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Camps, Arts + Activities

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Collaborate with nature to make a land-art sculpture.

Search around the forest floor or a rocky beach. What do you see? An oak forest may be carpeted with acorns and leaves, while a beach may have many types of seashells. A land-art sculpture is created entirely from materials found in the environment and constructed within that environment, residing in harmony with the earth. After the children have collected some materials, they may choose to lay out a spiral pattern of pinecones, or perhaps a sunburst sculpture of fern fronds with rays made of aligned snowberries.

Comb the beach to fill a treasure jar.

Prowl a local beach to find a variety of items — a unique shell, beach glass, sand dollars, a raven feather, a bit of sea fern. Lucky beachcombers may find a glass float, agate or starfish skeleton. Gather a few cups of sand into a zip-close bag, along with your finds. When you return home, assemble your beach relics into a large glass jar, first lining the jar’s bottom with the sand. Arrange the objects one at a time on top of the sand — be creative!

Observe snowflakes, then make snow ice cream.

If snow starts to fall, let its magic draw you outside. Bring a magnifying glass to see the different snowflakes, whose patterns and shapes are influenced by the amount of moisture in the air and the temperature. You can sketch the different snowflake patterns you see. Try catching snowflakes on your tongue to see what they taste like.

To make ice cream from snow: Take about 8 heaping cups of fresh, clean snow and add it to a pre-whisked mixture of 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Then, dig in!■

Discover more ideas for spending time in and around nature to benefit your family’s health and well-being in author Sandi Schwartz’s book “Finding Ecohappiness: Fun Nature Activities to Help Your Kids Feel Happier and Calmer” and on her Ecohappiness Project website at ecohappinessproject.com.

Lauren Braden is a Pacific Northwest writer who focuses on recreation and local travel. She blogs at nwtripfinder.com.

YearofArt!It ’saNew

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