Photos by Shannon Carrillo
Who needs a jewelry store when Mother Nature offers a treasure trove of dazzling gems? This simple yet fascinating activity is all about decking out your wrists with the vibrant colors and interesting textures that you can only find outdoors. It’s a DIY project that brings art, nature, and discovery together in the form of a wearable piece of art!
What You Need
• Clear packing tape (1/2- or 1-inch wide)
• A variety of natural treasures (flowers, leaves, etc.)
Getting Crafty
1. Take a length of tape and wrap it around the wrist with the sticky side facing out, to form a sticky canvas.
2. Embark on a nature walk and scout for small, colorful objects: flowers, leaves, seeds, the more diverse, the better!
3. Decorate your tape bracelet by pressing your collected items onto the sticky surface. As you stick each item to the bracelet, observe and discuss what you see, touch, and smell.
4. Consider themes like a single color range or a burst of multiple hues to personalize your nature bracelet.
The Learning Journey
As your children fill their tape with natural elements, they’ll naturally start to sort, categorize, and admire the diversity in nature. They might even begin asking questions about the flora and fauna that surround them, turning a simple craft into an impromptu biology lesson.
Why It’s Awesome
This activity is a hit for several reasons:
• It’s budget-friendly – all you need is the great outdoors and a strip of tape!
• It’s inclusive and adaptable, making it a perfect fit for children and adults of any age.
• You can do it year-round, with each season bringing its own unique materials to the table.
• It’s sneaky learning – as kids engage in this sensory-rich activity, they’re exploring science, art, math, and more without even realizing it.
So, next time you head out for a stroll in the park or a hike in the woods, or even your own backyard, grab that packing tape and add an extra layer of fun and learning to your journey with nature bracelets.
