Organic Crafts: 75 Earth-friendly Art Activities

Kimberly Monaghan is a freelance writer for numerous newspapers and magazines, including Chicago Parent, Earth Easy, and Family Time. She is also a regular reviewer for School Library Journal. She has worked as an arts-camp counselor and an assistant children’s librarian.

Grade 2–5—These activities, crafts, and games are arranged by type of material used, such as rocks, pebbles, and shells; soil, clay, and sand, etc. There's a wide range of interesting projects, including clay beads, a glittering sand castle, potpourri, a sea sparkler, a wind sock, a gourd birdhouse, broken-china mosaics, homemade paper, rock sculpture, and garden chimes. Children will also learn how to make natural glue, cornstarch paint, and salt clay. Materials needed and numbered directions are given for each activity. Most supplies are easily obtainable through scraps from nature, recyclables, and general items; others must be purchased from craft or hardware stores. Safety tips and warnings are listed where appropriate; adult supervision is required for about 16 of the projects. Boxed text provides additional information, such as why you can't pick flowers in national parks. Black-and-white illustrations appear throughout. Useful advice and educational tips are included throughout, such as the importance of trees, the art of recycling, John James Audubon, Arbor Day, Stonehenge, and animal rescue. A "Nature's Paint" chart explains which berries and flowers produce certain colors for painting. The list for further exploration includes 39 books and l4 Web sites. The teacher's guide is handy as it lists activities by age level. This book will be a popular addition to library collections and useful in classroom settings to supplement science and art assignments.—Augusta R. Malvagno, Queens Borough Public Library, NY
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