Nature Inspired Winter Suncatcher Craft

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I don’t naturally feel the call of the outdoors to get outside and play. In all honesty, I’m not a great “player” at all.

In California it was easy year round to fling the door wide open to our gated yard and say, “go play” and know that my kids were getting their daily quota of sunshine, movement and fresh air. And there was the security in knowing that our yard was less than a quarter of an acre with our home smack dab in the middle, so kids couldn’t go that far from the front door.

Here, there is this thing called winter—which isn’t going to stop me from requiring my kids to go out and play. Or myself for that matter. But with a couple acres in the back of the house, and hundreds behind our property line, there needs to be a whole lot more requirement for me to be right there the whole time.

On top of feeling less secure with my kids going out to play so I can make dinner or sweep the floor, the process of getting them out there isn’t as simple. There are snow pants, boots that need to be put on, tiny mittens and gloves where each finger must line up just so… and five minutes after closing the door behind them, they are opening it again with the request to put said mitten back on. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

We’re adjusting.

Knowing Bennett, and his deep drive for winning and competition, I said to him yesterday, “buddy, do you think we could beat the challenge of being outside 1000 hours this year?”

He was skeptical.

Then I pulled out a chart for us to mark off each and every hour we spent outdoors—and he was sold.

I know it’ll be easier when there are less clothing requirements to play for an hour or two outside—just as I know that before I know it they’ll all be able to wander in the woods for hours without me needing to check in—a few years away maybe, but it’ll be here in a minute.

For now, I’ll follow them through the woods, gathering twigs and berries, pine needles and moss to make sun catchers out of ice and look forward to what I can come up with tomorrow to extend our time outside just a few minutes longer.

999 hours to go.

Ice Sun Catcher Craft

This is a beautiful and simple outdoor craft that is easy to make for all ages. I had my nearly minted 3 year old join in and his was just as beautiful and unique as my 8 year old who was very calculated with this design.

Items needed:

• a round cake pan works really well (or any flat, shallow dish with edges would work)
• twine
• nature elements (ideas: winter berries, twigs, pine needles, fir tree pieces, moss, leaves, etc)
• water

1. Have your kids arrange their items in the bottom of the pan as they would like (but make sure to tell them not to be too firmly attached to the placement, as water will do what it does…)
2. Cut a piece of twine that is about 2 feet long (if using a standard size cake pan). You want it to be long enough to lay about 4 inches of each end inside the pan so that enough of it freezes into the sun catcher to make a sturdy handle. Make sure there is enough sticking out of the pan to have a good-sized loop to hang your craft.
3. Slowwwwwwwwwly pour (more like drizzle) water into the pan until everything is full submerged under water. Adjust your twine and nature pieces as needed.
4. Leave it outside overnight (make sure it’s below 32 degrees for this to work).
5. To remove the suncatcher from the pan, bend the pan side to side in a twisting motion to pop it out! Hang in a sunny window (on the outside of the house) to enjoy!

I’d love to see your craft! Tag me over on Instagram @girlseeksjoy so I can see it!

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