Notions: Outdoor Play and Nature Crafts

I read a lot of crafty blogs and have a lot of craft and kids activities come through my feeds every day, so I’d guess a lot of these Notions posts are going to involve rounding up crafty kids things, as much so I can save them for myself as to share them with you.

It feels too hot where I live to really want to spend a lot of time outside, but it is good for kids (and adults) to get outside and have some outdoor play each day, so you might as well have some entertaining things to do when you get there.

This roundup of things to make and play with outside from Crafts by Amanda has some fun stuff on it, and honestly you could play with all those things inside, too. I also love ice play for outside when it’s really hot (like our frozen watercolors), and while I actually went hunting for this one Happy Hooligans has a great list of ice play activities for kids. Have been meaning to do frozen fractals for a while now…

There are also some great garden crafts over at Red Ted Art. I love the garden apron and the toadstool, especially since the girl thinks her fairy garden needs a fairy ring!

And this one is not necessarily about being outside, but it’s all about having a creative summer with kids, which I think is super important. These tips from the Artful Parent will have you looking for more making time in your summer schedule, for your kids and hopefully for you, too.

Once you get inside you can still play with natural things, such as making painted leaves like shown at Art Bar (we’ve done this before, too). You can even sew on leaves, as in this post from Mother Natured.

I Heart Arts N Crafts has a great collection of 20 different ways to play with shells, which I think we might be trying in advance of our trip to the beach. There’s jewelry, playdough, sensory activities, learning games, painting and crafts, something every kid will enjoy.

Another fun thing to try with shells is growing crystals inside with borax. This version is from Little Bins for Little Hands, though there’s another one in the above-linked roundup. So cool.

Do you have a go-to activity for playing outside, even when it’s hot? Or a fun nature craft to share? I’d love to hear what you’re doing with your kids!