After school on Monday, we went for a walk around our neighborhood to look for signs of spring. As an extension of the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge (Phoneography Challenge: My Neighborhood), I gave my iPhone to my five-year-old son and asked him to take photos of what he could find. The signs he saw were … Continue reading »
Tag Archives: children and art
Rock Art
Take a child into nature where there are rocks and watch what the child does. Either the child will pick them up and throw them or he’ll build rock statues. Photos taken Friday, October 5th, 2012, Tioga Lake, California. Continue reading »
Outdoor Art: Marble Painting
My five-year-old isn’t much of a craft guy, but he does love to play and experiment with paint. He’s usually up for art if it’s more process-oriented than result-oriented. A favorite is painting with marbles. I like to do this activity outside, as the the marble, covered with paint, tends to jump out of the … Continue reading »
Create With Nature Zone, Blake Garden, Kensington
Take a child out into nature, and what are they naturally drawn to play with? It’s pretty universal… sticks and rocks. So this is the perfect playground for a child… an area filled with sticks and rocks, inviting the child to stack, build, and create. Imaginations went wild this day. In additional to the simple … Continue reading »
Create-With-Nature Pathway
While visiting Redwood Regional Park in Oakland yesterday morning, I made a fun discovery. We were meeting friends for some nature playtime, and they were running a half hour late. While waiting, my son was having fun riding his bike up and down the paved path while I was strolling along behind him, enjoying this … Continue reading »
Kids ‘n Cameras: Five Tips for Introducing Children to Photography
Just in the past few months, my son has become interested in cameras and photography. Both my husband and I are into photography, so he sees us using our cameras a lot. He loves to sit on my lap and watch me while I’m reviewing photos on our computer. He adores the images of the … Continue reading »
Nature Fun for Kids: Take a Photo Walk
Our new favorite nature outing is to take a walk together with our cameras. Provide a child with a camera, and he’ll see the world in a different way. Every day while in Yosemite National Park last week, my son begged us to take him outside to photograph the flowers. Obviously, Yosemite naturally calls to … Continue reading »
Outdoor Art Recommendation: Finger Painting
One of these days, I’ll remember that finger painting really should be done outside…. Continue reading »
Outdoor Art: String Painting
We did this art activity at the Chabot Space Center‘s Tyke Explorer class last week. When I asked my son if he’d like to do this again at home, he said, “yes, but we’ll have to do it outside.” I asked him why, and he said, “it would be WAY to messy to do in … Continue reading »
Outdoor Art: Sidewalk Chalk Drawing
For a quick, easy outdoor activity, I keep a bag of sidewalk chalk on our front porch. We were home sick yesterday, and drawing on the front walkway with chalk was about the only outside activity my son felt up for. I like this kind of art for its simplicity. Give child chalk, send outside, … Continue reading »
Outdoor Art: Splatter Painting
Allow your child to channel their inner Jackson Pollock with this fun, messy painting activity. This art is made to be done outside, as no sane parent would allow it to take place in the house! Materials: Tempera paint Containers for paint (plastic cups, recycled jars, etc) Large paint brushes Masking tape Large plastic sheet, … Continue reading »