel free to use my park tour guidebook rating page template or use it as inspiration to create your own!

    Other fun additions to your park tour guidebook

    Your guidebooks don’t have to be exclusively filled with ranking pages. Include a few blank pages in there for journaling or drawing. Maybe your kids want to draw a picture of the playground equipment so they remember the park. Or maybe they find a pretty leaf or flower that they press and glue on a page. Let them use pages to take notes or write down a funny thing that happened at each park. 

    Think about including a map of your area in your park tour guidebook and letting them plot out the parks they visit. Or a checklist of all the parks they want to visit (or have visited). Encourage them to can draw their own maps of the park, to work on their mapping and spatial awareness skills. Check out this post for more info on map reading skills for kids.

    DIY park books - how to create a park ranking system

    Take your park tour guide books out and play

    Now that your park tour guide books are complete, it’s time to get out and explore! Make a list of all the playgrounds in your area and start hitting up as many as you can.  Maybe you do a park a week over the next few months. Or maybe you plan a full day of park hopping and visit 10 parks in one day! There’s no right or wrong way to do this! Just have fun and don’t forget to bring your park tour guidebooks and take a few seconds (or minutes) before going home to rate your experience.

    If your kids are like mine, they will love expressing their opinions. Sit back and watch their differences roll out! What one kid loves, the other is bound to hate. By the end of your park tour, you just might find one park that the whole family can agree they love and then you have a new family favorite! 

    What makes a park good for you?
    Can you predict which park will be the family favorite?

    Angie Mahlke

    About the author

    Angie is a wife and stay-at-home-mom of three wild hyenas. She resides in rural Minnesota, where there are more cows and cornfields than people. She is an introvert with a creative itch that needs to be scratched, whether it is photographing her children in their daily lives or coming up with fun ways to explore nature in their backyard. Messy hair, dirty faces, mismatched clothing, wild and free children—all these things fuel her creativity and the desire to preserve these fleeting moments. Angie and her family can be found camping, biking, and sitting around a campfire during the summer months and sledding and ice fishing in a million layers during the winter.

    You can find Chelsea online in the following locations:
    Instagram: @angie_mahlke
    RWMC posts: Angie Mahlke

  • CRAFTS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, SPRING, SUMMER

    DIY Pressed Flower Butterfly Wings for Kids

    If your kids are anything like mine, they probably love playing dress-up and pretend. Kids have the most amazing imaginations! We love finding ways to make fun costumes, accessories, and dress-up items from things we already have at home or can find in nature. Today, Megan Rigdon, Maryland photographer and mom of three is here to show us exactly how to make beautiful DIY pressed-flower butterfly wings for kids. 

    DIY butterfly wings

    These DIY butterfly wings are not only beautiful and colorful, but they’re really easy to make, with just a few things. They combine two of my favorite things: spending time outside with my kids and making nature crafts together. Here’s what you’ll need to make your own DIY pressed-flower butterfly wings with your kids. 

    Butterfly wing supplies:

    • Flowers
    • Microwave
    • Contact paper
    • Scissors
    • Tree bark (or driftwood)
    • Hot glue
    • Pipe cleaners
    • Elastic

    How to make DIY butterfly wings for kids

    Butterfly wing instructions:

    1. Gather your flowers. Because we’re all about getting kids outside, we highly recommend you send the kids outside and pick your own flowers. However, we know that might not always be possible. The great thing about these butterfly wings is that they can be made with any flowers, whether that’s wildflowers picked from a meadow or a bouquet of colorful flowers from the grocery store. 
    2. Place your fresh flowers between two paper towels with something heavy (and microwave safe on top) as a weight. Microwave the flowers for 1-3 minutes. This helps remove all the moisture from the flowers, but keeps their bright vibrant color. If you don’t have a microwave, you can press the flowers between the pages of a heavy book. 
    3. Draw/outline butterfly wings on the contact paper. Cut out 2 sets of wings. 
    4. Remove the backing from one sheet of the contact paper and arrange the dried flowers on the sticky side of the paper. 
    5. Remove the backing from the second sheet of contact paper and place it sticky side down directly on top of the first paper/set of butterfly wings. The paper will be stuck together with the flowers in the middle.
    6. Use your hot glue gun to glue tree bark (or a piece of driftwood) to the middle of the wings to serve as an anchor. 
    7. Hot glue elastic bands (for arm bands) onto the other side of the butterfly wings/wood center.
    8. Optional: Add pipe cleaners around edges for extra stability.
    9. Wear your gorgeous DIY butterfly wings and enjoy! 

    DIY pressed flower butterfly wings tutorial

     

    About the author

    Megan Rigdon is a mother to three energetic children and lives on their family farm in Harford County Maryland.  She is a lifestyle family photographer and a lover of joyful and colorful images. Megan has a degree in Early Childhood Education and taught kindergarten prior to having her own family. They spend as much time as possible exploring the farm and going on adventures together! Raising chickens, fishing, gardening, and crafting are just a few of her favorite things that she enjoys doing with her family.

    You can find more from Megan in the following locations:
    Instagram: @meganrigdonphotography
    Website: http://www.meganrigdonphotography.com
    RWMC Posts: Blueberry Picking with Kids, Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt, Pumpkin Fairy Garden

  • CRAFTS, HOLIDAYS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, WINTER

    Dried Fruit Holiday Garland

    We love holiday crafts, projects, and traditions. If you’re looking for a fun new tradition to start with your kids, making dried fruit garland is a great one! This fun and easy project is made from natural items, is eco-friendly, and easy enough for little kids to help with. Plus, you’ll end up with a beautiful decoration to hang on your mantle, tree, or cozy spot of your choosing! Today, the uber-talented Tiffany Griffin, Texas homeschooling mom of four, walks us through the process of how to make your own dried fruit garland with kids. She’s got a step-by-step tutorial with all the details – you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how fun and easy this project is!

    Starting a new holiday tradition

    Traditions are a big thing in our family. I find around the holidays, my heart aches for slow mornings, simple crafts, and quality time with my children. I can only hope my love for traditions rubs off on them to pass down to generations after me. One of our favorite holiday traditions is the ever popular dried fruit garland! If you’re looking for a fun new tradition to start with your kids this year, making a dried fruit holiday garland should be at the top of your list! 

    There are so many reasons this activity is so wonderful. It’s great for little hands and helps with dexterity and fine motor skills. Not only is drying fruit a gift of beauty from mother nature, but it is also a sustainable craft that requires little to no waste. Leftovers can be composted, used to infuse for water/homemade cleaning solutions, or in our case, fed to our pet Lizards. Win! It will also add so much natural beauty to your home (and smells great, too!). 

