Gather up air dry clay and some craft paint to create fun desert crafts for kids with me today.
When you learn about something it doesn’t have to just be diagrams and dioramas that get tossed out after a few weeks.
Get creative.
And do something that’s beautiful and functional while you learn about whatever your topic is.
In this case, we are headed to the desert to learn all about it.
So in honor of that, we are going to take some air, dry clay and turn it into an adorable cactus jewelry holder that can be enjoyed long after the lesson is over.
Use beautiful books to delve into different types of cactuses and their characteristics.
And then re-create one.
I used Nature Anatomy along with our craft for this great desert information.
Of course, I also have another handful of desert crafts for kids to inspire you and your child on your learning journey.
First, look at some of these books.
17 Desert Books & Resources for Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To
Add some of these living books and references books about the desert to your library.
Children's reader on the subject of deserts and what lives there Large book with very large kid friendly illustrations
It is another hot day in the desert. Birds and other animals scurry about looking for food. When they get tired they stop to rest at a giant cactus. It is their hotel in the desert!Many different animals live in the cactus hotel. It protects them; and they protect it, by eating the pests that could harm the cactus.The cactus grows larger and larger and will live for about two hundred years. When one animal moves out, another moves in. There is never a vacancy in the cactus hotel.This story--about a desert, a giant cactus, and the animals who live in it--is one that even the youngest child will understand and enjoy.
A venerable saguaro cactus stands like a statue in the hot desert landscape, its armlike branches reaching fifty feet into the air. From a distance it appears to be completely still and solitary--but appearances can be deceptive. In fact, this giant tree of the desert is alive with activity. Its spiny trunk and branches are home to a surprising number of animals, and its flowers and fruit feed many desert dwellers. Gila woodpeckers and miniature elf owls make their homes inside the saguaro's trunk. Long-nosed bats and fluttering white doves drink the nectar from its showy white flowers. People also play a role in the saguaro's story: each year the Tohono O'odham Indians gather its sweet fruit in a centuries-old harvest ritual.
A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about two eleven-year-olds in Sudan, a girl in 2008 and a boy in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the “lost boys” of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay.
Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way. Includes an afterword by author Linda Sue Park and the real-life Salva Dut, on whom the novel is based, and who went on to found Water for South Sudan.
In the early morning hours, an artist stirs. Gathering her paints and notebook, she heads into the Arizona Sonoran Desert to explore its treasures. Sketching, painting, and writing, she records all that she sees and as night falls, she spreads out her pictures to make this scrapbook of her day, from dawn to dusk.
Surveys the living conditions in Arizona's Sonora Desert for the people and unusual animals that live there. Also describes the engineering accomplishment of Hoover Dam.
In Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey recounts his many escapades, adventures, and epiphanies as an Arches National Park ranger outside Moab, Utah. Brimming with arresting insights, impassioned arguments for wilderness conservation, and a raconteur’s wit, it is one of Abbey’s most critically acclaimed works. Through stories and philosophical musings, Abbey reflects on the condition of our remaining wilderness, the future of a civilization, and his own internal struggle with morality. As the world continues its rapid development, Abbey’s cry to maintain the natural beauty of the West remains just as relevant today as when this book first appeared in 1968.
While the rest of the animals hide from view from a group of rambunctious coyotes, the fearless gang takes full advantage of the open space of Cactus Canyon and participates with great zeal in an array of nighttime activities, but an unexpected encounter with a rattlesnake quickly puts an end to the coyotes fun as they are sent running for cover, too!
Marian called it Roxaboxen. There across the road, it looked like any rocky hill—nothing but sand and rocks, and some old wooden boxes. But it was a special place. And all children needed to go there was a long stick and a soaring imagination.
n this latest installation of the Cat in the Hat's Learning Library, the Cat takes Sally and Dick to explore different kinds of deserts around the world, from the hot, dry Sonoran and Mojavi to the bitter cold Gobi and Antarctica. Young readers learn why deserts are dry, and how plants and animals—including cactus, kangaroos, camels, penguins, roadrunners, and many others—have adapted to survive the unforgiving climate. Also included: how sand dunes are formed; the reason we see mirages, and how shallow water beneath the surface of the ground can create an oasis. Fans of the new PBS preschool science show The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! (which is based on the Learning Library series) won't want to miss this hot new addition to the series!
