Use Nature’s Color to Paint:

To make natural earth colors, you’ll need red cabbage, beets, celery tops, carrot tops, and vinegar.
Simmer each vegetable in water, drain, saving the liquids. Mix one tablespoon of vinegar into each liquid, and let cool. When ready have the children use paint brushes to paint on a large piece of muslin or cotton fabric. Let the painting dry and then hang for everyone to enjoy.

Earth Painting:

This can also be called mud painting. Finger paint with mud outside. Let the children mix dirt with water until it reaches the desired consistency. Then, they can paint on cardboard or the sidewalk.

Nature’s Paintbrush:

On a walk collect items that may be interesting to use as stamps or brushes with paint. Let the children experiment with different items and create their own masterpieces with these unique brushes.

Nature Walk: 

Simply enjoy a walk outdoors together. You can have the child bring a journal and document animals or interesting things he or she may encounter. Bring a camera and make a photo tour of the walk.   Just enjoy the day!

So what is Earth Day?

It was founded by John McDonnell in 1970. It used to be celebrated on the first day of Spring, but now Earth Day is celebrated around the world on April 22nd. Earth day is a set aside day to recognize how we influence our limited resources from our planet. It is a day to commit and celebrate our responsibility to protect the earth and all of the creatures that live on it. Earth day should be everyday! The next few weeks I will be posting several ideas to do with your children or class to help teach or spread awareness of the earth.

Please leave your ideas or comments to share with others!

A few simple ideas to get started; Pick up trash in your neighborhood or playground, choose something from the garbage or recycling and invent another use for it and plant a tree.

There are many ways to decorate a shamrock for St. Patrick’s Day. Utilize any extra craft materials such as buttons, material, yarn, stickers etc. and let the children have fun creating their own design. Here are a few other ideas for your wee ones!

Finger Paint Shamrock
Cut a shamrock shape out of white finger-paint paper. Put a dab of yellow and blue paint on the paper, let children finger-paint when done sprinkle on some green glitter they turn out very pretty.
Sweet Shamrock
Cut out shamrock shapes from green paper. Have the children put glue around the edge of the shamrock. Sprinkle salt or sugar on the glue.

Spotted Shamrock
Cut out smaller sized shamrocks from 81/2×11 paper. Have paint in bowls and Q-tips available in each color. Demonstrate how to make dots by “stamping” the paper, this looks great when they finish. The smaller size is because it takes a while to do this, for the impatient children you may need to help or they may try to paint with the Q-tip to complete faster. To extend this activity and teach about pointalism there are a few sites but here is one with a neat activity and sample pictures: http://yennadon.sd42.ca/online/artforweb/pointalism.html.

What You Will Need:

Construction Paper, any size, we like the large 18″

Paint

Spring themed sponge (optional)

Staples, tape and hole punch

String

Streamers or crepe paper

Using a large piece of white construction paper, have the child paint or sponge paper. Print one side of the paper, let dry. Fold the paper into “tube” shape, with the prints on the outside. Staple ends together and tape middle. Staple three strands of  crepe paper at the bottom.  Put two hole punches at the top and have the child string through. Beautiful Spring Windsocks!

This can be used for any spring activity or holiday.  For example, for St. Patrick’s day you can use green paint and a shamrock sponge and green streamers.

As you can see in the picture below it is a good idea to do outside if possible!