    The history behind holiday citrus

    While the drying of fruit has been around for countless years, are you aware of why oranges are seen as a “holiday” fruit? During the Great Depression, oranges and citrus fruits were considered a luxury item. Most families could not afford citrus fruit at all, any time of year. But they’d splurge at Christmastime and give oranges, which became a symbol of gold and wealth! Ever received an orange in your stocking? That is why! 

    Optional air-dry clay beads

    We decided to add in some hand made beads to turn this project into a fine motor skills activity. Molding clay improves children’s spatial awareness and 3D visualization abilities. Throw in the wonderful dexterity workout that is threading the oranges and beads and you have a full force sensory craft to share with your children, while also creating a tradition that can be shared each year! 

    How to make your own dried fruit garland with air-dry clay beads

    STEP 1: Cut the oranges into 1/4 in slices. 

    STEP 2:  Pat dry as much as possible, the drier the better!! It is very important to get as much juice off of the oranges/grapefruit that you can. Paper towels and terrycloth rags do wonders! 

    STEP 3: Once the fruit is as dry as you feel you can get it, place the slices on parchment paper on a cooking sheet. I found it was helpful, but not necessary to bake them on a cooling rack. If you don’t have one, no worries! 

    STEP 4:  Preheat your oven to 200 degrees and put in your fruit! The middle rack works best! Cook them for about three hours, making sure to flip halfway through. Be sure to check on them about every 30 minutes to make sure they are not browning. If they are, take them out and allow them to cool and dry out for 12-24 hours before resuming. 

    Step 5: Allow the fruit to set out until they are completely cool. This is a good time to make your beads!

    Step 6: Using air dry clay, have your kids roll the clay into small balls. You can do all the same size or various sizes. Use a toothpick to make a hole through the ball big enough for your string/jute/twine. Allow to dry and harden. 

    Step 7: Once the fruit slices are cooled and dry you can use a toothpick to make two small holes through your fruit to thread your string/jute/twine through the oranges to create a garland! Alternate between fruit and beads.

    Step 8: Hang your garland and enjoy!

    Have you ever made dried fruit garland?

    About the author

    Tiffany is a homeschooling Mama of four earthside children, one baby girl that travels among the stars. She is a vintage-obsessed, wicker-collecting, tree-loving photographer, creator, painter, and writer. She loves to document her children’s childhood and is passionate about sharing her take on motherhood, raising children outside of the “norm” and in nature. She’s crafty, creative, and passionate about mental and emotional health. She’s a big believer in the healing power of nature.

    You can find more from Tiffany in the following locations:
    Instagram: @dear.wildlings
    RWMC posts: Tiffany Griffin

  • CRAFTS, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, OUTDOORS INSIDE, SPRING

    DIY Flower Suncatcher

    Looking for a fun and simple way to bring a bit of color and nature into your home? Want an excuse to go out and pick some beautiful wildflowers? Are your kids are bored and need a fun craft project! We’re here to help! Today, Kathleen White, Arizona mom of three shows us how to make a DIY flower suncatcher with simple everyday items you probably already have at home. This fun and easy craft will encourage your kids to get outside and enjoy nature and give you a fun way to display it at home. 

    Making DIY Flower Suncatchers with Kids

    Bring the beauty of nature inside

    With all of us being in our homes a little more than usual lately, it’s more important than ever to bring nature inside to us. We’re always looking for ways to bring more nature into our indoor lives and fun ways to stay entertained. Flower suncatchers are the perfect combination. This is a fun and super easy DIY project that you can do with kids of all ages. It’s easy to get the whole family involved in the process. Let’s get started with what you will need!

    Gather your supplies

    The beauty of this DIY flower suncatcher is that you probably have all of these items sitting at home. No need to leave your house, except to go pick some flowers! And since we’re all about getting kids outside, this is my favorite part of the process! Here are all the supplies you’ll need: 

    • Paper plates (preferably the old school ones, not foam plates)
    • Markers or paint
    • String or yarn
    • Press N Seal wrap
    • Hole punch
    • Scissors
    • Flowers, leaves, grass, etc

    DIY Flower Suncatcher supplies

    Go flower picking

    The first thing you need to do is to collect your flowers. Time to grab all the kids and get them outside to explore! Give them their mission to find as many flowers, leaves, foliage, grass, etc. as they’d like to use. Spend this time getting some of that energy out so they’ll be ready to focus on the craft when you get home! We chose to use a flower pot that was sitting around to put all of our treasures in. You can use whatever you have at home (bag, box, bowl, etc.)!

    If you want to protect tiny hands, you can take along a pair of gloves. Not necessary, but may be a good option if you’ll be picking thorny flowers. Have fun with the flower picking portion of this project! Make it an adventure! Choosing different shapes, sizes, and colors will make each suncatcher unique!

    Collecting Flowers to make a DIY Flower Suncatcher DIY Flower Suncatcher - picking wildflowers DIY Flower Suncatcher - collecting flowers, grasses and plants DIY Flower Suncatcher for kids

    Instructions for making a flower suncatcher

    Step 1: Cut out the center circle from the paper plates.

    Step 2: Once you have cut out all the circles, let the kids decorate the front of the paper plates. You can use colors, markers, paints, stickers or whatever else you have on hand. 

    Paper plate simple easy DIY Flower SuncatcherDIY Flower Suncatcher - decorating paper plate frameDIY Flower Suncatcher tutorial with a paper plate frame

    Step 3:  Place a sheet of the wrap paper on the front of the plate. Turn it over and add flowers. Next, place another sheet of the wrap paper on top and press the plate flat to allow the two pieces to stick together.

    DIY Flower Suncatcher - arranging your flowers and grassesStep by step tutorial on how to make a flower suncatcher with kidshow to make a flower suncatcher with kids tutorial

    Step 4: Use the scissors to cut off any excess wrap around the edges.

    Step 5: Punch two holes in the top and add your string so you can hang it up!

    Step by step tutorial on how to make a flower suncatcher with kidsDIY Flower Suncatcher

    Show and share

    See, I told you it was easy! Making DIY flower suncatchers is such a fun project for kids and a great way to display your nature treasures. The kids were so incredibly proud of their suncatchers. They added nature elements and fun color to our space and reminded us of our fun outing.

    Are you ready to make your own DIY flower suncatcher? We want to see it! Post a photo of your suncatcher on social media and use the hashtag #runwildmychildDIY so we can see and share your creations! 

