Happy August eatsleepdoodlers! With the summer holidays well underway, we hope you’ve been enjoying some well-earned family fun in the sun!

However, with schools out and seemingly endless energy to burn, finding the perfect way to keep those little hands and minds busy (and fight the dreaded boredom!) can be quite the challenge. And, if you’re anything like us, you might have already begun scratching your heads for some ideas!

Luckily for you, we’ve been on the hunt for fun and engaging activities to keep kids entertained and banish that boredom monster once and for all!

Bringing the indoors, out…

It’s no secret that we love art at eatsleepdoodle – crafting is a great way relax and a fun activity to keep kids busy on rainy days. But at times when the sun is shining and the weather is bright, we want nothing more than to get outside. Whilst arts and craft often seem like something reserved for indoors, there's no reason why you can't enjoy the best of both worlds and bring your creativity from inside out!

Whether it's the vibrant colours of flowers in bloom, the fascinating shapes of honeycomb and shells, or the peculiar patterns of pinecones and butterflies, mother nature is the ultimate artist! Our planet never fails to inspire us with its endless masterpieces, making the great outdoors the perfect playground for creativity. So, in the spirit of summer and letting the outdoors inspire us, we've been searching high and low for some of the best nature art ideas that will keep the whole family entertained.

From creating colourful flower prints to painting shells at the beach, the possibilities are endless and fun is guaranteed! Nature crafts not only keep kids busy but also encourage them to explore the world around them. As they hunt for the perfect materials, search for colours, and explore natural textures, kids develop a deeper appreciation for the environment and the wonders it holds. Plus, getting crafty in nature is more than just a great way to spend a sunny afternoon; it’s a fantastic opportunity to spend time together and pull kids away from screens!

So why not let nature be your guide this summer? Grab your sun hats (or maybe an umbrella!) and let's head outside for some nature-inspired crafting fun! Keep reading for a bunch of exciting nature-themed craft ideas that will have you and your kids exploring, creating and most importantly - having a blast!
 

Shadow tracing

Images: Kids Activites / Mini Mad Things

Shadow tracing is a super easy activity, and you only need a pencil and some paper to get started! Look under leaves, branches, or set up a vase of flowers and explore how light and nature interact to make fun shapes in the shadows! Simply trace around the outline to create different shapes - you can even make these into fun characters or colour them in!

Texture rubbing

From the roots of a tree, its bark and all the way up to the leaves of its branches, there are so many different natural textures to explore! Creating texture rubbings with crayons is a great activity for little ones and perfect for sensory enrichment.
 

Pick your own wildflower bouquet

You may have seen this activity making the rounds on social media - and for good reason! Kids can have great fun searching for flowers and making their own bouquet full of different colours and textures!
Plus this one is great for all ages and perfect for building up fine motor skills in little ones.

 
Clay embossing

We love finding pretty flowers (who doesn't?!) but it's always sad that we can’t keep them forever.
However, one way we can preserve flowers is with clay! Simply press flowers or leaves into air dry clay, leave to dry, and you'll have a beautiful piece of nature art to treasure forever!
 

Fruit and vegetable printing

Living in the UK we know that not all summer days are sunny days, so here's a nature craft you can bring inside on a rainy day!

Printing with homemade stamps is a fun (and low cost) way to create super fun art at home. You can even use fabric paints to create fun prints on textiles too!

Potatoes are a great option if you want to make your own shapes (check out this hack for an easy way to make super fun designs), but other fruits and vegetables can make excellent prints too. Why not try using lemons and print some fun citrus patterns like @chelseazeferina?
 

Flower printing

Harness the vibrant colours of nature with flower printing! This craft is great for adults and older children (and is great for some stress relief!).

By gently hammering flowers on top of fabric of your choice, you can create beautiful, vibrant prints with their natural dye! Check out this article by Welcome to Nanas for a full tutorial.
 

Life cycle 3D diagram

We love to combine creativity with learning at eatsleepdoodle, and love this idea from Messy Little Monsters! Kids can learn about the life cycles about different creatures and use items they find in nature to make their very own diagram!

Why not explore our pond life resources and take inspiration as you learn about the life cycle of dragonflies and frogs!
 

Stick boats

A great activity and competition in one, making stick boats or rafts is great fun for the whole family, and older kids in particular! Team up to make the best raft you can or split into groups and compete to see whose boat can survive the longest - you could even experiment with how many different things your raft can carry!

This craft is not only a lot of fun, but also makes for a great STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Maths) activity to teach kids about construction and basic principles of physics like buoyancy and water displacement!
 

Bug hotels

If you’re looking for more of a DIY project, look no further than making your very own bug hotels! Kids can have fun gathering a range of natural materials and create your very own house for cute garden critters.
We’ll definitely be using these amazing bug hotels from Happy Toddler Playtime for inspiration!
 

Watercolours at the beach

Planning a beach day this summer? Make sure to pack some watercolours in your beach bag to paint some rocks and shells! Then when you're done, bring them home to display as a fun souvenir from your day on the beach. You could even use them in a future craft project too!
 

BONUS IDEA: Pond dipping with our nature & wildlife colour-in tablecloth

And if you’re looking for even more nature fun, check out our range of nature and wildlife colour-in gifts, including our incredible pond adventure tablecloth!

Why not head off on a picnic and do some pond dipping? Colour in and learn all about the life cycles of different pond creatures, then see if you can spot them in the wild!

 

We have loved gathering these ideas and hope they inspire you for some nature-themed crafting fun! Be sure to tag us on our socials so we can see all of your fabulous arts and crafts inspired by our lovely planet.

Don’t forget you can get in touch with us on social media and share your adventures and colouring creations by using #eatsleepdoodle – we always love to see what you’re up to! You can also tag us on Instagram (@eatsleepdoodle_), Facebook (@eatsleepdoodlehq) and TikTok (@eatsleepdoodle_).