Art and Nature

At last Saturday's symposium, Erica Calhoon and I led a discussion on how preschools can incorporate art into nature exploration.  We divided potential art projects into three categories:

Ephemeral art- temporary art, usually made outdoors using natural materials. Examples include water paintings, mandalas, and ice sculptures.
Natural Materials- art projects that incorporate items found in nature. Examples include painted rocks, pressed flower collages, and leaf rubbings.
Plein Air- conventional art projects, such as watercolor paintings, done outside.

It was fun to share tips and hear about projects from other teachers. Here are our brainstorming posters, full of ideas to try:

What's YOUR favorite nature art project?