You can foster environmental stewardship using upcycled materials and objects found in nature
We have been collecting shoe box lids for a variety of activities and this one came straight from the wonderful artistic ideas shared by Casa Maria’s Creative Learning Zone….
Prepare the Shadow Box
To make these beautiful shadow boxes, the children started by pouring glue into shoebox lids. I wasn’t sure how much glue would be needed so I had them at least fill the lid with enough glue that the nature items could lay firmly in the glue…
Collect Items in Nature
Next, the children went outside to collect nature items to put in their glue. I had the children go back and forth to collect something and instructed them to look for something different each time so they would have a variety of items to put in the glue…
The children found leaves, sticks, pine needles, acorns, flowers, rocks, and a few other nature items to add to their boxes…
I encouraged the children to be very selective as they searched for items to add to their shadow boxes. For past activities, the children would grab a handful of random leaves and give little thought as to the beauty or different qualities of each item they bring in. So this time, I wanted to slow them down and have them be more thoughtful in what they selected to add to their boxes….
Design the Shadow Box
Some of the children were very selective as to where they set their nature items in the box. Other children just placed them anywhere in the box…
Add a Colorful Effect
Once the children added a nice supply of nature items to their box lids, then we began to add some color. I debated about leaving the glue just white because I felt like they were beautiful as they were but the children loved this next step so I am glad we continued on….
For our next step, I set out cups of slightly watered down tempera paint and some paint brushes. The children used the brushes to gently sprinkle different colors of paint on the glue (or white spaces between their nature items)…
Enjoy the Creative Process
The children concentrated on adding color. The room was so quiet as the children focused on the process for about 10 whole minutes which is unusual in my classroom…
Once each child was satisfied with the paint dripping part of this process, then I set the shadow boxes up to dry for a few days….
Embrace the Unique Creations
The shadow boxes have been drying for over a week so far.. Ours are still not quite dry but as they dry, the glue starts to turn clear. I hung these up for a quick photo and had to take them back down because the glue was dripping. The shadow box all the way to the left is almost completely dry – as you can see the glue has started to turn clear in color. I am interested to see the final results of their unique creations and the nature items should really stand out…
I really like this idea.
Thank you Tammy! We loved it!
Ooh, I really love this! As I was reading, my biggest question was how long it would take to dry (so it seems like so far it’s been a week). Do you think it would dry quicker if the glue was watered down a little? I am thinking to see if I can try something like this as a holiday shadow box (trying to think of what items I could use … like tinsel, bows, pine, star sequins … others?). I can totally see how the kids would be mesmorized by adding in the paint color. Great idea!!
A holiday box is a Fabulous idea!!! I worry about watered down glue soaking through the box. You would need to add plastic o something on the bottom – possibly.
Ah yes … watering down the glue could pose that problem. I can’t wait to try this!!
What a great idea! I love the addition of the paint drippings. I am stumbling this post. Vicky from Mess For Less
Thanks for the stumble Vicky!
These are so amazing!!!
Thank you KM:) So glad you stopped by today!
What a beautiful simple idea!
Thank you Taleah:)
This is awesome!! A totally new-to-me art idea, and I’m off to pin it. Thanks to you and Casa Maria for sharing.
Thanks for the PIn Rachelle!
I think these are beautiful and it would be interesting to do them as a seasonal box. To see the visual differences between the seasons.
Oh yes, it would be very interesting!
Love love them so much. My eldest would love to make something like this and so would I.
This is great for all ages Ali – even us grown ups:)
Wonderful! I know my daughter would love this!
This is one of my favorites – I am already planning another one kind of along the same idea:)
Awesome idea! Time to get ready for a nature hunt! My daughter would love it! and She will love me forever if I let her pour a big bottle of glue into a shoe box:-) lol
Haha – it is one of the best parts of the whole process!! My kids were like WOW – we get to pour the glue!! YAY!
We made these today and they were as much fun as I thought they would be. The kids loved them and they were so proud of their boxes. They passed by them on their way to dinner and said “these are so beautiful”. 🙂
Yay!! I am so glad you tried them. We absolutely love these too and I just want to keep on making them:) They are so beautiful!
Such a fun idea!, I’m definitely doing this with the kids soon!
Your kids will love it!
I love your ideas of getting them to slow down and be more selective. Both the process and the finished shadow boxes are absolutely beautiful!
Thank you Joyce. I just hated to see a box full of brown scrunched up leaves end up in their boxes:)
wow amazing activity, and since I am introducing living and non-living things it would be a great experience for my children. Thank you always.
How much glue did you need? I’ll be doing this for 3 classes, a total 30 children. I want to make sure I have enough glue! Is one gallon enough?
The more glue you use Kylee, the longer it takes to dry. A nice puddle of glue in the center is necessary so possibly one gallon is plenty but I would go with two just in case.
I think I’ll try having my son paint on a piece of white paper first and adhere the painted paper to the lid. I’ll add the glue over the painted paper. If the glue dries clear, then the colors on the painted paper should show up, just sort of matte looking from the glue.
[…] Nature Shadow Boxes were inspired by Teach Preschool and the beautiful shadow boxes they made with shoe box lids. Here are the ones we made and the […]
Awesome idea! Loved it.Will try with our children.
Hello Deborah ????????
Thank you for sharing the shadow boxes. They look great. The toddlers and preschoolers here really enjoy making shadow boxes for all seasons. They have so much fun and always look forward to being outdoors and discovering the world around them…
Have a wonderful rest of the week!
Blessings,
Raquel
Can I just say how much I love this post and how excited I am to do this with my little preschoolers! ????????Thank you for sharing this and so many wonderful exciting and simple ideas!
I do these in my class in the fall, too. If you aren’t opposed to using glitter, try this idea. I let the children sprinkle a little red, orange, and/or gold glitter after they have filled their boxes with their nature items. So pretty!
This is the perfect project for a bunch of old gift boxes that someone donated to me. I have been hanging on to them, trying to decide what to do. I can’t wait to give this a try with my classes. Thank you so much for this fantastic idea!
Very inspiring, well done!!!
I’m thinking that if you do this into a plastic container or tray you could maybe pull the whole thing out when it’s dry and hang it in a window?
Thinning the glue would keep it from holding the objects firmly, but it would dry faster. If the box top is white inside, or you put white paper under it as someone suggested, I bet the colors, and the contrast with the dark nature objects, would show after it is dry.
Joyce Myers
Thanks for sharing!! I’ m so excited to get my class shadow boxes going. What a wonderful idea. We will make holiday boxes as well.
Tena Koe, such a great idea cos I love nature and art. I will be trying this for my children in my Puna ( Playgroup ) Nga Mihi
[…] Nature Shadow Boxes and Math Glue Boxes for Art are two of my faves!! […]
[…] all our little treasures. We’ve been creating a lot with pieces from that basket but these Autumn Shadow Boxes by the lovely Deborah from TeachPreschool are one of our favorite projects for keeping our found […]
[…] Make Nature Shadow Boxes | Teach Preschool While the weather is pleasant, take a nature walk and collect some treasures. This is the perfect time to teach your child about all the different things they find. Then, help them display everything in a homemade shadow box. You can use any size box for this and then let them decorate it with whatever materials they prefer. […]