A variety of plant parts can be used to produce inks and dyes – everything from roots and nuts to flowers and berries and even food waste. Alder cones produce a lovely warm caramel colour which is great to use as ink.

This nature noughts and crosses game is perfect for playing outdoors and is really simple to make. You can also draw a picture version on the other side of your noughts and crosses!

This is a really fun art activity to do with bug-loving children, done by blowing the paint around through a straw!

Leaf doodling is a really simple and calming activity to do and all you need are some leaves and opaque pens. The thicker leaves from evergreen trees and shrubs found in winter and early spring are lovely to draw on as they are nice and smooth and not as delicate as the wonderfully colourful autumn leaves.

Playing with ice is such a wonderful sensory activity and when the weather is cool, you can play outside and the ice will last a bit longer. This igloo is really fun to make and you you can use it as part of a small world scene.

Making ice art is a really lovely winter activity for children and it’s such a great way to spruce up any bare winter trees in your garden. This activity can easily be adapted for both younger and older children.

Winter is the perfect time to make a stick wand to add a bit of magic to your winter walks and these heart-shaped wands are really easy to make!

Playing this nature spotting game is really fun to do with children when you’re outdoors. It’s also great for natural learning and for taking time to notice nature.

These festive orange peel stars are so easy to make and they look great strung up on a Christmas tree, tied onto gifts, added to a wreath or even just scattered across your Christmas dining table.

These decorations are made from air dry clay and decorated with leaf prints. They are really easy and fun for young people to make and look so lovely hanging from a tree!

This sliced orange and star anise garland looks beautiful hanging from a fireplace, or in a window where the sunlight will shine through the orange slices.

These Christmas tree cards, made using items from nature to print and paint with, are really simple to make and great for making a lot of!

Making your own wrapping paper is a great way to add an extra personal touch to your gifts at Christmas and it’s a really fun festive art activity to do with young people as well!

These jam jar leaf lanterns are so pretty and create a really lovely light on a dark evening. They’re also simple to make and little ones will have great fun covering the jars in glue and leaves!

Sweet chestnuts are such an autumn treat and delicious when roasted and dipped in melted butter and salt. They taste sweet and slightly nutty and are really nutritious. If you’re lucky enough to have a sweet chestnut tree nearby, then you can forage your own which is such a fun thing to do with children.

This autumn wreath has a spooky twist making it perfect for Halloween!

Going on a spooky nature photography hunt is great fun for young people of all ages and all you need is a camera or smart phone!

This is such a fun Halloween activity to do with children if you have a bit of time on your hands. Making a skeleton out of sticks is also a great way to explore the structure of the human body and once you have made your stick skeleton, it’s easy to make small adjustments so you can create a stop motion animation.