eco art

I really could take several months of September! The weather has been amazing since the start of school. We have only had one day of rain during Forest Day programming. The warm, and dry afternoons are creating changes all around us. We noticed on a walk around the soccer field that the hazel nuts are becoming more and more exposed by their husk. Soon the hazelnuts will drop to the ground free of the husk altogether.

This week we have been creating ECO Art in the Outdoor Classroom. The children have collected natural materials and used them to design different art pieces. One student found a unique ‘stump’ and used that as the base of his sculpture! Many children discovered the pleasant aroma of wintergreen, picking this herb and using it in their masterpieces.

Some children preferred to use their big muscles and do their group’s collecting, while others enjoyed the act of organizing the collection and creating a piece of art. Our time together is never long enough, and before we knew it, it was time to return to the building. As we walked back to class, I couldn’t help notice plump little hands, dirt under their nails, clinging to bits of nature. a piece of a fern, a hemlock cone, a wintergreen leaf, a wild aster blossom. These little treasures of the natural world, returning with them to their indoor world. Hopefully these treasures inspire them to drop their backpacks on the front porch tonight, and look for more treasures in their own front yard!

Here is a great parent resource to help continue the Forest Day experience at home.