I’ve been wanting to make some Wild Art with the girls for ages and we have been waiting patiently for the leaves to start falling off the trees. This is one of the 50 Things to Do Before You Are 11 3/4 activities for the National Trust. It’s a great list of fun activities to do outside.
First we looked at some Goldsworthy artworks on the computer. Molly thought they were Kandinsky at first because that is what she has been studying at school. I love how he doesn’t use tools but searches in nature to make his art work. It is such a great thing to do emulate.
These are some of the things we talked about:
- What is it made of?
- Is it permanent?
- How long do you think it took to make?
- What colours can you see?
- What does it remind you of?
- Why is there a hole in the middle?
With young children (my eldest is 6) I like to emphasise that there isn’t a right or wrong answer when it comes to art. That they can have their own opinions about it and they might feel differently about it to someone else and that is fine.
I hadn’t been planning to do this during the week. It seemed a bit more like a weekend activity. On Tuesday the weather was warm and mild and as the girls came out of school I knew they had some excess energy to run off. It seemed the perfect time to head to the woods. I let them run around collecting sticks and leaves at first. We didn’t really have a plan but Molly was keen to make a circle. I would have loved some red leaves but the woods were still looking very green.
The girls sorted the leaves into three colours, green, yellow and brown. They loved collecting the biggest sticks they could find.
We arranged the leaves into circles with the green in the middle and yellow then brown. The sticks went around the edge.
I loved the freedom this gave the girls as they ran around getting sticks. The wood was so quiet although we got a few strange looks from dog walkers and joggers.
When it was finished we thought it looked a bit like a leaf or a giant eye.
They were very proud of their art work and for once I didn’t need to encourage them to pose for a photo.
After it was finished I asked if they wanted to leave it for someone else to find or to jump in the middle. You can guess their reply.
I have to say this was one of the best trips to the park we have had. There were no grumbles or accidents. I think the sense of shared purpose really made it feel special. They were a mini team working together. We do usually make dens when we are in the woods, but this is definitely going to be added to our list of regular activities.
For more Goldsworthy inspired art
Andy Goldsworthy for Kids from RedTedArt
Inspired by Andy Goldsworthy from The Imagination Tree
Look here for our Kandinsky Art work for kids.
I also have a Pinterest board you could follow for Art for Kids