Rain or Shine Mamma

There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes

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Nature People and 30+ Other Nature Craft Printables

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Read my full disclosure policy here.
June 12, 2017 By Linda McGurk

I’m going to be totally honest – crafts are not my thing. Popsicle sticks, sequins, googly eyes and foam sheets usually make me cringe, and don’t even get me started on glitter. But there is one type of craft that I truly enjoy doing with my kids and that is – surprise, surprise – the open-ended nature craft.

Nature People Craft + Nature Craft Printable. Rain or Shine Mamma.

A nature craft has a number of benefits compared with more traditional crafts. First and foremost, it gets kids outside and gives them a chance to connect with nature and gain an understanding of the changing of the seasons by collecting natural materials (something that I cover more in depth in my book There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather). Secondly, since the materials are natural, the crafts can be composted and returned to nature when we’re finished with them. Finally, nature crafts can be a great way for children to explore natural textures, shapes, smells and colors with all their senses.

Nature Art and Craft Printables

Given this, I was thrilled when Penny of the fabulous blog Mother Natured asked me to be an affiliate for her Nature Art and Craft Printables. This printable pack includes over 30 nature crafts with varying level of difficulty, from simple nature dress-up activities to a more complex basket weave template, and is generally suited for children who are 3 to 10 years of age. Each activity comes with its own page that features a list of materials and step-by-step instructions for setting up each activity.

Nature Craft Printable by Mother Natured.

And yes, I’m a big believer in boredom as a source of creativity for kids, and I don’t think they benefit from an endless string of adult-led activities, but many of these crafts can be completely child-led, and tap into that creativity in a hands-on way. They can easily be done with the family at home or in a bigger group, for example at a Girl Scout meeting, or at day care, preschool or school. These printables are versatile and are loved by children everywhere, including my own.

My girls and I recently chose to road test the Nature People printable; keep reading below to see how it went down.

Nature People Printable

Nature People and 30+ Other Nature Craft Printables. Rain or Shine Mamma.

Materials:

  • Basket or other container for collecting materials
  • Natural materials
  • Nature people printable
  • Glue (optional)
  • Scissors (optional)

Instructions:
1. Order and download your own Nature Art and Craft Printables pack here.
2. Go for a walk in a natural area and collect your materials. (Needless to say, always follow the rules and use common sense when collecting. Choose plants and materials that are abundant and avoid picking those that are rare.)
3. Get your Nature People printable and secure it with a rock in each corner if creating outside.

Nature People Craft + Nature Craft Printable. Rain or Shine Mamma.
4. Use your natural materials to create hair and clothing for your Nature People. Use glue to attach the materials if you want to make a keepsake, or simply place them on the printable if you prefer transient art and want to reuse the printable.

Nature People Craft + Nature Craft Printable. Rain or Shine Mamma.
5. Compare and enjoy the finished results!

Nature People Craft + Nature Craft Printable. Rain or Shine Mamma.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Nature People and 30+ Other Nature Craft Printables. This printable pack is the perfect art and craft activity using only natural materials. Fun for preschoolers as well as kindergarteners and grade schoolers. Get the printable pack and JUST ADD NATURE!

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Related posts:

Nature Tree Craft for Kids. Rain or Shine MammaFun Nature Tree Craft for Kids Process Art with Tree Nuts. A child-led, open-ended art activity for preschoolers and kindergartners. A perfect nature art project for fall!. Rain or Shine Mamma.Creating Process Art with Tree Nuts These Leaf Ghost Puppets are a fun Halloween craft for kids and adults alike! An easy to make Halloween nature craft from natural materials. The puppets can be used as DIY Halloween decor or for active play.Leaf Ghost Puppets: Fun Halloween Craft for Kids Make a Nature Collage
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There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom's Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient and Confident Kids. “Bringing Up Bébé meets Last Child in the Woods in this lively, insightful memoir about a mother who sets out to discover if the nature-centric parenting philosophy of her native Scandinavia holds the key to healthier, happier lives for her American children."

“Linda McGurk offers a perfect antidote to the hyper-vigilant, extra-electrified, standardized-tested, house-arrested, 21st-century childhood and the experts who push it. Practical and wise, There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather proves just that, and much more.”
—Richard Louv, bestselling author of LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS and VITAMIN N

