Exploring and Painting in Nature

You know those families that show up for the art or science fair with amazing projects that you know the child probably didn't do himself? Or the blog posts that you Ooohhh and ahhhhh over when you see the perfectly painted pine cones, rocks, and shells. Yeaaaa, well you probably won't see that here. What you'll see here is exploring art, nature, and letting the child take the lead. Call it Free Range learning, Reggio Emilia, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, or any other educational philosophy that believes in incorporating nature into your learning, but here at Natural Beach Living we call it our life.    

By setting out an invitation to explore, you are allowing the child to interpret the items in their own way through undirected play.  

In your everyday life start collecting your children's findings. Whether it's shells from a day at the beach, or rocks, and sticks from a nature walk, you'll have them easily accessible for incorporating them into their play.

Some of our favorite watercolors are (affiliate links for your convenience) Sax Liquid Watercolorsand Sargent Art . They have beautiful vibrant colors and wash off easily. I'm all for washable products with kids.

For our natural art invitations I usually mix 1 Tablespoon of watercolor paint with approximately 1/3 cup of water. I do this for each color.  

Similar to a Reggio Emilia School, our activities don't start and end by the clock. They flow with the wonder and curiosity for a longing to explore more.

If you strive to bring nature and a sense of calming into your learning, I think you would really enjoy these posts.
Reggio Inspired Nature Table  
and
Nature Through a Toddlers Eyes

Thanks so much for joining us.
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