It’s been pretty chilly here recently and with the bank holiday on the horizon, I think it’s fair to say that we are all praying for some warmer weather.  Thankfully, it does look like things will be looking up at the weekend which is great, as it means the children can get outdoors and get creative.  Here are a few ideas of fun arty activities that should keep your little ones busy whilst you start to tackle to gardening (or enjoy a quiet cup of tea!).

1.Trampoline Art

I love this idea.  So many people have trampolines in their gardens and they take up so much space.  Why not put them to good use and deploy them as a canvas?  Large, playground chalks would be great for this – they can just draw directly onto the trampoline and then, once they are done, they can have fun rinsing it all off with the hose pipe.  Double the fun!

2.  Decorate Leaves

My children love making ‘families’ of various objects so this is perfect for them.  Send them on a mission to find a family set of leaves – Mummy, Daddy, Baby etc.  The give them pens (sharpies would be best) and let them add faces and clothes.  They could then use them in a story (maybe add sticks to make puppets) or stick them down to make a picture.

3. Mud Art

Children love mixing things so they’ll love this one!  Give them a couple of bowls and spoons and a jug of water.  Let them scoop soil into the bowls and add water to make ‘paint’ .   They can then use an old paint brush to spread the ‘paint’ onto a piece of card. Challenge them to find mark making equipment in the garden such as sticks or feathers. They can use these to add marks and pictures to their muddy sheet – maybe even decorate with some leaves!  Lots of squelchy fun!