    About the author

    I’m Kathleen, wife to my high school sweetheart and mama to 3 energetic littles. I’m a photographer in love with telling compelling stories of life’s beautiful chaos and photographing families authentically. I am slightly obsessed with window light, Saturday morning snuggles, and documenting our adventures. We recently took the biggest leap of faith of our lives and are currently traveling full-time around the United States in our RV!

    You can follow our adventures in the following locations:
    Website: http://www.faithboundtravel.com
    YouTube: Faith Bound Travel
    Instagram at @faithboundtravel
    Other RWMC posts from Kathleen: Kathleen

  • CRAFTS, HOLIDAYS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, RECIPES, SPRING

    How To Make Natural Dye For Easter Eggs

    Spring brings with it blooming flowers, rain showers, and Easter eggs! If you’re like us, you’re probably stuck at home right now looking for things to do with the kids (here’s a huge list if you need more ideas for outdoor spring activities for kids). Dying eggs with natural ingredients one of those activities (#88)! It’s also a super fun social distancing activity for the whole family. Today, Texas photographer and mom of two (with another on the way), Tiffany going to walk you through how to make natural dye for Easter eggs, using household, backyard and pantry items that you already have at home like spices, fruits, veggies, and foraged plants! Get ready for the fun!

    How to naturally dye easter eggs using household items

    Up your Easter fun without leaving the house

    While lots of egg dying tutorials will use super colorful dyes made from fancy ingredients, we’re going to make this simple and easy for you. We want to show you how to use household items from your fridge, pantry, and backyard to make dyes. No need to put yourself at risk by going to the grocery store. And no need to purchase expensive store-bought Easter egg dyes. There are lots of items you can use to make all sorts of colored dyes right around your home. Your kids will be so surprised and impressed that dyes can be made from so many ordinary things! And this will surely elevate your Easter egg hunt to the next level.

    Gather your household materials

    Start by having the kids collect items that can be used to make dyes. For this tutorial, we used blueberries, beets, the tops of carrots, wildflowers, and turmeric. So many things you have on hand WILL work! Have some fun by searching your yard, pantry, and your fridge! Have some fruits or veggies going bad?! Perfect!

    Some other ideas for items to use to make natural dye are: purple or red onions, dandelions, raspberries, spinach, paprika, kale, green onions, chili pepper, red cabbage, red peppers, or yellow onion skins! The options are endless, and super fun to experiment with!

    How To Make Natural Dye For Easter Eggs

    Supplies for naturally dyed eggs

    • hardboiled eggs cooled to room temperature (note: brown and assorted color eggs will dye differently)
    • fruit, veggies, spices, foraged plants and flowers from the backyard
    • water
    • white vinegar
    • glass Mason jars
    • sheer pantyhose
    • rubber bands
    • scissors
    • wildflowers/foliage for decorating eggs
    • strainer (cheesecloth or a paper towel also work!)

    making natural dyes for easter eggs from household items

    How to make natural dye for Easter eggs

    Put 6 cups of water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 2-4 cups of whatever natural substance/ingredient you are trying to pull color from to the boiling water. Make sure your ingredients are chopped up, which helps with the color extraction process. Add 3 tablespoons of white vinegar. Let the mixture boil for about 10 minutes, then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 more minutes. Remove from heat and strain the liquid into a mason jar(s). Repeat the process for each additional dyes and colors.

    Naturally dying eggs

    Place hardboiled eggs into each dye and let them sit. We HIGHLY recommend you soak the eggs at least 24 hours! The longer you leave them in, the more pigmented your eggs will be! After eggs are desired color, remove from dye and place on a towel or paper towel until dry. Please note these dyes WILL stain fabrics, so be extra careful.

    social distancing easter egg natural dyesstay home friendly natural easter egg dyes

    Adding flowers and prints

    We love to make our naturally dyed eggs a little extra fancy with flower and leave prints and added dried wildflowers. To do this, start by cutting pantyhose into 5-6 inch strips. Lay the small plants/flowers of your choosing across the egg. Carefully place pantyhose around the egg pulling them as tight as possible from the opposite side and secure with a rubber band. Repeat as desired. Place the eggs in the jars with the dye for at least 24 hours (as recommended above). Remove the eggs and let dry. Use scissors to cut pantyhose off off eggs at the base of rubber band and carefully remove the pantyhose. This is the fun part! You can leave the flowers/greenery pressed on or remove them for a print!

    how to make printed natural easter egg dyesHow To Make Natural Dye For Easter Eggs

    Natural dye for Easter eggs

    And that’s it! Making natural dye for Easter eggs is easy as can be. We hope you’ll give this fun technique naturally dying eggs using household items and foraged materials a try. Make sure to tag us in your images if you post them online and we’ll be sure to share! We can’t wait to see how your eggs turn out and all your creative dyes. Stay safe out there.

    natural egg dyes from household and foraged materials

    Have you ever made natural dye for Easter eggs?

     

    About the author

    Tiffany is a homeschooling Mama of three earthside children (one baby boy on the way) and one baby girl that travels among the stars. She is a vintage obsessed, wicker collecting, tree-loving photographer, creator, painter, writer and loves to document her children’s childhood and is passionate about sharing her take on motherhood, raising children outside of the “norm” and in nature. You can find Tiffany on Instagram at @dear.wildlings.

  • GEOCACHING, INFORMATION, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, PRINTABLES, SPRING, URBAN NATURE

    10 Outdoor Social Distancing Activities for Kids in a City

    With social distancing firmly in place and schools being closed for the foreseeable future, parents all across the country are trying to figure out what to do with your kids. While it’s probably no surprise to anyone reading this website, we HIGHLY recommend getting outside and into nature with your kids. But only if that’s a safe and viable option. If you have access to the great outdoors and time to spend, by all means, we hope you take advantage of it.

    However, outdoor social distancing may not be easy for everyone. Particularly those who live in a city and may not have close access to wide open (and remote/unpopulated areas). However, there are still things you can do outside as a family that keep your distance from others and give your kids the chance to burn off some of that energy. Today, we have Desirée Macke, Southern California mom of 2 here sharing 10 ways to get outside while being socially distant in a city.

    10 Ways to Get Outside With Kids When Social Distancing in the City

    An unexpected turn of events

    This spring was supposed to be full of travel and adventure for our family. However, in the blink of an eye, like the rest of the country, our plans were quickly thwarted due to COVID-19. When schools were canceled for multiple weeks I quickly went to work planning where we could go exploring with the kids. Joshua Tree National Park immediately popped into mind. It’s one of our favorite places. I had full intentions of loading the kids up to go rock climbing to get away from it all. Then, things regarding health and safety escalated and our plans were set aside.

