Art has always been a gravitational force, pulling us back to our roots. It is practice, crafted through time and dedication. In ancient times, we used our voices to write soliloquies, our hands to draw imaginative scenes on limestone walls and our minds to weave intricate stories passed down through generations.
Today, we use pencils, pens, crayons, computers and iPads to make art. While these tools offer many blessings and fuel our creativity in unique ways, they can also distance us from the natural world. The more our tools separate us from the land, the further we drift from our connection to the Earth.
Children of all ages still find wonder and creativity in their natural surroundings. Each tree branch can be a sword, and each stream is a river daring to be crossed. Each ridge formed from the bark of Douglas firs represents a home for fairies waiting to be explored. So, how can we foster this innate creativity?
Let’s encourage youth to seek art in nature. Invite them to find joy in spinning samaras drifting down like helicopters, to stumble over roots and climb back up with renewed enthusiasm. Encourage them to build bug homes and create nature-inspired portraits. When we encourage children to explore the outdoors, we are allowing them to form connections with their surroundings.
Nature provides an unstructured learning environment that fosters creativity without constraints. It allows for unbounded expression and the opportunity to form a tactile relationship with the world. Through play and observation, learners can create unique, place-based memories that cultivate a deep-seated care for the environment. As the saying goes, you must understand something to care for it, and understanding comes through direct experience.
Here are some activities you can do to reconnect with art in an outdoor learning space:
Create written-form content about nature
This could be poetry, prose or something completely different. Embracing the freedom of the outdoors means embracing writing what we want to write and how we want to write it. Let the wind take you away!
• Nature Journaling: Nature journaling is a freeform type of written content. Find a sit-spot and journal about your surroundings. What moves fast? What moves slow? What patterns can you recognize? You can sketch the plants that you see and add them to your writing.
• Haiku Writing: Haikus are a type of Japanese poem. These are intrinsically about connecting with nature, and they are short and simple. They consist of three lines, with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5. Their simplicity allows you to create multiple pieces about a variety of beings.
Build bug homes and nature portraits
Taking inspiration from fairy homes, try to make some homes for bugs. This is an all-season activity since bugs can be around all times of the year.
Do you ever see yourself in nature? Try literally seeing yourself in nature by making a nature portrait. For both activities, make sure not to pick any live plants!
• Build Bug Homes: Go outside and find some loose pinecones, seeds, needles, leaves and sticks. Using these materials, try to build a home for insects. These bugs need food, shelter, and water just like the rest of us! Can you get creative? Do they need a toilet, or a TV?
• Nature Portraits: Gather natural materials like leaves, flowers, seeds and pebbles. Create collages or mosaics that represent your face or your friend’s face. You can use these portraits to explore how you feel connected to the natural world.
Breathing, meditating and spending time in nature
Studies have shown that spending time outdoors increases our mental wellness. Taking time for mindful moments outdoors can improve our mental state and help us thrive.
• Nature Meditation: Take some time for a meditation session in a natural setting where you can focus on your breathing, listen to the sounds of nature and feel the textures around you. This can help develop a deeper sense of calm and connection to the environment.
• Mindfulness Walks: Organize walks with your friends or in your community. Practice mindfulness by paying attention to your senses. Notice the colours, textures and sounds of nature, and reflect on how sensory experiences can affect mood and creativity.
