Nature Mash Up – Research-Backed, At-Home Activities – Bay Area Discovery Museum

Nature Mash Up

Your child will discover the magic of nature when they use found materials to create a unique mash up.

Learning Goals:
  • Be Curious
  • Communicate Thinking
Materials Required:
  • Gathered natural materials (e.g. flowers, herbs, leaves, bark)
  • Water
  • Cups or bowls
  • Tools for mixing, chopping, and/or grating (e.g. spoons, whisks, scissors, mortar and pestle)
Instructions:
  • Head outside with your child to your yard, local park, or neighborhood to collect natural materials. Encourage your child to gather whatever is easy to find, such as grass, sticks, or flowers.
  • Work with your child to arrange the materials they’ve found. Have them touch, smell, and describe their materials.
  • Let your child make their magic mash up by combining the natural materials they found with water. They can create one mash up by combining all of their materials together in a large bowl of water, or multiple mash ups using small cups of water.
Tips for Adults:
  • Before creating their mash up, ask your child to compare and contrast the various plants they find. Ask questions like, “What is the same about them?” “Does this flower feel like the other flower? Which one is softer?”
  • It’s important to encourage your child’s pretend play, well into the elementary school years. Spark their imagination by asking questions like, “What does your mash up do? What would happen if I took two of your mash ups at the same time?”

 

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Bay Area Discovery Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing children with research-backed early learning experiences that inspire creative problem solving. We need your help now more than ever.

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