    Social distancing in a city

    For a moment I went into panic mode. How in the world were we going to get the kids outside while social distancing in a huge city? All the places we enjoy going (National Parks, the beach, local parks, etc.) are always full of people. It’s not like we can simply turn to our backyard…we don’t have one! We live in a townhome. Right now, for many people in urban areas, getting outside while being safe can be a bit challenging, particularly because we all like to go outside to the same places.

    I took a deep breath, looked at what we do have at our disposal. I put together a list of 10 outdoor social distancing activities for kids and families in cities so that you can still get outside all while staying safe and active.

    geocaching in the city - outdoor activities for kids

    1. Geocaching

    A while back we covered the basics of geocaching. Our kids don’t get much screen time, so geocaching is really fun and exciting for my kids.  When I hand over the phone to my son so he can follow the map, read the clues, and search for geocaches, it’s a really big deal. We’ve found several caches in our neighborhood while out for a walk. There are many more near us that we’ll be hunting down in the next few weeks. We’ll have plenty of time to do so!

    2. Agents of Discovery app

    This may be pretty specific to Southern California, but, there are a LOT of people here, so I hope I’m reaching someone who is searching for things to do with kids! While visiting a local nature center/trail we enjoy hiking, we discovered there is an interactive app that is great for kids to utilize while hiking. Along the trail, there are multiple challenges the kids complete to earn points.

    I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes my kids lose interest in our hikes very quickly. However, this app keeps my kids engaged while on the trail. Bonus points: the whole family learned a copious amount of information on the flora and fauna in our area. Now my son wants to visit all the trails included on the app. It’s beeen a great outdoor social distancing activity for my kids to keep them active and entertained.

    During this time, please use your best judgment on whether being out on the trials is smart and safe for you, and those you may encounter on the trail.

    outdoor apps for city kids

    3. iNaturalist app

    I promise this is the last tech/screen suggestion. But, this is one of my favorite apps because it can be used anywhere! Since we’re stuck around the house, we’ve been taking many walks around our neighborhood. I’ve learned over the years that the kids need a goal on our walks to keep them occupied and entertained. Otherwise just walking around can get pretty boring for them.

    During our walks, I ask them to find plants, flowers, even animals, that they don’t know the names of. We then turn to iNaturalist, snap a photo of said plant/animal. The app then pulls up a list of items that are likely to be what we have discovered, and we select the answer that best fits what we have found. It’s been really neat to learn together what we have right here in our little neighborhood. Using an app like this to learn and document our adventures has been a really fun and educational outdoor social distancing activity for the kids.

    4. Scavenger hunt

    Anyone can do a scavenger hunt! Anywhere! Trust me, they’re super easy to put together and really fun for the kids! It only takes a few minutes of planning. I usually compile a quick list of easy-to-find items just before we head out the door. You can write them all down on a piece of paper, in your phone or keep a tally in your head. Tell the kids what they’re looking for and let them explore! Once the kids find all the items on their list they earn a prize (which is usually just something from our pantry).

    The great thing about scavenger hunts is that you can completely customize them to your specific location and to your children’s ages and skill level. I will often make two different lists. For my son, I’ll ask for specific things, such as, “find a maple leaf”.  For my youngest, I keep it pretty basic for her, “find a yellow leaf”.

    blank BINGO card for nature hunt outdoor activities for kids

    5. Nature bingo

    Much like the scavenger hunt and iNaturalist, we utilize nature bingo while we’re on our morning walks. This is a great and easy outdoor social distancing activity for kids. Each child has a BINGO card filled with plants, flowers, and animals we typically see in our neighborhood. The game is a great way to keep the kids moving along our sidewalks with little to no complaining, and a goal to reach. They get pretty excited when they hit a BINGO, and I get excited that we’ve clocked more hours outside.

    Above is a blank Bingo printable you can print off and fill in as you go.

    Outdoor activities for city kids when socially distancing

    6. DIY sidewalk chalk paint

    You’ve probably seen this fun and easy craft idea, but it’s worth repeating because the kids love it. I’m not sure what they enjoy more, the making of the paint, or the actual painting. Either way, it keeps them busy, entertained, and outside.

    Here’s what you’ll need to make your own sidewalk chalk paint:

    • 1 cup warm water
    • 1 cup corn starch
    • Food dye colors of your choice
    • Muffin tin
    • Mixing bowl
    • Whisk
    • Paintbrushes

    In your mixing bowl add the warm water and corn starch. Whisk until cornstarch is dissolved. Pour your mixture in equal parts into the muffin tin. Add food dyes. Let the kids grab a paintbrush and go to work!

    We are fortunate to have a patio, so the kids generally head out there to paint the pavers. But if we’re feeling extra adventurous we’ll paint the sidewalks around our front door.

    7. Obstacle courses

    We are lucky to have an alley that serves as our makeshift back yard. When the kids get tired of just riding up and down the alley on their bikes/scooters/etc. we’ll make an obstacle course. Getting the kids in on the creation of the course makes it that much more fun. Seeing their minds work to put together their course is just as much fun as watching them navigate the course. We use whatever we can find in our garage: jump ropes, plyo boxes, sidewalk chalk for the start and finish line, anything we can pull out!

    I know not everyone has an alley, but many obstacle courses can be created in parks that have large green space! Think cones and hula hoops! Again, please use discretion during this time when visiting your parks.

    outdoor activities when you don't have a backyard

    8. Slackline

    We may not have a yard or huge trees. However, we DO have a garage. That space has been maximized to the fullest. We purchased the kids a slackline and have it set up in the garage! We have it hung high, with different ropes and rings hanging from the line. The kids like to pretend they are Ninja Warriors, and monkey across it, aiming for the best time, or simply making it across without falling. If you don’t have a garage, check out parks with open spaces and large trees. It’s been a fun alternative to the monkey bars and traditional playground equipment we’re used to, but trying to avoid.

    outdoor activities to do while socially distancing

    9. Leaf confetti

    We mentioned making leaf confetti in our 100+ Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids,  but it is worth mentioning here, and applies any time of the year! And, this project has been our saving grace on those afternoons where we’re starting to get the wiggles and need an activity. This one engages our gross motor skills (walking around our neighborhood), fine motor skills (paper punching), and eye-hand coordination.

    As we walk around our neighborhood the kids collect leaves they deem worthy of paper punching. Once we’ve gathered a hefty amount, we head home and start punching away. The different shaped punchers give the confetti a little more of a whimsical feel, but any shape will do. After a large amount of confetti is made the most fun is tossing it in the air!

