Nature Notes Practical Skill Building Through Creative Collage

By Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR/L, SCEM, EDAC, FAOTA

I AM FINDING MYSELF GETTING INCREASINGLY EXCITED ABOUT THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING FOR MANY REASONS. ONE IS THE STEADY STREAM OF GARDEN AND PLANT CATALOGS I AM RECEIVING IN THE MAIL, WHICH ARE TANTALIZING AND INSPIRING TO MY NATURE ADORING MIND.

Ilove to look at the tried-and-true varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowers and imagine how nice it would be to have at least one of everything. For example, I just found a nine-inch-high tomato plant perfect for the little hydroponic growing system I recently received as a holiday gift! I am looking forward to giving new seeds a try.

Instead of recycling your catalogs, in this issue’s Nature Notes I am suggesting a fun, creative, one-degree-of-separation-from-nature activity you can do with your children. Garden catalog collaging invites imagination and helps enrich conversation, sequencing skills, organization, and categorizing abilities, shape and color recognition, and fine motor skills such as cutting or tearing, page-turning, and gluing. It is a very flexible activity well-suited to adaptation to work best for your child. Ready to have a go?

Materials needed (modify as appropriate for your child)

• Cardboard or poster board (at least 11 x 17 inches)

• Glue or another kind of adhesive

• Scissors

• Garden supply and plant/seed catalogs

• Markers, crayons, and/or colored pencils

• Small natural items such as seeds, seed pods, pine needles, dried flowers, leaves

Prompts (adapt as needed)

1. Invite your child to page through the catalogs, helping as needed to identify pictures that appeal to them. Remove the photos from the catalogs by cutting or tearing them out. Increase the complexity of this task by asking your child what is appealing about the pictures they choose—is it a favorite color, an intriguing shape, a favorite to eat, or something else?

2. Alternatively, ask your child to find “X” number of one color of flowers in the catalogs and, when they are located, to either cut or tear out the page with you helping as needed. This same line of inquiry can include finding certain shapes, tall plants, short plants, favorite fruits and veggies, etc.

3. Once you have accumulated what you and your child determine to be a good number of pictures, it is time to start arranging them on the collage board. It can be random or systematic, such as by color, shape, size, etc.

4. Spend some time talking about the arrangement and move the images about until your child feels pleased with the organization.

5. Stick the photos onto the board.

6. Optional: Use markers, crayons, or pencils to draw whatever comes to mind and glue on natural materials to add additional dimension and interest to the collage.

7. Once dry, take a photo for prosperi- ty and display the collage someplace it will bring a sense of joy and happiness to anyone who looks at it.

8. If appropriate, make a video of your child telling you about their collage and share it with grandparents or other loved ones.

9. Recycle the remains of the catalogs and compost what is left of the natural materials.

This seemingly simple activity brings us all one step closer to nature!

Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR/L, SCEM, EDAC, FAOTA, is Principal of Amy Wagenfeld | Design and Lecturer in the PostProfessional Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program at Boston University. She is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and the Center for Health Systems and Design at Texas A&M University and holds evidence-based design accreditation and certification (EDAC) through the Center for Health Design, specialty certification in environmental modifications (SCEM) through the American Occupational Therapy Association, and certification in healthcare garden design through the Chicago Botanical Garden. Amy presents and publishes widely on topics relating to access to nature and is co-author of the award-winning book Therapeutic Gardens: Design for Healing Spaces published by Timber Press. When not designing gardens, researching, or developing garden and nature programs, Amy can be found happily digging in the dirt.

Website: www.amywagenfelddesign.com

Blog: http://workjournal.org/nurture-through-nature