‘A wounded mountain lion moves from his mountain habitat to a Papago Indian hut in Arizona’s Sonoran desert during a record-breaking July day. All creation adapts to the blistering heat until a cloudburst causes a flash flood. With a measured yet vivid style, this introduction to desert ecology makes a memorable impact."
This intriguing yet simple description will captivate young readers who have an interest in the unfamiliar.
Take a walk through the desert. This hot, dry biome of the southwest is full of life. How do plants and animals of the desert live? As you wander through the desert, discover how each and every plant and animal relies on the others to live and grow.
Learn about the fascinating creatures of the desert Southwest including: Venomous Animals Insects and Arthropods Rattlesnakes, Lizards, Desert Tortoise The Roadrunner and other Birds Bighorn Sheep, Kit Fox, Coyote.
Now in its fourth edition, this is a beautiful book with both historical and contemporary images showing the most important plants used by Native Americans. Medicinal, food resources, tools and shelter are just some of the uses discussed. Plants shown and described are among the most widespread plants in the desert Southwest.
Learn all about desert snakes with the beautiful book by James W. Cornett.
An excellent introduction to the natural history of the Namib Desert of southwest Africa. At its heart, second only to the Atacama Desert of Chile and Peru as the driest place on Earth. Also, it is the oldest desert on our planet and the only desert with a megafauna including elephant, giraffe, and rhinoceros. The lofty orange dunes, highest in the world, are also shown and discussed.
7 Desert Crafts for Kids
- Here are 8 Desert Craft Ideas | How To Make Egg Carton Cactus for another unique craft to go along with learning about the desert.
- Recreate the Puffy Paint Cactus Craft Idea For Kids, using different types of cactus as inspiration.
- Making 3D Felt Cactus Plants is great for older kids, middle to high school. Giving them more of a challenge.
- Use colored sand to recreate the gorgeous colors of desert landscapes with Desert Sand Art: Hands-on Learning (Colors of the Desert).
- Every art piece is unique when you make these Desert Sunset Paintings.
- Preschoolers will love this Popsicle Stick Camel Craft as they learn about the characteristics and differences of Bactrian(single hump)or Dromedary (two hump) camels.
- While maybe not exactly a craft your child will enjoy creating and recreating desert scenes over and over with the Desert Play Doh Pretend Play.
Fascinating Facts About the Desert
Before we get into our fun craft for the day let’s learn a little bit more about the fascinating desert.
They are home to a variety of plants, animals, and people who have adapted to the dry climate.
- The Desert-Deserts are dry, sandy places with very little water. They are often very hot during the day and very cold at night. Deserts can be found all over the world, but they are most common in Africa, Asia, and North America.
- Plants and Animals-The plants and animals that live in deserts are adapted to the dry, hot climate. Many desert plants have long roots that help them reach water deep underground. Some plants, like cacti, store water in their stems and leaves ,they provide shelter for animals, and help stabilize the soil with their roots.
Desert animals often have long ears or tails that help them cool down, they may also be nocturnal, meaning they sleep during the day and are active at night.
People-People have lived in deserts for thousands of years.
They have learned to adapt to the harsh environment by building homes that are cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
They also use special techniques to grow crops and raise animals in the desert.
How To Make A Clay Cactus Jewelry Holder
You will need:
- Air dry clay
- Craft paint
- Wood craft sticks
- Paint brushes
- Clear spray coat
First, you want to do is build your cactus structure out of craft sticks.
This will help give your base some form and keep it in place while it dries.
Cut your wood pieces to size and hot glue them together to create the basic shape of your cactus.
Now get out your air, dry clay, and start covering the base form completely, completely smoothing the joints as you go.
If you like, you can even create a pretty bloom to hot glue on the cactus later.
The next step is to create a base did this by grabbing a small plate and pressing the clay into it to get the shape and size
Move from the plate so that both sides can dry completely.
You can crimp the edges like a pie, leave as is, or cut smooth edges.
Once you’re satisfied with your cactus, let your pieces dry overnight.
Paint each of your pieces and set them aside to dry again.
Now the final step is attaching everything using hot glue.
Attach the cactus to the base plate and then the bloom to the cactus.
Once the glue has set, take the piece outside and give it a good 2 to 3 coats of clear sealer, you can choose either. It’s up to you.
Look how cute it is sitting on a dresser holding random earrings, necklaces and bracelets