    Outdoor social distancing ideas for kids

    10. Puddle jumping

    More often than not, my kids are in school when it rains, so many puddle opportunities have slipped by us. However, during our time social distancing, we have had several days where it has rained. We could view this as doomy and gloomy. But, instead, we have taken advantage of all the puddles! All we need our rainboots and rain jackets, and we go. to. town. on every puddle we find. The kids always have so much fun splashing away, and this activity is perfect to get outside, as most people opt to stay indoors when it rains.

    During this incredibly crazy and uncertain time, one thing holds true. We all need to get outside for our health and sanity.

    If you live in an urban area, what are some of your favorite outdoor social distancing activities for kids?

    About the author

    I’m Desirée; wife to Scott, mom to Marcus and Julia. I’m the domestic engineer (that’s my fancy term for stay-at-home-mom) of the family. My husband, kids, and I love the outdoors. Our favorite ways to explore are hiking the coastal trails near us as well as combing the tide pools for aquatic treasures. To quench our thirst for wide-open spaces beyond the hustle and bustle of our urban jungle. We love to visit state and national parks, as well as conservation areas and nature preserves.

    You can find Desirée online in the following locations:
    Personal IG: @desireemacke
    Cookie Biz IG: @coolingrackconfections

  • CRAFTS, GARDENING, GIFT GUIDE, GOOD FOR NATURE, HOLIDAYS

    DIY Eco-friendly Plantable Seed Paper Valentines

    February is the month of love! We not only want to encourage you to spread love to friends and family, but to make sure you’re also loving on your planet. As Valentine’s Day approaches, parents are faced with trying to figure out what to send to class with the kids. We know plastic trinkets, individually wrapped candies, and pre-printed cards are fun and easy. But those things aren’t always great for the environment.  This year we hope you’ll consider some eco-friendly alternatives. Today, we have the amazing Chelsea, professional photographer and eco-conscious mom of 2, sharing a simple project for turning recyclable paper into adorable Valentines that are good for the birds and bees! Chelsea walks us through how to make DIY wildflower plantable seed paper Valentines that are fun  and easy for kids to make from materials you already have at home.

    DIY seed paper valentines

    Making a change

    Each year I try to make a few changes in our lives that allow us to leave a smaller footprint on Earth. As I was thinking about what to do for this year’s valentines for my kids’ classmates, I realized this was another area we could make improvements. It seems like every year my kids bring home more and more stuff from their class holiday parties. Little plastic trinkets, individually wrapped candies, plastic baggies stuffed to the brim with junk that eventually ends up in the trash.

    And let me be honest, my kids absolutely LOVE IT. They love receiving all those fun treats and they love giving them out as well. But this year I can’t do it. I can’t add to the growing problem. So, I decided to find an alternative that would more closely match our values.

    DIY plantable seed paper Valentines

    Instead of buying something that would be thrown away, we decided to make something. These DIY plantable seed paper valentines made from recycled paper are a perfect alternative to the usual store-bought valentine items! They check all of the boxes when it comes to a Valentine that aligns with our values. They’re handmade, which allows for me to spend extra time with the kids. They’re made from recycled materials, giving a new life to things that would otherwise be thrown away. And they’re plantable, which means our little Valentines will keep on giving long after we’ve gifted them!

    Not only will these homemade Valentines provide beauty when they’re grown, but they’re extra good for the environment. We deliberately chose a wildflower pack that’s specifically made for birds and butterflies! Win-win for everyone! We had so much fun creating these eco-friendly seed paper valentines and hope you will too. They’re super simple to make and absolutely adorable!

    Plantable seed paper materials

    The great thing about these Valentines is that you don’t really need anything special to make them! Other than the wildflower seeds, you probably already have all the materials necessary to make your own plantable seed paper at home right now. Here’s what you’ll need to get started.

    • Paper scraps
    • Food dye (optional)
    • Wildflower seeds
    • Water
    • Large bowl
    • Blender or food processor
    • Grease splatter screen (or screen material)
    • Towels
    • Cookie sheet
    • Pencil
    • Scissors

    DIY Eco-friendly recycled plantable seed paper valentine

    How to make plantable seed paper

    I was pleasantly surprised just how fun and easy it is to make your own DIY plantable wildflower seed paper. It didn’t take us long at all and we were so happy with the way it turned out. The paper is also so versatile and can be used for any variety of holidays, gifts or projects. Tuning the plantable paper into Valentines was so much fun and we truly loved the way they turned out.

    Step 1: Gather paper and rip

    The first step is to gather scrap paper and let the children rip up the paper into small pieces. I highly recommend using paper that has been used and that you’d normally recycle, as opposed to new clean paper. You can really use any kind of paper, from printer paper to construction paper. You can use junk mail, papers from the kids’ schoolwork that you aren’t keeping, flyers, old coloring book pages or even newspapers.

    We used a stack of papers that would be normally tossed into the recycling bin. We also used one piece of red construction paper, just for some added color. You can use any colored paper depending on the color you want your seed paper to be, or just leave it out altogether.

    How to make wildflower seed paper

    Step 2: Soak the paper

    Next, place the ripped pieces of paper into a bowl of water. Let the paper bits sit in the water for 10-15 minutes to allow the paper to fully soak and saturate.

    DIY wildflower seed paper with kids Tutorial on how to make plantable seed paper Eco-friendly valentines for kids

    Step 3: Puree to a pulp

    Once the recycled paper is soaked, place the pulpy mixture into a blender or food processor. If you want create colored paper, now is the time to add a few drops of food coloring to the mix. We used two drops of red dye for ours. Put it all in the blender and liquefy it! This step should definitely be supervised by an adult!

    *Please note: the blending can be hard on appliances so you’ll want to use a high-quality appliance. This may also dull your blades. Blend at your own risk*

    Homemade eco-friendly Valentines for kids from recycled materials Eco-friendly recycled Valentine plantable seed paper wildflower seed paper tutorial plantable seed paper tutorial DIY Eco-friendly recycled plantable seed paper valentine

    Step 4: Add seeds and spread

    Place a towel on a cookie sheet. Then place a splatter screen over towel. Once the paper mixture has been blended into a pulp, pour it back into the bowl. Then mix the wildflower seeds into the recycled paper pulp.

    Have the children use a spoon or their hands to spread the pulp onto the screen. Using your hands or a spoon, spread the pulp as thinly and evenly as possible over the entire screen, pressing lightly to squeeze out any extra water. The towel beneath the screen will also help absorb the extra water that comes out of the paper.