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  • Is getting your tween or teen out the door an uphill battle? Check out these tips for cutting screen time and adding more "green time" to your child's life! #outdoors #teens #tweens #outdoorlife #screentime
  • 9 tips to get outside with teens and tweens
  • 9 Safety Tips for Kids Climbing Trees. Does your tree climbing child make you nervous? These tips will ease your own fears and help your child learn how to negotiate risk. Rain or Shine Mamma. #treeclimbing #kids #tree #riskyplay
  • 9 Safety Tips for Kids Climbing Trees. Does your tree climbing child make you nervous? These tips will ease your own fears and help your child learn how to negotiate risk. Rain or Shine Mamma. #treeclimbing #kids #tree #riskyplay
  • 9 Safety Tips for Kids Climbing Trees. Does your tree climbing child make you nervous? These tips will ease your own fears and help your child learn how to negotiate risk. Rain or Shine Mamma. #treeclimbing #kids #tree #riskyplay
  • 9 Safety Tips for Kids Climbing Trees. Does your tree climbing child make you nervous? These tips will ease your own fears and help your child learn how to negotiate risk. Rain or Shine Mamma. #treeclimbing #kids #tree #riskyplay
  • 9 Safety Tips for Kids Climbing Trees. Does your tree climbing child make you nervous? These tips will ease your own fears and help your child learn how to negotiate risk. Rain or Shine Mamma. #treeclimbing #kids #tree #riskyplay
  • 9 Safety Tips for Kids Climbing Trees. Does your tree climbing child make you nervous? These tips will ease your own fears and help your child learn how to negotiate risk. Rain or Shine Mamma. #treeclimbing #kids #tree #riskyplay
  • 9 Safety Tips for Kids Climbing Trees. Does your tree climbing child make you nervous? These tips will ease your own fears and help your child learn how to negotiate risk. Rain or Shine Mamma. #treeclimbing #kids #tree #riskyplay
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Rain or Shine Mamma

2 weeks ago

Rain or Shine Mamma
A school in Sydney bans the children from using the playground before school, saying the decision was made to "support positive classroom behaviour and learning." But did anybody bother to actually look into the research on the benefits of outdoor play, both in terms of children's ability to focus and their academic performance...? The parents aren't happy about the decision and I understand why. ... See MoreSee Less

Bondi school parents slam decision to ban outdoor play before class

www.smh.com.au

A decision to restrict students from using the playground before school started has sparked an angry response.
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Rain or Shine Mamma

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Rain or Shine Mamma
📚📚📚Book Cover Reveal📚📚📚A few years ago, I did a poll in my social media channels to see what topic you’d like me to explore in my next book. One of them won by an overwhelming margin: the Nordic outdoor tradition friluftsliv. Well, I heeded your call. I’m pleased to share that it’s now possible to pre-order The Open-Air Life: Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Embrace Nature Every Day from just about any place that sells books! The Open-Air Life is for anybody who is longing to lead a simpler, happier and less hurried life. It shows you how to channel the power of nature connection to improve your physical and mental health, as well as your relationship with both other people and Mother Nature. Plus, you’ll learn a few party tricks, like lighting a campfire without matches and cleaning water on the go. At a time when more and more people are starting to appreciate why they should spend more time outside, this book will show you how, with a decidedly Nordic twist.I must say that I LOVE this dreamy cover that the designers at @penguinrandomhouse created. What do you think? Pre-order The Open-Air Life here to support local book stores: bookshop.org/a/79880/9780593420942 ... See MoreSee Less
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Rain or Shine Mamma

3 weeks ago

Rain or Shine Mamma
Friends, I'm thinking about putting together an outdoor napping guide and would love some input. What would you like to know about this practice? What tools would you need to get started? Hit me with your questions!👊🏼😊 ... See MoreSee Less
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Rain or Shine Mamma

3 weeks ago

Rain or Shine Mamma
It’s TICK season…🕷 (I know that’s a spider emoji, but you get the idea😅)A lot of people freak out at the sight of these blood suckers and understandably so, considering the diseases they can harbor. But they too are a part of nature and if we want to keep venturing outside during the warmer months (I definitely do and I suspect you do too) we must come to terms with them.If you want to know more about tick prevention, I just wrote a pretty detailed post about it on my blog. Head over to rainorshinemamma.com to learn more and share this post with others who worry about ticks!👌🏻________________________#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #ticks #tickprevention ... See MoreSee Less
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Rain or Shine Mamma

4 weeks ago

Rain or Shine Mamma
I missed a meeting Sunday night😬 An informal meeting, yes, but still…I take pride in being dependable and prompt, and I hate to be flakey. I’d like to think that it was because I got distracted when my daughter called from my mom’s house and said she was running a fever, but in reality I got sidetracked well before that. Weekends are my time to zone out from schedules, emails and social media, and spend more time outside, especially this time of the year. So I missed a meeting. But I gained a quiet paddle through pastel waters as the sun slowly descended below the spruces on the horizon. __________________________#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #sup #standuppaddle #sweden #sweden_photolovers #sweden_images ... See MoreSee Less
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rainorshinemamma

Linda Åkeson McGurk
There are a lot of good things about tech, but exc There are a lot of good things about tech, but excessive screen time is taking a toll on children’s physical and mental health today. Many apps and games have built-in mechanisms designed to make them highly addictive and children are even more susceptible to them than adults, since their brains are not fully developed🧠Screens are so ubiquitous in our lives today that it takes conscious effort to balance them with experiences IRL. 

