Natural Art and Sensory Activities

Learning objectives

Explore the surroundings with a range of sensory activities and collect some natural items to create a piece of art.

Opportunities for

Curriculum

• Sc 1a ourselves, senses
• Sc 1c sorting and using materials
• Art 1b investigating materials
• Art 1c sculpture
• Art 2a picture this
• Art 2b mother nature, designer
• Art 4c journeys

Learning skills

• Creativity
• Group work
• Observation
• Listening

Groups can choose from a range of activities

• Weaving –make a piece of natural weaving using items collected
• Scavenger Hunt – find items that match sensory descriptions
• Smelly Cocktail – create a fragrant mixture out of plants
• Wooly Worm – spot different coloured worms and discover how animals use colourings as warnings and camouflage
• Sticky Pictures – explore the many different colours found in nature
• Touches – feel the texture and shape of items
• Natural Art – use natural objects to create a piece of artwork or sculpture
• Plaster Prints – create textured prints from items collected
• Tree Faces – make faces on trees using the textures of the bark and natural objects
• Sound Maps – listen to the sounds of lepe and detect what they are from
• Mirror Walk – see the world from a different view using mirrors

Additional activities

These activities can be built into other sessions as extension tasks or fun additions. Some are useful tools for exploring habitats, demonstrating adaptations and looking closer at nature.

Resources

Weaving boards, scavenger list, cups, water, woolly worms, sticky picture, blind folds, bags, plaster, paper plates, eyes, blue tack, sound maps, mirrors.

Post visit ideas

Do similar activities in the school grounds and compare. Use items collected to describe the park, tell a story or write a poem.