Natural Art

Key Stage 1

The Gardens are a fantastic resource for art activities. Explore the colours, shapes, patterns, and textures of nature. Enjoy the opportunity to use natural materials to create artwork.

Learning Outcomes

Pupils will be able to:

  • use a range of materials creatively to design and make products
  • use sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences, and imagination
  • develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form, and space.
Activities

A day’s programme does necessarily include all the listed activities and can be adapted to suit individual needs and requirements. Normally we fit in four to five activities during your visit.

Activities Description and learning objectives
Colour filters See the Gardens from different coloured viewpoints and explore how a bee might see the world.
Colour palettes Look carefully at the variety of colours found on different parts of plants, why might that be?
Colour sticky strips Colour sticky strips Appreciate the range of different coloured and textured materials found in the Gardens by collecting items to create an individual coloured strip.
Curtains up Work independently and collaboratively to produce a hanging structure created from natural objects (year 2 on).
You’ve been framed Work collaboratively to produce a piece of art work using natural materials.
Leaf match Carefully observe the shape colour and texture of a selection of the wide range of leaves in the Gardens. Distinguish between evergreen and deciduous plants.
Shape cards Explore the variety of shapes to be found in the natural environment.
Smelly sticky strips Use your senses to explore the range of different smells found in the Gardens by collecting items to create an individual smelly strip.
Texture cards Explore the variety of textures to be found in the natural environment.
Touch eggs Appreciate the different textures and patterns found in nature.
Weaving Weave an individual piece of art using a range of natural materials (year 2 on).

If you would prefer a more cross-curricular day, please have a look at our other KS1 activities and we can plan your visit accordingly.

Suggested pre-visit activities
  • Discuss the difference between 2D and 3D art, what is a sculpture?
  • Look at the work of Andy Goldsworthy and other land artists.
Suggested post-visit activities
  • Create a piece of art work using natural materials collected from the school grounds, compare the materials collected with those found at the Gardens
  • Make a 3D sculpture from recycled material
  • Look at the work of a famous sculptor.
Make a booking