Organic Crafts: 75 Earth-Friendly Art Activities [Paperback]

Kimberly Monaghan (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Parents, teachers, and caregivers looking for ideas on how to get children outdoors and instill in them a love of nature can find more than 75 creative crafts, games, and activities using objects that kids can collect from nature in this idea book. As children make race cars out of rocks, create paint from plants, and assemble funny grass masks, they learn to be environmentally friendly—absorbing information on recycling, reducing waste, and inspiring others to protect nature. Organized by the various natural materials needed, the crafts offer a new twist on perennial homemade gifts and school projects.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2–5—These activities, crafts, and games are arranged by type of material used, such as rocks, pebbles, and shells; soil, clay, and sand, etc. There's a wide range of interesting projects, including clay beads, a glittering sand castle, potpourri, a sea sparkler, a wind sock, a gourd birdhouse, broken-china mosaics, homemade paper, rock sculpture, and garden chimes. Children will also learn how to make natural glue, cornstarch paint, and salt clay. Materials needed and numbered directions are given for each activity. Most supplies are easily obtainable through scraps from nature, recyclables, and general items; others must be purchased from craft or hardware stores. Safety tips and warnings are listed where appropriate; adult supervision is required for about 16 of the projects. Boxed text provides additional information, such as why you can't pick flowers in national parks. Black-and-white illustrations appear throughout. Useful advice and educational tips are included throughout, such as the importance of trees, the art of recycling, John James Audubon, Arbor Day, Stonehenge, and animal rescue. A "Nature's Paint" chart explains which berries and flowers produce certain colors for painting. The list for further exploration includes 39 books and l4 Web sites. The teacher's guide is handy as it lists activities by age level. This book will be a popular addition to library collections and useful in classroom settings to supplement science and art assignments.—Augusta R. Malvagno, Queens Borough Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

This ecofriendly craft title encourages children to explore the natural world through projects based on natural, nontoxic, and renewable materials. Grouped into categories such as "Trees, Leaves, and Twigs" and "Rocks, Pebbles, and Shells," the projects lead children systematically through the construction of items such as a trivet made of sticks and a toy boat built of bark. Age levels and suggestions for adult supervision are indicated, and given the somewhat dense layout and wide range of projects, it's likely that elementary students will need help with most of the projects. Small sketches display the finished crafts, but some readers may miss the clarity of photos as well as step-by-step illustrations. There's a wealth of creative, accessible ideas here, though, which are further supported by frequent sidebars offering helpful, basic science facts. A final section of projects focuses on recycling and reuse. The appended resource lists and teachers' guides link this to the curriculum, but anyone seeking low-cost, Earth-focused activities for kids will find good ideas here. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556526407
• ISBN-13: 978-1556526404
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 10.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #818,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for school age children!, March 18, 2009

By 

Anne Meier (Oregon, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Organic Crafts: 75 Earth-Friendly Art Activities (Paperback)

Love this book and all of the great ideas! Teaches we don't have to have store bought supplies to create neat crafts! I especially like the homemade glue. This is a wonderful book for anyone looking for ideas for a scout troop or just want to use what you find on a nature walk with your children. These ideas get the creative juices flowing and are great for those of us who aren't looking to create masterpieces... just great memories with our kids.

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I got my hopes up, June 14, 2008

By 

J. M. Hartranft (Myrtle Beach, SC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Organic Crafts: 75 Earth-Friendly Art Activities (Paperback)

I absolutely am not crafty or creative so I was looking for a natural craft book so I could do them with my 3 year old. I found this book and it appears to be well illustrated and clear but I was dissapointed. Not only is not well illustrated but the layout is not user friendly at all. I do not recommend it. I'm still looking for that nature craft book that suits my needs.