Art •
Art
Fun mud activities
Collect colourful treasures and make a bangle. Try this creative craft on a trip to the woods. It’s a brilliant way to explore autumn’s bright colours and exciting textures, but you can do it at any time of year. Fasten a strip of card around your wrist. Add some double-sided sticky tape. Explore the forest floor and look for interesting items to add to your bracelet. This is a great way to encourage youngsters to look closer at the natural world. What does each item look like? How does it fell? Does it smell?
Grab your favourite colours and create this owl. Is your owl a barn owl or tawny owl? Make his wings using feathers, and use sequins for his bright eyes and beak Create a glittering night sky from dark blue and black tissue paper, and silvery sequins Did you know? A group of owls is called a parliament
Create a pretty butterfly using your favourite colouring pencils and crayons. Use reds, browns and blues to make it bright and beautiful Add lots of detail to the butterfly’s wings Can you make both wings look the same? Did you know peacock butterflies hibernate in winter? They wake up in spring, so look out for them fluttering about in the sunshine. Can you flap your arms like a butterfly?
Too cold to play outside? Colour in instead! Create a prickly pine cone using pencils, crayons and paint. Draw a bird or red squirrel nibbling at the pine cone Line the edges of the scales with a silver pen they’ll look like they re covered in sparkly frost Go hunting for real pine cones how many different types can you find?
Use pine cones to create an arty masterpiece! Who says you can only paint with a brush? Add pine cones to paint and ta-da! you’ve got an amazing picture! Use seasonal colours like orange and red for autumn, and blue and silver for winter Don’t throw the used pine cones away they make super decorations This is messy fun how many different pictures can you create?
Help little bird lovers create a friendly robin. Use paints, crayons, fingers or brushes Make a collage with fluffy feathers Stick twigs on your picture and build your robin a new nest Have a look at our other bird colouring sheets and create a whole bunch of feathered friends!
Gather sweet- or rich-smelling items and create a woodland perfume. Take a deeeeeeeep breath next time you’re in the woods. What can you smell? Collect your favourite scents and pop them into an empty yoghurt pot Do they smell strong, sweet, earthy? Smells can come from all sorts of places sticks, flowers, leaves Does early spring have a different smell to late spring?
What colours will you choose for this slimy snail’s shell? Grab your pens and pencils and get colouring! Does he have a rainbow shell, or is he camouflaged? Snails hibernate, and you won’t spot them in winter unless the temperature is above 5 C The garden snail’s Latin name is Cornu aspersum Try using different bits of fabric or paper to create your snail Add leaves and grass to your picture to give your snail a home and some tasty food to eat. Have you spotted any snails in your garden?
Head out in the snow and make your own snow angels. Pull on your warmest woollies it’s time to play. Create a whole family ask your friends and grown-up to help you Can you think of any other ways to make angels? Try using sticks Don’t forget to practice! The first few can be your trial angels The snow needs to be quite deep, so look for a completely fresh, untouched patch.
Colour in these super snowdrops! These delicate little white flowers are one of the earliest signs that spring’s on its way. Spot patches of them in the woods, then get colouring! Create a 3D image use tissue paper, layers of paint, or add shadows Make a spring-like background using sticks and paint Don’t forget to add a green patch on the inner petals of each flower
Create a spectacular spider web picture. Here are some ideas to get you started: Colour in the background to help your web stand out Glue string along the web to create a collage Use silver pen to make a frosty web! Did you know? Different spiders spin different webs. You’ll probably recognise the orb web on this colouring sheet. It’s made by many species including the common garden spider. Other webs look like sheets, funnels, or a messy tangle of silky strands.
Create a colourful squirrel. Grab your favourite colouring pens, pencils or paints and get crafty. Try making this cheeky squirrel from a collage of natural items Maybe you could turn each type of leaf a different colour? Can you find a real acorn for him to nibble on? What colours will you choose? Let your imagination run wild!
Transform into a super stag beetle! Do you love peace and quiet? Do you like spending time by yourself, doing your own thing? Do you love exploring the woods on a beautiful summer’s day? If so, you’re like a stag beetle! Print out and make up this marvellous mask to complete your transformation.
Grab your favourite colours and create a majestic stag. Colour in this stunning stag. What’s his name? Where does he live? Stick leaves and other natural items around your stag to create a forest Use crayons, pens, paints add texture with tissue paper and bits of magazines! Give your stag a leafy crown, or make one out of gold ribbon
Weave string through forked sticks to create a memento of your woodland wander. Keep your eyes peeled for forked sticks, and remember to keep a length of string or wool in your coat pocket! Use seeds, grasses and coloured leaves to create different themes Try using brightly coloured ribbons or wool The more unusual or interesting the items, the better How many woodland items did you weave into your sticks?
Brighten up a cloudy day with this sunny craft. Encourage young children to be creative with this simple art sheet. Help babies fill the outline with yellow handprints Toddlers can experiment with crayons, paint or felt tips Use sparkly sweet wrappers or foil to make a shiny collage Now the sun is shining whatever the weather!
Help your little one colour in this sycamore leaf and seed. Look out for dark green, brown and yellow leaves and coppery seeds twirling in the breeze. Sycamore seeds are sometimes called helicopters Use lots of different shades of brown and yellow to make an autumnal leaf Try making a creative collage using real sycamore leaves Look out for sycamore seeds while you’re out and about how many can you find?
‘Top 10 TARP TIPS’
Create a beautiful butterfly with your favourite colouring pencils, pens or paints. Get inspired by real life tortoiseshell butterflies or let your imagination take flight and make a masterpiece. The Latin name is Aglais urticae Small tortoiseshell butterflies love sipping nectar from flowers Look out for them during spring, summer and autumn We bet you’ve created a masterpiece! Don’t forget to give your butterfly a name and make a space for him on your fridge or wall.
Colour in a tree and start growing your little one’s very own woodland! Inspire your mini Nature Detective to paint their favourite tree on a walk in your local woods. Help your little Picasso paint a totally unique tree. Green in summer or orange in autumn Stick leaves, blossom or berries to their tree to make it complete Which wildlife lives in your little one’s tree? Do they make any special sounds? Create a habitat for your little one’s favourite woodland animals. Stick their designs to cardboard boxes to make a miniature glade!
Help your little one have lots of messy fun fingerpainting their own tree. Use this outline of a tree as the base for a colourful painting of their own. Paint with lush greens in summer and warm orange colours in autumn Use their littlest fingers for small leaves and their thumbs for bigger ones Stick leaves, blossom or seeds to your tree for a wild texture Why not get everyone involved and create your own family tree? Share this stencil with friends and family and plant a whole forest of fingerpainted trees.
Find your very own special tree. Trace the lines on your hands in mud, and search for a tree whose branches, twigs or bark match them. The matching marks might be tiny, so look carefully! If you’re very lucky, you might have more than one tree twin Can you find any trees that match the other lines on your hands? Trace the lines on your family’s hands and find a whole family of trees to match!
How many faces can you find in the woods? When you’re out and about, keep your eyes peeled for faces peeking from the trees Look for eyes hiding in the bark, and gnarled noses on branches How many animal shapes can you find? Can you tell how the tree is feeling, just by looking at its face? Tree faces often peep out from the most unlikely places who’s looking back at you from branches, trunks and stumps?
Get ready to fly off into the night, whoosh! Every good witch or wizard needs a broom to travel around on (or to play Quidditch!). Make your own in the woods. You’ll need: A long, straight stick A handful of smaller, slender twigs Some string A twig broomstick makes a great addition to a spooky Halloween costume!