For the past few years, our family has experimented with screen free or screen reduced Sundays. I’m not going to pretend that it’s easy. But if the goal is to increase quality family time outdoors and encourage the kind of creativity that arises from a healthy dose of boredom, it does work🌳

Some other tips to foster a healthy screen time culture in your family are:

✅ Learn how to use the parent controls on your kids’ devices and set age-appropriate limits.

✅ Have certain times or spaces that are always screen free, for example around the dinner table, in the bedrooms and so on, and be sure to be consistent. 

✅ Create a buy-in for the kids by letting them help plan screen free activities for the whole family.

What’s your biggest obstacle when it comes to keeping screen time under control?
________________________
#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #screenfreesunday #friluftsliv #outdoors #greentime
That about sums it up, doesn’t it?☺️ This qu That about sums it up, doesn’t it?☺️ This quote is from Meet the Wild, a new picture book by Lindsay Kellar-Madsen of @the.madsen.littles. Inspired by the outdoor learning and play culture in Scandinavia, Lindsay wrote the book to invite children to explore nature all year round, regardless of the weather. 
I personally love the message and sweet illustrations in this book❤️ If you have a little one in your life, you can buy the book by backing Lindsay’s Kickstarter campaign. Check out her Instagram for details!
_________________________
#meetthewild #picturebook #outdoorplay
📚📚📚Book Cover Reveal📚📚📚 A few y 📚📚📚Book Cover Reveal📚📚📚

A few years ago, I did a poll in my social media channels to see what topic you’d like me to explore in my next book. One of them won by an overwhelming margin: the Nordic outdoor tradition friluftsliv. Well, I heeded your call. I’m pleased to share that it’s now possible to pre-order The Open-Air Life: Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Embrace Nature Every Day from just about any place that sells books! (Link in bio)

The Open-Air Life is for anybody who is longing to lead a simpler, happier and less hurried life. It shows you how to channel the power of nature connection to improve your physical and mental health, as well as your relationships with both other people and Mother Nature. Plus, you’ll learn a few party tricks, like lighting a campfire without matches and cleaning water on the go. At a time when more and more people are starting to appreciate why they should spend more time outside, this book will show you how, with a decidedly Nordic twist.

I must say that I LOVE this dreamy cover that the designers at @penguinrandomhouse created. What do you think? 

@tarcherperigee @penguinrandomhouse

#theopenairlife #rainorshinemamma #coverreveal #bookcover #friluftsliv #friluftslivbook
I took my kids on an overnight paddling trip last I took my kids on an overnight paddling trip last weekend and it started out with sunshine and rainbows☀️🌈 Swipe to the last video to see how it ended➡️ 

We had set out to explore the northernmost island in our local lake and while we cruised up there with decent tailwinds, the wind picked up overnight. Going back the next day, we faced strong headwinds the entire time🌊 

For nearly three hours, we paddled in choppy waters, with waves sometimes so high that they splashed into the canoe. We had no choice but to paddle nonstop - if we stopped, we immediately started drifting backwards😩

The thing about being outdoors is that you’re never fully in control of all parameters - trips like these always involve a certain amount of risk. The weather can change quickly, and not always according to the forecast. What we can control is our reaction to the challenge, how we act on it and what we learn from it.

While none of us was happy about the situation, the girls did pull together and did an amazing job paddling💪🏻 And while they both vowed to never go paddling again, I told them that this will make a funny story later in life. They weren’t convinced at the time but I think they’ll come around eventually😅 

Do you have any stories of getting in over your head to share?😃
_____________________________
#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #openairlife #paddling #paddlingwithkids
Summer is high season for TICKS…🕷 (I know tha Summer is high season for TICKS…🕷 (I know that’s a spider emoji, but you get the idea😅) 

A lot of people freak out at the sight of these blood suckers and understandably so, considering the diseases they can harbor. But they too are a part of nature and if we want to keep venturing outside during the warmer months (I definitely do and I suspect you do too) we must come to terms with them.

If you want to know more about tick prevention, I just wrote a pretty detailed post about it on my blog. Head over to rainorshinemamma.com to learn and share this post with others who worry about ticks!👌🏻
________________________
#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #ticks #tickprevention
I missed a meeting Sunday night😬 An informal me I missed a meeting Sunday night😬 An informal meeting, yes, but still…I take pride in being dependable and prompt, and I hate to be flakey. 

