06May 2026 by Jessie
Chrysalis Sleeping Bags

Chrysalis Sleeping Bags

activities, classroom activities, kids & families, leave the leaves, nature school
Many insects are inactive during the winter and enter a sleep-like state called diapause. Butterflies and moths most often spend the winter “sleeping” in cocoons or chrysalises. I think they look a little bit like fancy sleeping bags! The patterns on chrysalises can be incredibly intricate and beautiful, perfect inspiration for an art project! Since insects make their own, instead choose a favorite stuffed animal to create a sleeping bag for. Gather a few simple materials and take inspiration from these talented insect artists!    A photographer named Levon Biss takes amazing photos of all different types of chrysalises that are a great reference to check out for this project.  Levon Biss Chrysalis Sleeping Bags for Stuffies Materials: Old sweatpants Felt scraps Needle and embroidery floss Gold fabric paint (or whatever…
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17Mar 2026 by Jessie No Comments
Leaf Critters

Leaf Critters

activities, classroom activities, fall crafts, kids & families, leave the leaves, nature school, portfolio
Collecting fall leaves is a fun activity in and of itself. If you want to take it a step further, take a look at the work of artist Raku Inoue. He makes amazing insects and animals out of leaves. Try your hand at creating something with fallen leaves! Materials: fallen leaves natural materials (sticks, bark, seeds etc.)  paper (optional) glue (optional) drawing materials (optional) scissors (optional) Method:  Gather a variety of fallen leaves in different shapes and textures. Grab some other natural materials like sticks and seeds. Think about what they remind you of—is that maple samara a wing? (A samara is the seed of the maple tree that we often call helicopters). Does the texture of a leaf make you think of a particular animal or insect? Maybe the…
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