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Materials:

Twigs or branches
Leaves
Flower Petals or other objects found in nature
Tape
Crayon or non-toxic marker

Directions:

Pick a nature spot with your child. Gather nature objects for your stick puppet like flowers, leaves and twigs or branches.

Cut the petals or leaves to make wings, arms, clothes, etc.

Tape onto stick.

Use crayons or marker to add details like a face.

Make up a story together about your characters. What’s the stick puppet’s name? Who are her/his friends? Where does she or he live? What happened while they were in the woods/ park? Let your child put on the puppet show for you, or you can do it together. Have fun.

Activity courtesy of Vlatka Herzberg

An old way to tell the time was to use the sun and the shadows it cast. You can make a sundial to put in your backyard that will tell you what time it is.

Materials

12 inch by 12 inch piece of heavy card stock
Block of wood thumb tacks

Directions

1. First, take the heavy card stock and fold it corner to corner, then cut the card in half.

2. Fold a flap on the bottom of the card to tack into the piece of wood.

3. Attach the card to the wooden block, making sure the triangle is straight up and down.

4. Place the sundial on a flat surface in the sun.

5. Every hour, mark off where the shadow is cast.

6. You might even want to paint a nature design on the wood block.

Remember to keep the sundial facing the same direction so your hour marks will be accurate.

From a craft store, get the air dry clay. Gather flowers, acorns, ferns, seeds or leaves. Make a small bowl or cup out of the clay. Use your fingers to shape it. Press the flower or fern or leaf into the bowl or cup until there is a shape. Take the flower, fern or leaf off and leave a permanent impression. Make a set of bowls or cups and when dry have a tea party or picnic.

This technique for making simple plaster texture stamps out of found objects comes from Woodstock, New York, ceramic artist Meg Oliver.

Activity courtesy of Vlatka Herzberg