I love working with the natural materials we find on our walks. The trail can lead us in the forest, down to the river or in this case – in to the city. A lot of our avenues here in Zurich are lined with sycamore trees. With this tree, the bark breaks out into thin layers which peel off the trunk. It has been extra hot this summer, which means our trees have a lot more bark lying around the trunks than usual.

We took a handful of bark back with us the play with at home! I have got two fun ideas for you! Are you ready? The first idea is to look a the shape from a piece of bark and decide which animal it could be and draw it! Idea number two is to make an easy lantern from bark and jars.

• Bark from sycamore tree or a similar tree with flaky
• Black marker

Step 1
I like to lay out the pieces on a table and really have a look at them. I will take the pieces of bark in my hand and turn them round and over and over. My favorite challenge is to look at the shape from a piece of bark and decide which animal it could be. You could even rope in the kids and see what they make the shapes into!

Step 2
The cat and the whale were clear from the beginning. I only had to take the marker and draw them! But that other piece with a hole in it, that’s an eye for sure, but for what? Then it became a chicken. The other bird could be a buzzard. Four pieces to go. Have you got an idea what they could be?

To Make the Bark Lantern

Some of the bark we took home were larger pieces. I thought they would fit nice on a jar to make a small lantern. I only had to grab my scissors and some twine for this easy lantern DIY.

• 5-6 pieces of bark
• 2 jars
• Scissors
• Twine
• Tea lights

For this project, it’s best to work together as a team! Grab a friend. One pair of hands can hold the bark to the jar while the other pair winds the twine around it. Make a few knots to hold everything in place. You may need to break or cut a few pieces so that they fit well together. It’s a bit like a jigsaw puzzle! Be sure to double check that the twines are about the same level.

Light up the candles and place your bark lanterns on your table! These little guys are perfect for a summer or cool fall evening!

Happy crafting! :)