It was great hearing about research into the effects of nature based therapy, at the Therapeutic Landscapes Conference in Adelaide recently. There is now clear evidence to support the belief that spending time in the natural world is good for mental health and well being. Indoor nature crafts are a way of bringing the therapeutic benefits of nature to people who are unable to spend time outside. The meditative and relaxing process of arranging an assortment of seeds and other natural objects into a mandala pattern is wonderful therapy. The simple act of handling a variety of natural materials gives multiple sensory benefits. Creating a collage on paper using fresh flowers and glue is another easy nature craft enjoyed by people of all ages.
Here are some photos from the crafting workshop I delivered at the conference. It was a lovely group of participants, and some were very pleasantly surprised at their own creativity! I didn’t doubt it, encouragement is all that is needed 🙂
The natural materials were arranged in a pattern on a circular mat, a photo was taken when complete, then the artwork was disassembled so the materials could be reused.
