This week as part of our Green Hour Challenge, which I'll be posting about tomorrow, we collected a basketfull of nature items. This included moss, twigs/branches, rocks, briars, and small leaves.

I found an idea for using our collected items from our Good Earth Art book.  However, I improvised and changed it a bit to work with what we had.

For this project we used our nature walk collection items, thick pieces of cardboard, glitter glue, and a glue gun (lots of extra sticks!). The book suggested we use a flat piece of log for the ground, however we weren't able to find a suitable one, so we tried working on a flat rock, but the glue wouldn't stick to it.  So we settled upon using thick pieces of cardboard.

The kids got right to work!  They really loved this project!  I let them design whatever scene they wanted, whether it was a scene from our nature walk, or something from their own imaginations.  I simply was responsible for the glue gun work.

Even my son, who is not usually the craftsy type really got into this and spent more time than usual coming up with his creation!  He used a small stick and moss to create a tree, moss for bushes, briars for porcupines to sit on the log, blue glitter glue for his creek and pond, green glitter glue and tiny rocks to make little frogs in the water, dried leaves to make a brush pile, and pieces of bark for trees on the floor.

We were so happy with the effect that the glitter glue had; see how it sparkles like real water in the sunlight?

Hannah added lots of animal touches to hers such as a deer, a frog, a porcupine, a little "rock" bluebird in the tree...AND...

....A SNAKE!! (it's a piece of dried vining and had a great resemblance)