Here are some simple nature crafts and activities to get kids outside and appreciating the world we live in.

Our children are the ones who will inherit the earth from us, as we did from our parents and great grandparents. It’s SO important that they learn to appreciate its true value (unlike many in previous generations seem to!).

They’re not going to learn this by sitting in front of a screen, nor by being immersed in our consumer culture filled with plastic fad toys, processed junk food and an indoorsy lifestyle.

Kids will learn to appreciate the world we live in by being outside in nature and enjoying it!

Today we’re sharing a collection of crafts and activities that encourage them to do just that.

Go for a walk and collect the interesting-looking leaves and rocks. Pick up feathers, make something in the garden, pick flowers and run fingers and toes through the sand.

Nature crafts and activities for kids

Make a fairy garden with a craft stick castle and fairies
Or try this Australian animal succulent garden
This dinosaur succulent garden is still going strong on our front verandah
Create a frog habitat garden for small world play

Use a recycled plastic lid to make a leaf mosaic dreamcatcher
Turn garden leaves into bug art on a recycled cardboard base
Use leaves to create striking leaf print mandalas
Paint on leaves. We made these at Christmas as ornaments but you could do this activity at any time of year

Use nature as the medium and the earth as the canvas to create earth art. We’ve done this at the beach, in the garden and at the park using Autumn leaves.
Use chalk to create animals from nature items

Ideas from ETSY

I adore this printable nature journal journal
This cross stitch bee kit would be a fun holiday project or gift idea
Encourage outdoor exploring with this fun nature explorer kit
What kid wouldn’t want a backyard mud kitchen?
Add a bug hotel to the back yard to encourage insect curiosity

If you’re lucky enough to get cicadas in summer, collect their shells and decorate them
We’ve also used nail polish to create bugs from pebbles collected from our garden
If you have hens in your backyard collect their fallen feathers and glue to rocks to create adorable rock chicks
Items you’ve collected from nature can be added to a DIY nature construction set. This cute caterpillar is just one of the things we made with ours.

When my daughter was a preschooler these simple flower ice cubes in a tray of salt kept her busy for ages!
Going to the beach (or even the back yard sand pit)? Make a mermaid city in the sand
My daughters loved making ochre paint from rocks they picked up on the road