I’d like to think that it was because I got distracted when my daughter called from my mom’s house and said she was running a fever, but in reality I got sidetracked well before that. Weekends are my time to zone out from schedules, emails and social media, and spend more time outside, especially this time of the year. 

So I missed a meeting. But I gained a quiet paddle through pastel waters as the sun slowly descended below the spruces on the horizon. An hour to myself to just be one with the lake, the light and the promise of the summer that still lies ahead☀️
__________________________
#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #sup #standuppaddle #sweden #sweden_photolovers #sweden_images
This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations @wiet This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations @wietinghannah, you’re our winner!🎊

📚📚📚GIVEAWAY📚📚📚

Have you heard the term "ecohappiness"? If not, this is your chance to learn more! 

Author Sandi Schwartz and I have teamed up to give away a copy of her book "Finding Ecohappiness," an inspirational manifesto and practical guidebook for families to get outside and enjoy nature together. Packed with ideas for outdoor activities like animal yoga, forest bathing, sit spotting, float therapy and nature art, this book is definitely one to add to your collection📕 

How to enter👇🏼
✅ Like and save this post
✅ Follow @rainorshinemamma and @getecohappiness 
✅ Comment by completing this sentence: "To me, being in nature is..."

This giveaway closes on June 4 and a winner will be selected shortly after that. You must be 18 and live in the US or Canada to enter. This giveaway is not associated with or sponsored by Instagram. 

Good luck!🙌🏽

#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #ecohappiness #findingecohappiness #naturebooks #goodreads #naturelovers #ecotherapy #getkidsoutside
Having scientific reasons and explanations for doi Having scientific reasons and explanations for doing things is good and there are any number of ways free climbing benefits our physical and mental health. But sometimes you’ve just got to trust your guts, feel all the feelings and enjoy the joyride🙌🏻🌳

What makes you feel joy in nature?
____________________________
#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #treeclimbing #onewithnature #vitaminn #friluftsliv #optoutside
I’m not going to lie - there are times when my c I’m not going to lie - there are times when my children’s dawdling drives me nuts. Like when they take 45 minutes to finish breakfast even though we’re running late . But I also envy their ability to be completely unhurried and present in the moment, and I realize that it’s a quality that I need to protect🐌

As parents, we need to make space for our children to play, get bored, dawdle, wander, wonder, create, sleep in, be wild and free and watch the clouds go by. Let them be where they are and not push them to achieve arbitrary milestones or condition them to think that a packed calendar is the key to success and happiness.

As always, Ginny of @1000hoursoutside is on point🙌🏻
_____________________________
#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #1000hoursoutside #quote
Did you know that camping for as little as two nig Did you know that camping for as little as two nights straight can help you reset your circadian rhythms and improve your sleep for several weeks afterwards? That's because the natural light helps the body regulate melatonin, a hormone that tells the body when it's time to get up and go, and when it's time to rest and recuperate🌗 

My melatonin levels weren't top of mind when @jeanetteosterman and I started our challenge to sleep outside at least once a month for a year. But I must say, I rarely sleep as soundly and feel as energetic as I do when I sleep under the skies.

Have you ever tried sleeping in a camping hammock? I bought my first one a few years ago and I ❤️ it!
_________________________
#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #friluftsliv #openairlife #sleepingoutside #camping #campinglife #hammock #sleepingoutsidechallenge #freshaireveryday
Raise your hand if you have a teen or tween and fe Raise your hand if you have a teen or tween and feel like you're constantly negotiating/fighting/fretting over your child's screen time👋🏼 

Well, you're not alone😰 

Since 2011, when mobile internet had its breakthrough, teens' and tweens' screen time has increased dramatically. At the same time, physical activity has decreased significantly. The WHO recommends that teenagers get at least one hour of physical activity every day, but in reality 85% of the girls and 78% of the boys globally don't meet the target.

Making outdoor activity a normal part of your daily routine can help  your tween or teen get the exercise and fresh air they need  and lay the foundation for lifelong healthy habits. I'm the first to admit that it isn't easy, but then again, nobody said parenting would be a cakewalk🤪

Hang in there and check out a few of the strategies that help me balance screen time with 'green time'. Do you have any tips to share?
______________________
#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #parenting #parentingteens #parentingtweens #getoutside
“I’m not thrilled about looking older. But wha “I’m not thrilled about looking older. But what unsettles me the most about the 40s is the implication that I’m now a grown-up myself.”
- Pamela Druckerman

Forty-four laps around the sun today and I still find that the passing of time is one of life’s greatest mysteries.
_______________________________
#theresnosuchthingasbadweather #rainorshinemamma #aging #44 
@pameladruck
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