Creative projects using photography or just taking time to observe with children over the summer holidays.
This is my first ‘summer holiday’ with my children and although we are lucky enough to have some lovely days out planned, I also wanted to have some ideas stored for slower (cheaper) days and times when we just need to slow down a bit. Here are some ideas I’ll be trying with my 4 year old twins and some that you may be able to explore with your children, too. Some fun photography and art-based projects to help children stop, slow and notice things in nature which we often don’t see, mini summer projects to create, mess free too!
Colour Photo Walk
Choose a colour and head outdoors with the mission of photographing (or just noticing things) only that colour.
Encourage them to notice different shades; bright green vs. mossy green.
Let them take turns picking the colour of the day. Discuss how colour appears in unexpected places, on bugs, petals, or tree bark.
If you’re photographing them, you could print the photos to create a rainbow photo wall or scrap book or larger picture of a landscape.
NATURE HUNT
The girl’s were bought a wipable board with different small insects on them to find but they can so easily be handmade and therefore changed daily. A clipboard or just a small notebook with pictures or written what they need to find and then head out to the garden or on a walk/ park to see how many of the insects you can find.
One day do bugs and insects; grasshopper, spider, ladybird, worm, snail, butterfly.
Mix it up and another day do objects such as: an oak tree, a cloud in the shape of something, water, an animal’s home, moss, dew on a leaf, patterns on a rock.
Join in with things such as the Big Butterfly Count - it takes 15 minutes and is so helpful for better understand the population and research. More info here https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org
NATURE FACES WITH FOUND OBJECTS
After a walk collecting, create faces using the leaves, sticks, petals, and stones on grass or a path, photograph their creations before returning them to nature (or use them to make a bug hotel!).
MAKE A PINHOLE CAMERA
From recycling, they’re easy to make and allows you to understand the very basics of how a photograph is produced. Here’s how to make one from a cardboard box https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/books/article/pinhole-camera
you can also use a can, just make sure you duct tape seal it to not allow extra light in - leave it outside in a secure place so it doesn’t move in the wind.
SHADOW PLAY PHOTOGRAPHY
Observe how light changes throughout the day by bringing attention to how shadows stretch, shrink, and shift with the sun. Use toys, hands, or natural items (like leaves) to cast cool shapes and photograph them.
Stand in a marked spot on a path and draw round your little one’s shadow in the morning, return to the same position in the afternoon to draw round their shadow with a different colour half to see the differences.
CYANOTYPE PRINTING
Create beautiful blue and white pictures or fabrics with nature. You can get pre-treated Cyanotype paper online https://cyanotype.co.uk/product/coated-cyanotype-paper gather beautiful shapes; ferns, leaves, lay them on your paper and lay them in a sunny place for them to develop.
PETAL PORTRAITS & NATURAL MANDALAS
We create them to celebrate summer solstice but often forget about the joy of creating mandalas during the rest of the year.
Collect fallen petals, leaves, sticks and seeds, arrange them into beautiful mandalas or patterns and photograph the result. It’s such a nice mindful activity - one which could allow you to sit with a warm drink and just enjoy the quiet whilst not having to help younger ones so much.
Keep it low-pressure. The goal is noticing, not perfection. Model curiosity. Ask questions. Share wonder.
