Winter Nature Table & Backyard Nature Crafts

After we got in yesterday from our Winter Backyard Exploration we set about having a closer look at our little treasures. There were quite  a few of them to say the least, including some large branches and vines that had to be left at the front door, but where to be used later in some of our crafts.

I suggested we try and make something from our finds, as opposed to just a standard nature collage, you know the typical smathering of leaves and what not glued all over a page. Collages like that happen nearly every week in our house with absolutely no input from me at all. This time I wanted to try something new.

I'm pretty happy with how my butterfly turned out the leaves were perfect and in real life the 'wings' stand out from the paper to give it more life like appeal. As the leaves were very dry and far from lying flat gluing them down was somewhat tricky. We needed to use various kitchen implements as paper weights whilst the glue dried enough to hold them in place.

B chose to do a construction page with some of the bark that they brought back. Ironic really considering that these are normally the types of things that tear our nature areas apart. I chose not to mention that to him though.

K struggled with this activity. Everything was so dry it was really quite difficult to glue things down, hence she has few unfinished pages of work that she isn't happy with. I thought I'd include these cute little leaf people she made at our Family Picnic we had over the weekend. It is even snowing, perfect for our wintery theme, not that we will ever see snow where we live!

I decided to use up our old playdough and give C an opportunity to create his own Nature Sculpture of sorts. he loved this, although had to reminded several itmes to not push the little rocks or gumnuts too far into the playdough. There are several hidden way inside that playdough.

Of course once I offered this to C to do the others quickly wanted some of the playdough, luckily I didn't give it all to C.

K found an old cardboard star left over from one of our mosaic activities for hers.

B got all 'arty farty' with his little masterpiece.

And finally our very first Winter Nature Table, all of the bits and bobs we collected, the playdough sculputres and our pictures on the wall, along with a few inspiring stories. I'm very happy with it, considering this is our first go. I so badly want some of those gorgeous waldorf gnomes and dolls and things but they will have to wait.

I am really hoping that this will become a standard in the home and that the kids will add to it over the season (I know K certainly will) and we will change it out together with the bringing in of each new season.