Young Children Volume 80 • No 4 | Seite 46

Applying the Framework: Natural and Recycled Materials in Artistic Representation
In Component
About Component
For Component
Engaging Families
Documenting Learning
Teachers can invite children into the natural environment to gather and use twigs, pine cones, or stones as painting tools to create different textures and patterns. This kind of activity can encourage children’ s sensory exploration and foster close observation of nature( Howe 2013).
Have children use recycled materials to collaboratively create large-scale paintings depicting representations of natural phenomena, such as rain, wind, or sun.
Use artwork to help children realize how they can take action by having them create or even grow eco-art on their school grounds( Inwood & Sharpe 2018). Children can create designs by growing colored plants in a garden bed and by painting murals and fences.
Host a family nature event that encourages families to create artwork together using only found nature items. Share the final creations with others in a walk-through gallery or photo display.
Help children create their own book of nature art that includes work from each child along with a quote describing their masterpiece.
Teachers can guide children on a sensory scavenger hunt in their playground or local community to notice sights, sounds, and smells. This kind of activity encourages children to observe and appreciate their environment. Children can photograph what they notice. Share their images in a display for families and visitors.
Help children learn about the biodiversity in their environment by drawing attention to the variety of textures, patterns, and details of leaves, flowers, and other living things. Make leaf rubbings with crayons and paper and discuss the diversity they find. Try pressing flowers and creating a display for the classroom to showcase the variety.
Encourage children to design eco-friendly toys by using renewable materials like donated items, recyclables, bottle caps, and packaging. This kind of creative activity can cultivate children’ s sustainability awareness.
Invite families to donate recyclable materials( bottle caps, toilet paper rolls, old fabric) to be used in the art area. These items can help replace the need for purchasing additional art supplies( recycled paper rolled into beads in place of plastic beads).
Use video and audio to capture children’ s thinking through artistic outlets, such as storytelling, music, and dramatic play. Video and audio clips can be shared with families in secure ways.
As children drew, Andree moved around the room and talked with children about their artwork. At times, she jotted down their quotes and used follow-up questions to learn more about their experiences(“ Tell me what happened next”;“ Tell me about your drawing”). Andree found several strategies that were helpful in discussing children’ s experiences with extreme weather events and climate change( NAEYC 2020):
› Validate children’ s feelings. Any change that children bring up is meaningful to them and worth talking about. Sharing personal experiences is a part of the for concept because it lets children explore their emotions and consider what they can do for the environment and for others.
› Acknowledge their questions about climate change and extreme weather events. Children today have more exposure to extreme weather events and climate change than previous generations, but they still have questions. Even if educators do not know the answers, it is important to recognize the changes that are occurring.
46 Young Children
Winter 2025