The ash trees in our area are almost all gone due to a disease that has been attacking the kind. With the cutting down of those trees, after a long winter or rainstorm, there are lots of bark to find. The children collect nature parts from the backyard, during our nature walks, and forest foraging.
Here is a fun activity you can do with the toddlers and preschoolers in your daycare.
Materials needed: paint, tree barks, newspaper or a drop cloth and the children.
Skills Enhanced: color recognition, science, recycle, reuse, creativity, art, social-emotional, fine motor skills, sequence, texture and patterns.
Drip the paint over the tree bark
Pour excess paint off.
Let the artwork dry for days (inside or outside) depending on your weather situation.
Children take home their beautiful painted tree bark when it’s all dried.
We have some pieces hung in the daycare. I drill a hole at the top, string with jute rope and hang – it’s a beautiful addition to our bringing the outside in. As usual, have fun making these with the children in your care – Miss Sue
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