Pebbles and Pinecones: A Family Game

The Boy and I went out for our walk yesterday. We decided we needed to gather all the pretty nature things we found along our way: sticks, rocks, grass heads, and the like. We made quite a lovely (and extensive) collection actually. When we came home again, we had no idea what we were going to do with it all.

And then, magically, a game presented itself to us. We call it: "Pebbles & Pinecones". It goes something like this:

How to play Pebbles & Pinecones:

Once you've gathered together all the natural elements, you will now need to draw a shape in the sidewalk with chalk. We drew an 18" (45 cm) circle using a large platter as our template but you could also draw a square, a triangle, a soft-bellied amoeba, whatever! The game can be played by one, two, or many. If many are playing, make the shape bigger. If you're playing by yourself then you may decide to make it smaller.

Arrange all your nature things in piles around the shape. Decide who goes first.

Step 1: Player 1 chooses one type of object, say sticks, and arranges the sticks however she likes within the shape.

Note: No player is allowed to interfere with another player's turn, or criticize another player's design choices.

Step 2: Player 2 chooses one type of object, say grassheads, and arranges them however he likes within the shape.
Step 3: Player 3 (and so on and so forth) continues in this way, adding one type of element to the design, until the design is complete to everyone's satisfaction. Stand back and admire the team effort!
Step 4: Photograph the finished design.
Step 5: Play again if you like.
Step 6: Repeat steps 1 to 5. Make a collage of all the finished design photos and add it to your photo album.

The great thing about this game is that it can be played anywhere, with any objects and with anyone. AND everyone wins! Play it at home with Mom, camping with Grandpa and Grandma, on a picnic with friends, at the beach with your sisters, indoors or out. The Boy lasted well over an hour (not including the initial hunt) and in that time we made at least 10 designs. All in all our game was a rousing success!

Here are a few of our completed designs:

Naturally pretty, wouldn't you say?

Have fun playing "Pebbles & Pinecones" yourself!

♥M

In Mother Nature's Studio

When Mother Nature takes out her glitter, get out of the way. This past Thursday, she bedazzled our whole area in a thick layer of it. We didn't even bother leaving the house. We just sat tight and watched her work.

She's the only artist I know who can get away with this sort of unapologetic, over-the-top behaviour. How does she do it? She makes it look so easy. It's like it's second-nature or something... I wish I knew what brand of glue she used.

Truth be told, Mother Nature has always been one of my favourite artists. I find her work eminently inspirational and timeless. Her use of lines is magical. She's got repetition and composition down to a science. Her way with light and shadow is to die for, and her colour-mixing: perfection! It's obvious she's a natural. And I am fairly convinced that she can do anything.

Just look at her artwork. It blows my mind! To be perfectly honest, I'm more than a little jealous. I wish I had even one iota of her talent. Luckily, she lets me into her studio whenever I like. I'm trying to take full advantage of that. Who better to learn from, eh?

♥M

Note: I'm trying out a new way to respond to comments. You can read about it in the previous post.