Land Art Inspired by Andy Goldsworthy
Take children outside to create temporary artworks using only natural materials — arranged stones, spirals of leaves, patterns of petals. Photograph before leaving. Links art, science, and outdoor learning.
Nature Crafts
Ages 5–1145 minsEasyIndividual or small group
Watch on YouTube
Search: "Andy Goldsworthy land art kids nature primary school outdoor" — video tutorials from popular craft channels
What you'll need
- Natural materials: leaves, stones, petals, twigs, seeds, mud
- Camera or tablet for photography
- Nothing else — all materials from the outdoor environment
How to do it
- Look at examples of Andy Goldsworthy's work (search images) — discuss: how did he make this? What materials? How long did it take?
- Go outdoors and collect a range of natural materials.
- Arrange them into a composition — sorted by colour, size, or type; geometric patterns; spirals; lines.
- The artwork should use ONLY natural materials from the environment.
- Photograph the work from directly above when complete.
- Leave the work in place — it will change or disappear, which is part of the concept.
💡 Tips
The photography is essential — this legitimises the temporary nature of the work. A bird's eye view photo is usually most striking. Ask children to consider: how long will this last? What will change it?
Books and materials
Convenience links for everything mentioned above. We link to Amazon — LessonKind may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Books on land art and nature
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A A Collaboration with Nature — Andy Goldsworthy
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G Goldsworthy's Magic — Richard Shilling
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1 101 Things for Kids to Do Outside — Dawn Isaac