An Introduction for Teach ers Parents and Kids For Teachers and Parents Organic Crafts walks children through the woods along the beach and into grassy meadows to explore our natural surroundings Everything around us has artistic beauty and a functional purpose and this book invites children to take a closer look at the ele ments of nature By exploring tiny pieces of our earth from forest to seashore we can better under stand how nature works how it enhances our lives and learn to appreciate its beauty Along the way chil dren will discover imaginative ways to turn the ordi nary into the extraordnary by making art from nature They will learn to make creative use of nat ural and reusable resources while exploring the many ways that nature is part of our lives and about how important it is to preserve these essential resources Activities are divided into chapters that focus on key elements of nature such as Plants Grasses and Seeds chapter 4 and Animals Birds and Insects chapter 5 This organization makes it ideal for structuring lesson plans that explore the world around us When learning about our natural
or any new topic breaking the subject into manage able sections invites easier understanding and lasting comprehension Just as Organic Crafts is laid out into six different components of the natural world lessons can be designed as six phases so that neither the child nor the teacher is overwhelmed Instead a slower and more entertaining approach will provide ample opportunity for further exploration research and creativity Organic Crafts is designed for the par ent teacher or caregiver to use as a resource for cre ative playtime or classroom learning It is also a resource for older readers to independently explore the natural world learning how things work and how nature creates amazing beauty For example when growing a Wildlife Seedling Tray in chapter 5 children of all ages will learn about the feeding cycles of wildlife and what types of plants promote the well being of wildlife and enhance nature's life cycle This knowledge may not only inspire budding botanists and horticulturists but also may encourage viewing a plant as more than a mere thing of beauty rather one of purpose A handy Teacher's Guide in the back of the book will help with lesson planning too Sometimes we begin a craft project without thinking about the materials we need or natural alternatives that are available Organic Crafts provides a number of alternative earth friendly materials see pages XIV XV for alternative recipes for homemade glue and paste that can be substituted whenever store bought craft glue or paste is listed in the mate
rials list to complete craft activities and teaches chil dren important lessons such as the importance of recycling Some crafts call for store bought ingredi ents such as wiggle eyes or florist s foam balls These materials don't always have to be used Invite kids to use their creativity in substituting readily available materials small buttons instead of wiggle eyes and crumpled up newspaper balls for the florist's foam balls for store bought ones In addi tion some crafts call for the use of glitter This is always optional Consider using tiny pieces of alu minum foil or confetti sized pieces of colorful con struction paper to make a picture sparkle Organic Crafts invites young children to explore fun ways to learn about enjoy and respect nature and guides them in new ways to experience their sur roundings While doing the activities in this book it is important to stress that each craft is a work of art and therefore there is no right way to do each activi ty and no two should be the same After all elemen tary exploration of the importance of our earth comes through artistic imagination Most important Organic Crafts teaches respect for our natural resources to encourage children to work or play to preserve our natural environment Nature Notes added throughout the book offer more fun filled facts about the environment people places and things such as the mysterious rock for mation known as Stonehenge as well as ideas for further environmental exploration Each chapter con
