Fun Toddler Crafts

Mother Nature’s Paintbrushes

What you need:

Twigs

A selection of leaves, grasses or flowers

Elastic bands

Paints

Paper

Step 1: Gather your supplies

Head outside armed with a basket or bag.

Gather some thin, strong twigs and a selection of leaves, branches, grasses or flowers with stalks.

You can use whatever you find and whatever you like, so have a good explore.

Step 2: Secure your leaves to a twig with an elastic band

Carefully secure your leaves or flowers to the end of a twig by wrapping an elastic band round and round them.

Take care not to crush any delicate leaves or flowers as you do so.

Step 3: Make a whole selection of brushes

Use all sorts of different flowers and leaves, that will give you different textures and make different marks when they are used as paintbrushes.

Step 4: Have fun trying out your brushes

Now for the really exciting bit. Dip your nature paintbrushes into paint and see what textures, lines and patterns they make when you paint with them on paper.

You can dab to make prints, brush to make lines and even swirl the brushes around to see what effects you can make on the paper.

Get a large sheet of paper and let toddlers and children explore.

Quick tip:

You can also make these nature paintbrushes by using pegs to secure your leaves and flowers instead of twigs. Just secure the natural elements in place with a peg and you’ve got a mini paintbrush in seconds.