    Easy instructions for make plantable seed paper with kids Easy to make plantable seed paper with kids

    Step 5: Let dry

    Once the pulp has been evenly spread on the screens, leave it to dry. Drying time will vary depending on the thickness of the pulp and humidity. Our paper took several days to dry completely. Give it time! During the drying process, you’ll need to remove the wet towels under the paper and replace them with dry towels. Once the seed paper was stiff enough to handle without falling apart, I flipped it once to help with the drying time.

    DIY recycled seed paper valentines

    Step 6: Cut into shapes

    When the plantable seed paper is completely dry and stiff, it’s ready to be made into Valentines! Use a cookie cutter as your template or even just a cutout shape of your choosing. We chose a heart (naturally!). Trace your shape onto the seed paper using a marker and then carefully cut them out. You may want to have the children do the tracing and have an adult do the cutting because the paper is quite fragile!

    How to make plantable seed paper valentines with kids from recycled materialsdiy plantable wildflower seed paper tutorial

    Step 7: Share the love!

    Once you have your plantable seed paper cutout into the shape of your choice, that’s it!  Your frugal, earth-friendly valentines are complete and ready to give to friends, neighbors and family members. Let them know that they just need to plant the paper in a sunny spot to grow a beautiful little patch of wildflowers that will brighten their days and help the birds and bees. You could even print off some cute cards with fun phrases on them to attach to the Valentines. Pinterest has some great free printables to use!

    eco-friendly Valentines for kids - diy plantable seed paper

    Plantable seed paper makes a great gift! 

    Plantable seed paper doesn’t only have to be for Valentine’s Day. You can make wildflower seed paper for so many occasions, using any kind of cutout shape, size or color. So it would be great for Earth Day, Mother’s Day, or any special occasion or holiday. These little cutouts make a great take-home favor for birthday parties and bridal/baby showers as well.

    Do you make your own Valentines?
    How do you make holidays more eco-friendly?

    About the author

    Hi there, I’m Chelsea! I’m a photographer, mother of two busy boys, and sunshine and fresh air addict. We live in Virginia Beach, Virginia and spend as much time outdoors as we possibly can! We spend most of our time exploring the beach, inlets, and nature trails nearby. Our family loves biking, hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, building forts, and playing in the sand! During the warm months, you can find us enjoying the Chesapeake Bay almost every night until long after the sun goes down. We’re doing our best to reduce our carbon footprint and always try to leave every trail cleaner than it was when we arrived.

    You can find Chelsea online in the following locations:
    Instagram: @dimples.and.the.blonde
    Client work: @chelsea.lyn.photography
    Website: dimplesandtheblonde.com
    RWMC posts: Chelsea Furlong

  • CRAFTS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, WINTER

    Winter Outdoor Activities: DIY Frozen Suncatchers

    Ice is both beautiful and fascinating to children and adults, alike. It’s amazing that something as simple as water can turn into a glassy solid in any shape. Kids are easily wowed by the freezing process and mesmerized by the beauty and texture of ice. Today, we’re sharing an easy outdoor winter activity that involves turning water and a few simple natural items into beautiful frozen suncatchers that gleam and glisten in the sun. This activity will not only give your child a chance to explore your outdoor area for fun natural items to incorporate into their suncatchers, but will also teach them about temperature and the freezing process.

    DIY frozen suncatchers

    How to make DIY frozen suncatchers

    DIY frozen suncatchers are a super easy craft that you can make outdoors in the winter. There are so many great things about this craft. Not only does this project get your little ones outside and exploring in the cooler weather, but it also requires little to no prep work and no fancy or expensive supplies. These ice suncatchers can be made anywhere at any time, using any variety of supplies and ingredients from your home and outdoor area. All you need is a little imagination and some patience!

    making frozen suncatchers with kidshow to make frozen suncatchers with kids

    Start by exploring outside and collecting

    There are three main things you need to make DIY frozen suncatchers: water, a container and natural ingredients for decoration. The water and containers can be found in any kitchen. It’s the natural elements that your children collect and include in their suncatchers that will make them each unique and individual. Start this project out by allowing your children to explore your area (yard, neighborhood, local park/woods) and collect small natural items to include in the frozen suncatchers.

    Give each kid a bag or collection box to hold their supplies. Explain that they’ll need a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes of objects to include. Then let them choose what to collect. This not only gets them outside in the fresh air but gets them thinking about the variety of plants, leaves, flowers and natural elements in their area.

    easy outdoor winter activities for kid - frozen suncatcherswinter nature crafts for kids

    DIY Frozen Suncatcher natural ingredients

    You can use absolutely anything in your DIY frozen suncatchers, as long as it’s small enough to fit in the ice! We highly recommend only using natural supplies that will naturally decompose over time and not cause any issues for animals if they consume them. Now is probably not the time to use marbles or coins or anything plastic. Here’s a list of a few items we’ve included in our suncatchers from a walk around our suburban neighborhood.

    • Pine needles
    • Leaves
    • Flowers/petals
    • Twigs
    • Acorns
    • Pebbles
    • Pinecones
    • Birdseed
    • Orange or lemon slices
    • Berries
    • Evergreen branches
    • Nuts
    • Ivy

    If you don’t have access to a place to collect natural supplies or want to get extra fancy, pick up a small bouquet of flowers from your local grocery store and use the petals. You’ll be amazed at how gorgeous a frozen suncatcher you’ll get using a variety of colored flower petals.

    how to make ice suncatchers with kidsDIY ice frozen suncatchers

    Choose the right container

    Once you have your ingredients collected, you’ll want to choose your containers. You can use plastic lids, paper/plastic plates, pie plates, pans, bowls or silicone molds. No need to buy anything new – get creative with what you already have at home! You can use anything from cupcake tins to bundt cake pans! Teacups to ice cube trays. Be advised that the bigger and deeper your container, the longer it will take to freeze. We used a handful of small shallow paper plates, which worked perfectly. If you’re using anything made of paper, I suggest a thin coating of nonstick spray on the paper to keep the ice from sticking.

    easy outdoor nature crafts for kidsnature-inspired frozen suncatcher

    Add the water and natural elements

    Fill your container with the required amount of water. Try to keep the water shallow so that the suncatchers freeze faster, aren’t too heavy to hang and are thin enough to allow sunlight to pass through them. Once you have water in your container, let your kids add the natural elements they collected to the water in any design of your choosing. Let them create shapes with the items or lay them out in any design of their choosing. Just be aware of shifting items if you have to move them. If possible, make the suncatchers in a place you can leave them to freeze.

    For extra fun, add a few drops of food coloring to make a rainbow of beautiful colors in your frozen suncatchers! And if you want to hang these gorgeous creations from tree branches or on a window sill, make sure you add a small piece of string or ribbon half out of the ice in a loop so that it will freeze in place giving you a built-in hanger for your suncatcher.

