With summer kicking off it’s time to stretch our legs, break out the sunblock and take a deep breath of fresh air! As we explore the outdoors it’s a great opportunity to get creative – bring your usual indoor crafts and art projects outside for a change of pace, or grab some sidewalk chalk and make your own concrete masterpiece.
Whatever you decide, the benefits of taking the arts outdoors is clear:
- Kids get moving! Exercise is associated with decreased stress and anxiety.
- Taking in the natural world while you paint, draw or dance stimulates all your senses.
- Kids learn to push their own boundaries and take healthy risks, increasing confidence.
Try out some of these fun, creative activities to bring the arts outside with your little ones!
Observe the sun’s energy while making your own nature inspired prints! This low-mess, science infused craft is sure to be a hit.
If you don’t have Sun Art paper handy, you can set up toys and trace the shadows they leave on your paper. How do the shadows change with the time of day? Make a whole series of drawings to track your day!
Put on your favorite tunes and start a dance party with Pinkalicious & Peterrific!
Break out your paint brushes for these block painted hide-and-seek rocks. It’s a craft project and an activity rolled into one!
Play a Storytelling Game! Roll homemade dice and use your imagination to tell a unique story with Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum. This fun game can inspire countless wacky tales and be played over and over again.
No printer, no problem! You can make up your own characters, settings and objects for DIY storytelling cubes of your own – Fill in the info on index cards and tape them onto play blocks or empty tissue boxes for oversized fun!
Make a chalk drawing work of art featuring your favorite PBS Kids characters! And for extra DIY fun, check out this sidewalk chalk tutorial to make your own.
Special thanks to the Burns family for these awesome Daniel Tiger and Nature Cat chalk drawings!