Outside Art Table
Great Greens
(This article first appeared in print in Christy's monthly feature, the Outside Art Table for Around the Park magazine, March 2018 and was republished here in March 2020 as a free resource for families during quarantine.)
How many shades of green can you find in spring? Grab that box of crayons full of moss, olive, jungle, asparagus, sea green, and screamin' green just waiting to be used in our green scavenger hunt. This activity has several challenge levels for all ages and abilities, so give it a try and see how far you can get with your great greens.
Ask your parent to help you gather these things you probably already have hiding around the house:
empty egg cartonpaper, clipboard and pencilbox of crayons with many green choicesoptional: magnifying lens, field lens or loop
Mud Maid
Do this hunt backward by marking the green colors on paper, giving someone the egg carton and the color chart, and having them hunt for the things that match those colors. Pretty soon, you'll be seeing green with your eyes closed.
Not challenging enough? This time, use only yellow and blue crayons to mix your greens. Since these are the two colors that make up green, it should be interesting to see how many combinations you can make and how closely you can match them to the green things you find. Challenge accepted!
Do you like to draw? Take it to the next level. Sketch the items you find with a pencil on paper and then color them in. Take your time looking at each shape and texture, using a magnifying lens if you have one, to make a detailed drawing.
Jolly Green Giant
What do you think of the green creatures in the photos? Artists created these giant people in a place in England called the Lost Gardens of Heligan. They are as big as cars and made with plants that grow on sculptural wire. How many shades of green can you find in them? Maybe you can design your own green people sculptures that celebrate all things good and green.
Be Outside,Ms. Knight