    Pro tip: I’ve heard that if you boil the water before you use it in your suncatcher, the ice will be clear and less cloudy! I haven’t tried this, but that would really make these suncatchers extra beautiful!

    making frozen ice suncatchers with kidsstep by step tutorial for making frozen ice suncatchers with kids

    Let them freeze

    Now comes the hard part for kids…being patient while they freeze! If you live in a place where it’s cold enough for the water to freeze outside, then leave your suncatchers outside in a safe place (where they won’t be disturbed) a few hours or overnight to freeze. If it’s not cold enough in your area, you can place them flat in your freezer until frozen. Just be extra careful when moving them not to shake or disturb the designs.

    winter outdoor nature crafts for kidswinter outdoor activities for kids - frozen suncatchers

    Learn while you wait

    While you’re waiting for your suncatchers to freeze, take the opportunity to educate! Talk to your child(ren) about the temperature at which water freezes and what happens to the water as it solidifies. Discuss the temperature outside and take a guess as to how long it will take for the water to freeze. Check on the status of your suncatchers and note the changes taking place. Note the temperature outside and compare it to the temperature in your fridge or freezer.

    outdoor winter crafts for kidsoutdoor winter activities for kidshow to make ice sun catchers with kids

    Hang and enjoy! 

    After the water turns to ice, gently remove the ice suncatcher from the mold and examine your frozen suncatcher creation. Hang your sun catchers from a tree branch or window sill. Let your kids use them to decorate a tree or bush in the backyard. The sun shining through the ice will create such a beautiful outdoor sight you’re going to want to do these year-round!

    nature-inspired winter crafts for kidsoutdoor winter crafts and activities for kidsoutdoor frozen winter craft ideas for kids - ice suncatchers

    Have you ever made frozen suncatchers?

     

    If you’re looking for more outdoor winter activities and ideas for kids, make sure to check out our post with 100+ Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids.

  • CRAFTS, FALL, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

    Nature Craft: DIY Moth Wings Tutorial

    Are you ready for the most gorgeous fall nature craft project? I’m so excited to share today’s post from our uber-talented Creative Team member Tiffany Griffin. Tiffany is here with an incredible DIY moth wings tutorial for kids.  This project is simpler than you might expect and guaranteed to make any little kid’s imagination go wild! These gorgeous wings are the perfect addition to any outdoor adventure. They can be made from materials you probably already have in your craft closet and yard. While the subtle moth wings are a perfect project for fall, this DIY nature wing tutorial can also be changed and adapted for any season based on what’s available in your location.

    * This project was inspired by the beautiful flower butterfly wings created by the amazing Johanna Bless of @blessnestlearning. Her full tutorial can be found at woodlarkblog.com.

    DIY nature craft moth wings for kids

    Give your child wings

    There’s something absolutely magical about creating something together with your child that helps foster and inspire their love for nature. If you’re anything like me, you probably love craft projects that get your kids outside and also give them the freedom to be masters of their own creation. It’s hard letting go of control of craft projects, especially when we have a pre-set idea of how the project should turn out.

    However, oftentimes I’ve found that the more freedom and flexibility I give my children to create on their own, the more I’m dazzled by their imagination and impressed with their skills of observation. This project started off as an attempt to make butterfly wings, but took a turn in a different direction, inspired by a moth we found and studied one day. As you work through this project with your kids, I encourage you to give them the reigns and let them design wings of their own choosing.

    DIY moth wing costume tutorial for kids

    Materials

    For this tutorial, anything not found in nature can probably be found lying around your backyard and craft closet. If not – a local craft store should carry everything you need! Some materials are optional for an added touch of make-believe magic. Here are the items you will need for your DIY moth wings:

    • gathered leaves/foilage
    • dried flowers
    • 2 large feathers
    • scissors
    • ribbon/cord/string/elastic for wings
    • 1 roll of clear contact paper
    • piece of foam/driftwood/bark/cardboard (something to secure the wings to – can use anything but try to make it lightweight)
    • hot glue gun
    • faux fur/felt/moss
    • headband
    • pen/permanent marker
    • packing tape

    how to make your own diy butterfly or moth wings

    DIY moth wings instructions

    As I mentioned, these wings are easier to make than I expected. And they turned out to be so incredibly beautiful! My daughter absolutely loves them and is so proud to tell everyone she sees that she helped make them. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on just how we created these beautiful DIY moth wings for kids.

    1. Get outside and gather

    The first thing to do is get outside and gather your materials! We chose to use leaves in various colors (red, yellow, green and brown. Feel free to incorporate whatever you can find in your area, based on the time of year. Fall leaves work great for creating a moth-like wing, but feel free to incorporate bright colored wildflowers for a summer butterfly. We found that the best leaves were ones that were freshly dropped. They stuck to the contact paper best. Dried out crunchy leaves left no room for error if you have to readjust them on your contact paper! Gather quite a few leaves of various shapes, sizes and colors. Remember you need enough to cover two wings!

    contact paper moth wings

    2. Contact paper setup & drawing

    Unroll your contact paper (clear side up). Measure your child to determine how long to make the wings. I recommend sizing from your child’s neck to their knees. Once your desired length is achieved for your child, secure the paper with tape to the table. This will keep the contact paper from moving. Use a pen (or permanent marker) to draw out the shape of one wing starting from the left or right side of your contact paper. I recommend using a ballpoint pen so if you need to re-do your wing – you do not have to start over! The pen rubs right off! Once you’re satisfied with the shape of the wing, cut the shape out using the scissors.

    3. Trace & repeat

    Lay your cut wing on your contact paper facing the opposite direction (mirror) and trace your second wing. Cut out the wing shape with scissors.

    DIY nature wings for kids

    4. Peel & secure

    Remove the taped corners of the contact paper of both wings from the table and flip them over so that the wax side is up. Carefully, pull back the backing (waxy side) of the contact paper from both wings. Don’t throw away the backing yet! You’ll use that in a minute (see Step 6 below). Secure the corners of the wings to the table with tape. Now, your contact paper should be sticky side up and ready for adding leaves and flowers! creating moth wings with leaves

    5. Add embellishments

    Now is the fun part! Place your leaves and flowers on the contact paper inside the wing outline. Make sure to press them down as flat as possible! Have your kids choose patterns that mimic those they find on real butterflies and moths, or let them make-up their own. You can encourage kids to create mirror image wings or two totally separately decorated (and complimentary!) wings. Whatever you choose to do, allow their creativity to shine.

