Nature Threading

We’ve been finding new ways to use nature in our preschool activities lately because, really, you can’t beat the beauty of nature and all the sensory benefits it brings! One of our most popular activities has been this Invitation to Draw Spring Plants– check it out really quickly then come back here to read the rest of this post (I don’t want you to forget about it in the midst of reading this, and you won’t want to miss that idea!).

Now back to the nature threading activity. Here’s the (short) list of supplies you’ll need to get started:

Supplies:

• Nature finds (leaves, flower petals)
• Yarn needle
• Embroidery floss

We collected leaves and flower petals from our front yard, so the variety is limited to what we have close by, but it would be beautiful to have several varieties of leaves and petals for this activity! If you don’t have many plants in your yard, you can consider taking a nature walk to find materials. Keep in mind if taking plants from property that is not your own please refrain from plucking them straight from plants. Instead, have kids collect leaves that have already fallen to the ground.

I placed our nature finds on a tray and started by threading the embroidery floss onto the yarn needle for my preschooler. I showed him how to “sew”a few leaves and petals onto the string. I had to explain that the materials we are working with are very delicate so he had to work carefully and slowly (this is fantastic fine motor practice!)

When doing this activity with your preschooler/s, allow them to thread as long as they desire. Some will want to make ling necklaces, others will just want a few petals and leaves. You can also further challenge students by asking them to make patterns (leaf, petal,leaf, petal, etc.).

Isn’t that one beautiful necklace!? You can also choose to hang the strands from windows and allow the petals to dry. For a science exploration, let kids observe and record the changes that happen over time!

What other ideas to you have to expand on this activity? Leave me a comment below!