Nature Week at Home

Five easy nature-themed crafts to do at home

Group activities under the River Garden pavilion may have come to a halt, but that doesn’t mean creativity and learning must stop, too! Here are five fun and simple crafts that not only allow creative energy to flow, but also introduce important environmental education concepts such as the role of pollinators and the process of the water cycle.

Water Cycle Bracelet

The Mississippi River that runs next to our riverfront parks plays an important role in the functioning of the water cycle. After the water evaporates and falls back to earth through the process of precipitation, it collects in bodies of water, like the Mississippi River, so that the process can begin again. This process may be complicated for kiddos to grasp; however, this water cycle bracelet provides a fun and stylish way for kids to learn about this important natural event.

Materials needed: String, beads (yellow, clear, white, blue, and green)

The process for making the water cycle bracelet is simple. Each bead corresponds with a different function of the water cycle:

Yellow: represents the sun, which helps fuel the process

Clear: represents evaporation

White: represents condensation

Blue: represents precipitation

Green: represents the collection of water into natural bodies of water like the Mississippi River

The water cycle then starts over again, and more beads can be added to represent this cyclical motion.

One of the bracelets made last summer at Nature Week

Coffee Filter Butterfly

In River Garden and in our ecosystems in general, pollinators are an essential component to keeping the meadows thriving. Pollinators, such as butterflies, carry pollen from one flower to another allowing fertilization to occur so that more flowers can bloom. As spring and summer approach more butterflies will begin to appear in the park, so now is the perfect time to create this cute coffee filter butterfly craft!

Materials: 2 coffee filters per butterfly, markers, pipe cleaner, water

These coffee filter butterflies can be made in a number of ways, so feel free to be creative! Below is the process we used during Nature Week last summer:

1. Place one filter on top of the other and color the filter with any color or design
2. Spray the filters with water so that the colors bleed together
3. Let dry or use a hairdryer to speed up the process
4. Fold the coffee filters in an accordion-style
5. Keeping the folds, place one filter on top of the other
6. Wrap a pipe cleaner around the middle of the two folded coffee filters to create antennas
7. Spread the wings so that your butterfly can fly!

Right: completed butterfly, Left: coloring a coffee filter so that it can be sprayed with water

Toilet Paper Roll Bee and Bee Hotel

Toilet paper is a hot commodity these days, but what do you do with the cardboard rolls when you’re done? Use them for kid’s activities of course!

Just like butterflies, bees are pollinators that help enhance River Garden’s beautiful meadows. Did you know that there are an estimated 2.7 million bee colonies in the US today? That is a lot of bees doing a very important job. In fact, honey bees can visit approximately 5,000 flowers a day! Our meadows would look very different without the help of these important creatures. Help teach your kids the importance of bees with this toilet paper roll bee:

Materials: toilet paper roll, colored paper or white paper and markers, glue or tape

1. Using yellow paper cover the toilet paper roll to create the body of the bee
2. Cut out black stripes and glue or tape them over the yellow paper
3. Cut out ovals to create wings and use markers or paper to create a face and antennas

Source: Easy Peasy and Fun

Did you know that solitary bees, such as Mason Bees, live alone rather than in hives? Often times they make nests in soil or humans create nests for them which are known as bee hotels. You can always create a real bee hotel to attract solitary bees to your garden, or you can make this bee hotel craft so that the toilet paper roll bees have a place to live.

Materials: toilet paper roll or paper towel roll, shoebox, markers

Here’s how to create a bee hotel:

1. Place toilet paper or paper towel rolls in the shoebox
2. Decorate the box with markers or colored paper to attract your bees to the hotel
3. Use your toilet paper roll bee to pretend to collect pollen and bring it back to the hotel

Source: Edmonton and Area Land Trust

Ladybug Plate

Ladybugs, just like pollinators, can be essential to enhance the growth of a meadow or garden. Ladybugs eat many pests, such as aphids, that can damage the growth of plants or trees. As the temperature becomes warmer more ladybugs will begin to appear in the parks along the river, and also in your own backyard! This ladybug plate craft is a great way to teach about the essential functions ladybugs bring to natural spaces.

Materials: paper plate, paint or markers

1. Paint or color the paper plate so that it mimics the look of a ladybug
2. Draw or glue on eyes to give your ladybug a face

Ladybug plates made at last summer’s Nature Week

Don’t forget to tag us @memriverparks with all of your Nature Week at Home creations!