    DIY moth wing costume tutorial

    6. Trace the backing

    Use the backing of the previously cut-out wings to trace another set of wings on the Contact paper. These wings will serve as the top layer to the wings with the embellishments on them. Cut them out and remove backing. Very carefully, place the wing directly on top of your newly decorated wing sealing in your leaves/flowers. Do this with both sides! DIY nature wings for kids

    7. Prep your foam

    If you’re using a foam piece for the center of the wings, consider covering it with some faux fur or moss or something natural-looking. We used a hot glue gun to secure a piece of faux fur to our foam to give it a natural look, like a moth. If you don’t have foam, you could also use a piece of driftwood or bark, a bundle of sticks or a piece of cardboard or wood.

    how to make moth wing costume for kids

    8. Prep the wings

    Using your hot glue gun, run a long line of hot glue down the center seam of each wing and secure to the centerpiece (of foam, wood or what-have-you). Glue each of the wings to the foam and hold securely in place until they cool. Allow them to dry. Next, cut out four 20 inch pieces of string/ribbon/elastic. Flip the (foam) base over and use your glue gun to secure 3-4 inches of string on to the back of the foam on each corner allowing the extra lenth to lay vertical while it dries. This will create two loops for your child’s arms.

    moth wing tutorial nature craft DIY moth wings costume for kids

    9. Make the antennae

    If you want to go above and beyond, you can create some really cool head antennae to go along with your wings. All you need to do is use the hot glue gun to glue two large feathers onto a headband to create awesome moth antennas! This gives your get-up a little something extra!

    contact paper moth wing costume for kidsDIY moth wing costume tutorial

    10. Take your wings for a test flight!

    The last thing to do is tie your DIY moth wings on and watch your little one FLY! Seeing your child love and enjoy their hard work is by far the best part of any craft. Hopefully, this fun project will inspire lots of wonderful conversation and curiosity about our winged friends. Encourage your child to take flight, like the moth. Have them mimic butterfly behaviors and find their favorite foods. Allow their creativity to shine and nurture their love for nature along the way.

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    About the author

    Tiffany is a homeschooling mama of three earthside children and one baby girl that travels among the stars. She is a vintage obsessed, wicker collecting, tree-loving photographer, creator, painter, writer and loves to document her children’s childhood and is passionate about sharing her take on motherhood, raising children outside of the “norm” and in nature.

    You can find more from Tiffany online in the following locations:
    @wild.things.grow

  • CRAFTS, NATURE SCHOOL

    Easy Bird Feeders to Make with Kids

    Making a bird feeder with kids is a great way to teach children about caring for nature, how to properly feed wild animals and how to identify local native birds. You can make a simple bird feeder out of all kinds of items. From pine cones to logs and from toilet paper rolls to orange rinds.  Making a bird feeder is one of those projects that is easy enough for toddlers to do and still fun for school-aged children (and even grown-ups!). This is a great versatile craft that can be done with any age, any time of year, in any area. Today I’m sharing three easy-to-make bird feeders that anyone can make using ingredients and items found in your home.

    3 easy bird feeders to make with kids

    Benefits of Feeding the Birds

    Whether you live in the middle of the city or way out in the woods, you are surrounded by birds. Making a bird feeder to attract birds has benefits way beyond the most obvious one of enjoying the company of birds in your backyard. Feeding birds in your backyard also invites them to feast on the insects, worms, snails and spiders in your area. This can provide ideal organic pest control with little need for toxic insecticides or other harmful chemicals. Birds also assist with flower pollination, so adding a backyard bird feeder can result in more luxuriant, full flowerbeds and beautiful bird-friendly landscaping with less overall effort for gardening.

    apple core bird feeder

    Feeding birds is a wonderful way to introduce your children to a wide variety of local wildlife. Watch your feeder with your kids and try to identify all the various species of birds that visit. While birds will naturally visit any backyard, adding bird feeders and different types of food will attract more and unique species: from cardinals to hummingbirds, robins to sparrows, chickadees to woodpeckers.Here are a couple ways kids can study the birds:

    • Make a checklist of the birds you see or take photos of each bird.
    • Identify them in a book or online.
    • Draw pictures of them in a nature journal.
    • Take notice of the different colors, songs and behaviors of each type of bird.

    3 ingredient apple core bird feederApple Core Bird Feeders

    Making a bird feeder from an apple couldn’t be easier and is a perfect project for little kids. Instead of throwing out apples that have bad spots in them or are past their ripeness level, use them to make bird feeder. All you need to do is cut your apple in half, use a spoon to scoop out the core and seeds and then stuff the hole with a mixture of bird seed and peanut butter. I hang them from tree branches in our backyard using twine.

    how to make a bird feeder from an appleapple peanut butter bird seed feedereasy apple bird feeder for kidsapple core bird feederorange rind bowl bird feeder

    Orange Peel Bird Feeders

    Another super simple bird feeder can be made from using the peel of an orange. Instead of throwing out that peel after you eat an orange, use it as a bird feeder. Orange peels make great natural bowls, which you can fill with seeds, fruits or nuts. To hang, just poke four holes in the rind of an orange. Then thread twine through the holes to create a hanging basket. Hang from a branch or on a bush. Your kids can easily fill the bowls with birdseed. The great thing about these feeders is that they last a long time outside. They can be refilled over and over until they disintegrate. The birds and squirrels usually don’t eat the orange rinds like they do the apple cores.

    how to make a bird feeder from an orange diy orange peel bird feeder for kids refillable orange rind bird feeder for kids hanging refillable orange peel bird feeder easy diy orange peel bird feederdiy bird seed wreathBundt Pan Bird Feeder Wreath

    Out of the three different feeders in this post, this one is definitely the most involved and elaborate. This project is better suited for school-aged children that follow directions or those learning how to measure.  Start by adding your largest items to the bottom of a Bundt pan. We used dried cranberries, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.

    In order to solidify the large ingredients, mix 1/2 cup of gelatin with 1/2 cup of warm water and pour over the large seeds and fruits. In a separate bowl, mix 3 cups of birdseed with 1/2 cup light corn syrup and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Spread the birdseed on top of the large seeds in the Bundt pan and press down firmly to compact. Refrigerate overnight to solidify.

    Once the wreath is solid, remove from the Bundt pan and hang with twine. If your wreath isn’t sturdy enough to hang (our first one wasn’t), you can place it on a plate on a table/bench in your yard. Our birds didn’t seem to mind that they had to eat off the table, although it was much harder keeping the squirrels away!

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    Anyone else into feeding your neighborhood birds?

    What are your favorite types of feeders?