And that’s a wrap! We had a wonderful time these last few months getting creative with nature for our Art in the Park programming at Norquay Park, led by our very own Molly from the Fresh Roots EL team. Thank you to the amazing kids and families who stopped by to do arts and crafts with us, including familiar faces from our experiential learning programs on our schoolyard farms.
What is Art in the Park? Check out our previous Norquay blog to learn more.
Highlights
This past summer, Molly guided our participants through an array activities, exploring topics of gardening, sustainability, and the environment at Norquay Park. During our first week, we made seed bombs, which proved to be a popular activity as it returns again later in the season and also made a guest appearance at Fresh Roots’ McSpadden County Fair booth. We’re excited for the many flowers that will emerge from these “rebellious” acts of kindness!
Another fan-favourite was nature playdough! Playdough was made from common kitchen ingredients and dyed with natural ingredients such as turmeric and matcha, empowering participants to make their own fun rather than buying it manufactured from the store. Kids loved setting their imagination free, including creating veggies found in the park’s sharing garden.
Finally, another Art in the Park activity for an eco artist in your life are these nature paintbrushes. Repurposing string, and sticks and leaves around Norquay Park, we created works of art for participants to take home – highlighting the unique textures and shapes of different leaves that add excitement into their paintings.
Hope you all have fun trying these activities out as we’ve had holding Art in the Park at Norquay. As the season winds down, we hope to make arts and crafts with you at the park next summer!
Norquay arts and crafts,
Summer fun led by Molly.
Hello from Norquay,
Vivian
Try this at home!
What’s next for Art in the Park? As the weather gets a little wetter and a little colder, we’re bringing Art in the Park to you, online! Try this activity next time you’re at Norquay Park, or from the comforts of your home!
This tree made from leaves found around Norquay Park. Use this picture above (or print out the worksheet here: Art in the Park – Leaf Tree) and try to match each leaf to its corresponding tree name. Think back to all the trees you have seen at Norquay Park. Using our senses, we can find all of them!!
*Answer Key below, no peeking!!*
Hints:
- What shape is the leaf? Round? oval? teardrop? heart shaped?
- How big is it? Is it as small as a blueberry? Is it as big as your hand?
- What texture is it? Is it smooth, slippery, bumpy, spikey, fuzzy, or waxy?
- Are the edges smooth or bumpy? Are they serrated (like a bread knife or a saw)?
- Does it smell? Some leaves like cedar give off a strong memorable scent.
- Does it have any nuts or fruit? It’s much easier to tell what an apple tree looks like when there are apples on it!
- Is there a pattern? Are there a specific number of points on each leaf? A specific number of leaves on each segment?
- Have you seen it before in a different context? Like in a picture or on a flag?
Answer Key:
- Cedar: cedar leaves are bumpy and segmented. They smell very nice.
- Apple: apple leaves are oval shaped with a pointy end. The edges are serrated.
- Ash: European ash has long pointed leaves. There are many different varieties of Ash.
- Lilac: lilac leaves are heart shaped. They have pretty purple flowers in the Spring.
- Oak: oak leaves are wavy and shiny. They accompany acorns in the Autumn.
- Maple: maple leaves have five pointed ends, a maple leaf is on the Canadian flag.