Join us for this super fun Painting With Nature Process Art Activity. It’s absolutely perfect for engaging with nature and encouraging creativity in kids of all ages.
Fall is a gorgeous time of year and I love to get the kids outside interacting with the natural world around us. If your kids are anything like mine, your house is probably bursting with piles of buck eyes, pine cones, pebbles and other natural goodies that they’ve collected on their walks!
These are all perfect to use in this fun and interactive nature painting activity.
Today I’m sharing a Painting With Nature activity with you. I love how simple this Fall painting idea is and I’m sure you will too.
What’s more is this is a process art activity that gives kids a wonderful opportunity to explore the textures and patterns of nature, in a fun, open-ended and hands-on way.
What is Process Art?
The joy of process art is that there is no end point and no fixed finished product. Kids are encouraged to take the lead and explore the art activity in their own unique way.
As adults, it can be hard for us to let go of the idea of a finished product but do please try! The joy and value your kids will get out of this nature art activity will be worth it, I promise.
It’s often a real eye opener too! Kids can surprise us with the direction they take and their thought processes as they create their own unique masterpieces!
Supplies For A Painting With Nature Activity
- Pine cones and buck eyes (conkers UK) etc.
- Paint
- Paper
- Large Baking Tray
- Muffin Tin
How To Set Up A Painting With Nature Process Art Activity
There should be no right or wrong way to go about an activity like this and I love to let children find their own way to explore and create.
The basic principle is to line a large tray or box with paper. Then apply paint to the natural items like buck eyes and conkers.
Kids can then tip and turn the tray to roll them along the paper.
Painting with natural things the children have found is such a great way for them to explore patterns and textures as each item will leave a different trail on the paper.
What Natural Objects Can We Paint With?
This activity gives us a wonderful opportunity for children to get outside and choose and collect natural items to paint with. Here we’ve demonstrated painting with buck eyes and pine cones but kids might like to choose pebbles, acorns, or even empty snail shells!
Before starting this painting activity I love to encourage kids to really look closely at all the natural items and think about their shapes, colours and textures. A magnifying glass is a great addition and there’s lots of wonderful chatting and vocabulary building opportunities there.
Once you’re ready to start painting with nature simply line the bottom of your cardboard box or baking tray with paper and provide some paints.
I like putting the paints into a muffin tin and I provide brushes and spoons so the children can decide how they want to do the activity. It’s really interesting to see how different children approach the set up.
Ways For Kids To Paint With Nature
I love how this painting activity can be approached in so many different ways creating beautiful and unique paintings of patterns and textures, and even the painted natural items look pretty too!
There is no right or wrong way to enjoy this nature art activity.
Here are some examples or how different children approached their nature painting session:
Some children spooned paint onto their pinecones and then rolled them along the paper.
Kids also put paint onto the paper first, and then rolled their nature finds through it.
Some children just wanted to paint the nature items and not use the paper at all!
Some children dipped their buckeyes into the paint and then rolled them on the paper.
Others liked to use one colour at a time, while others like to use two or many more.
Lots of children enjoyed mixing and merging the colours and while some others preferred to keep each colour completely separate.
However your children approach this activity is absolutely fine. That is the joy of process art! It’s wonderful to let kids lead the way as they explore the patterns, textures and colours of nature in their own unique way!
If you are looking for more things to do with your kids’ natural treasure hoard, try these! My kids have loved using buck eyes for maths, pine cones for making cute birds and crafting little buddies with sticks to name just a few!
More Fun Autumn Crafts For Kids:
