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Project challenge:

nature art

Suggested Ages: K – 5th Grades

In this challenge you’ll create an eye-catching outdoor art piece using at least 20 collected natural objects. You’ll need to BE REFLECTIVE by thinking about how you can use colors, patterns, and shapes to make your artwork as interesting as possible.

Engaging Design-It-Yourself projects to inspire young innovators

This is no ordinary DIY project for kids: It’s a step toward becoming an innovator.

 

Every Galileo Design-It-Yourself Challenge teaches the same techniques and mindsets that professional designers an engineers, artists and chefs use in their work. With skills like these, we believe you can change the world.

Get Involved—For Grown Ups

Materials list:

Help your child find these materials or a close substitute: 

 

  • At least 20 natural objects (rocks, leaves, sticks, etc.)
  • Optional: A camera to photograph your final sculpture

 

Activity GUIDE:

Refer to these steps to keep young innovators on track as they create:

 

1.  Pick an outdoor area for your sculpture.

 

2.  Collect at least 20 natural objects in the space you’ve chosen.

  • Ask: What kinds of objects do you think will look eye-catching/interesting?
  • Ask: What colors/patterns/shapes are you thinking of including in your design? What kinds of objects might you need for that? How many might you need?

 

3.  Arrange your objects in an interesting, eye-catching way.

 

4.  Evaluate your arrangement and redesign as desired.

  • Support being reflective—If kids are not interested in refining their design, give them a specific challenge like making a certain color stand out more or trying to make their design symmetrical.
  • Ask: What do you like about how your arrangement looks so far? What parts do you want to keep working on?
  • Ask: What might you add/remove/replace to make it stand out even more?

 

5.  Photograph it or just leave it as a temporary piece of art for others to enjoy.

 

More Ideas:

Every project presents opportunities to add your own twists or extensions. Here are some ideas to get you started: 

 

  • Innovate on! Start over using the same exact objects and try to create a sculpture that’s as different as possible from the first one.
  • Make it collaborative. Have everyone gather 20 objects and add them to one collective pile. Then take turns picking and placing one object at a time to create a group nature sculpture.
  • Courageously share! If you photograph your sculpture you can print it or share it digitally. Nature art prints make great posters and cards!

 

Wrap Up Questions:

Lock in the learning by asking kids these questions about their project and how they practiced the featured Innovator’s Mindset element: 

 

  • What’s your favorite part about your sculpture? Why do you like it?
  • How were you reflective as you collected and arranged your objects?  What kinds of things were you thinking about? What discoveries did you make about how to make things look interesting?

SHARE!

The last step in the Gallieo Innovator’s Process is SHARE. Great learning can come from sharing successes and failures—to solidify your own experience as an innovator and to inspire others.

 

SHARE WITH galileo

 

Share a photo of your nature art with the Camp Galileo Anywhere Facebook Community.

 

Share with family and friends

 

Your innovation doesn’t stop with you. Inspire someone else by sharing your project challenge—maybe they’ll try it themselves or maybe your project will give them a new idea.

 

  • Who: someone in your house, a family member, a friend
  • How: in person, on the phone, online
  • When: anytime, starting now!