What is Ephemeral Art?

Ephemeral Art is the creation of art that is temporary. Where recycled, natural materials or objects from around the house can be arranged on board, paper, a dinner plate or in nature itself.  This temporary art can either stay where it is (like a sandcastle), or it can be deconstructed and you can take an electronic image on your phone if you would like to capture the creation. It can be such a fun and enjoyable activity for young children to encourage their creative skills.

Why is Ephemeral Art important for children?

Design and patterning is learnt through the process of creating Ephemeral Art. It also creates math opportunities such as grouping and sorting.

Ephemeral Art can provide opportunities to talk to children about nature, patterns, design and the aesthetic qualities of the materials they are using.

This type of art making activity teaches children about natural materials and the important place they have in the environment.

How can Ephemeral Art help lower waste?

Ephemeral Art Creates no landfill waste and focuses on the process of art rather than the finished product.

Teaching our children about reusing objects to create art and creating art from compostable materials that can be returned to nature is a fantastic way to teach them about waste.

What kids of resources do I need?

Sand, petals, leaves, coloured stones and shells can be fantastic natural resources to use. But almost anything can be used to create Ephemeral Art. Please also check to see if the plant or petals are safe to handle and are not poisonous.

Sand Ephemeral Art –

  • The sand itself can be made damp and then patterns can be drawn onto the flattened sand (like you would at a beach).
  • A thin layer of dry sand can be placed on a tray and then fingers or a stick can be used to create patterns.
  • Shells, pebbles, small sticks and leaves can be placed on top of the sand to create patterns or a “beachscape”.

Ephemeral Art with Natural resources –

  • Collect Autumn leaves of different colours to create a pattern.
  • Collect shells from the beach and rocks from the garden to create patterns on a tray.
  • Different coloured leaves can be created into confetti with a hole punch. Create different patterns and shapes with the confetti.

Creating temporary art without using single use items destined for landfill is a fantastic way to keep your Little’s creativity going and have less impact on the environment.