June Eco-Activity: Nature Bracelets!
Summer is almost here — and at Rutabaga, that means it's time to head outside, slow down, and let nature be the art supply.
This month we're sharing one of our absolute favorite Rutabaga classics: the Nature Bracelet. It's simple, it's beautiful, it requires zero supplies from a store, and it turns any walk around the block — or through the park — into a tiny treasure hunt. 🌸
If you've ever been to Rutabaga Summer Camp, you already know this one. It's a staple for a reason. Kids come back from their nature walks wearing the most stunning little wearable works of art, and they are so proud of every petal and leaf they picked themselves.
Can't make it to camp this summer? No problem — you can do this one right outside your front door. And if you haven't signed up for Summer Camp yet... there's still time! 👀 Check out our Summer Camp page here — we'd love to have your little one join us.
🌿 What is a Nature Bracelet?
A nature bracelet is exactly what it sounds like: a strip of tape wrapped sticky-side-out around your child's wrist, ready to collect whatever beautiful, tiny things they find on a nature walk. Petals, blades of grass, clover, feathers, little leaves, flower buds — anything goes. By the end of the walk, they're wearing a one-of-a-kind piece of nature jewelry that they made.
It's open-ended, it's sensory-rich, and it gets kids looking at the world around them in a totally new way.
🛠️ What You'll Need
Painter's tape or masking tape (these work best — gentle on little wrists!)
Scissors
Nature! A backyard, sidewalk, park, or anywhere plants are growing
That's it. Truly. 🙌
🌸 How To Do It
Step 1: Cut a strip of tape long enough to wrap loosely around your child's wrist. Loop it sticky-side-out and secure it so it stays put but isn't too tight. (For little ones, you can also wrap it around their forearm — more surface area for collecting!)
Step 2: Head outside! Encourage your child to look closely at the ground, low plants, and flowers. What colors do they see? What textures? What's tiny that they might usually walk right past?
Step 3: When they spot something they love, gently press it onto the sticky side of the bracelet. Watch it fill up little by little!
Step 4: At the end of your walk, take a moment to look at what you collected together. Can they name everything on their bracelet? Where did they find it?
💡 Tips & Ideas
Make it a game: Challenge kids to find something green, something soft, something that smells good, something smaller than their pinky nail.
For toddlers: Keep the walk short and low-pressure — even just a few steps into the backyard works beautifully. The collecting is the activity.
For older kids: See if they can make a bracelet using only one color, or identify the plants that they came from
Press and save: If your child wants to keep their bracelet forever, carefully peel the nature pieces off at home and press them between the pages of a heavy book for a few days. Then glue them onto paper to make a nature collage keepsake! 🌼
🏕️ A Little Love Note About Summer Camp
Nature bracelets are one of those projects that just comes alive at Summer Camp. There's something about doing it with a whole group of kids — everyone comparing their finds, trading tips on where the best petals are hiding, showing off their wrists — that makes it extra magical.
Our Summer Camp is filling up, and we would love to see your little ones there this summer! Expect more nature crafts, outdoor adventures, sensory play, and the kind of unstructured, joyful exploration that kids thrive on. 🌞
👉 Spots are still available — sign up here!
Happy exploring, Rutabaga families. We'll see you out there — wrists ready! 🌿
