How to Make a Nature Paintbrush – Kids Outdoor Painting ideas

If you’re looking for a slightly messy outdoors activity for kids then this is a great one. Mainly because it encompasses early years targets and also gives you the opportunity to extend the activity but keep little ones focussed at the same time.

What I love about it, is that it starts with a walk/toddle through the woods or nearest outdoor area foraging for natural materials to use.  We took the kids’ Easter buckets we purchased last year in Hobbycraft and they filled them with all sorts of natural materials that they decided would be good to use to make nature paintbrushes / use for painting.  We picked up sticks, pine needles, leaves, sheeps wool and pinecones to name a few. Let their imagination run!

Once we got home we set up a painting area in the garden, took our sticks and set about creating our nature paintbrushes.

What you need:

Sticks,                                                                                                                                                    Foliage for the brush part                                                                                                              Twine/Wool

You wrap the foliage onto the end of the stick with the twine and then you have your nature paintbrush.

Next we extended the activity by creating forest colours by mixing paints.  It’s a good opportunity to extend their learning by talking about primary colours and learning how to make new colours.  My kids love to mix up the paints!

Then get painting, we used our brushes, pinecones and sheeps wool.  It was a good way to discuss what patterns were being made as well.  So this is a very suitable activity for childminders, nurseries, forest schools or for a simple home activity.   The best bit is the mess stays outdoors!  I have included a video of what we have done.