Writing with Nature

In their beautiful book, Bringing the Outside In, authors Sandra Duncan and Jody Martin encourage fostering children’s enjoyment of writing by “providing unique writing tools and surfaces, and more importantly, the freedom and luxury of time to explore these natural materials. Here are some ideas they provide:

“Tools: Nature provides all sorts of natural tools than can be used to write, draw or paint:

• sticks/bamboo sticks
• rocks/stones
• bound bunch of grass
• pineapple tops
• dandelion heads
• bundled plant clippings
• evergreen boughs

Surfaces: Writing on various surfaces results in different outcomes. Nature provides many textured surfaces – each one unique in its own way:

• birch bark
• tile
• cork
• sand and mud trays
• tree stumps
• limestone and granite pieces
• parchment paper
• plywood
• wood veneer

Inks: Nature offers a variety of elements that create different colors…

• berry juice
• mud water
• natural dyes (such as red onion skins, beets, cranberries, moss, lavender…)
• pencil
• charcoal
• water colors
• citrus water (orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime)”

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