If you’re wondering how to get your kids to do their writing homeschool work, they might be more inspired if they were using homemade berry ink and pens/brushes they found in nature!
Today’s activity is inspired by Vermont’s own Nick Neddo, the author of “The Organic Artist” , a book about making your own art supplies from things in nature. I’ve been using his book for years, and he just came out with a new book:: “The Organic Artist for Kids.” I highly recommend it!
For berry ink, you’ll need: frozen or fresh berries, something to smoosh them and then strain them. If you don’t want to keep the berries for eating, you could let them thaw and then use the juice that collects under the thawed berries.
You can also do this with charcoal from old backyard fire pits. You’ll need to find some (cold) charcoal and grind it up into a fine powder, then add water. Nick Neddo recommends also adding something as a binder, like honey or glue. Mix it all together thoroughly and you have black ink!
You can use many things as pens or brushes. A skinny stick will work, or a small beaver chew, or your already existing paintbrushes. I often use turkey feather quills, with the tip of the quill cut just a little bit at a 45 degree angle. Your child could try out several things they find around the yard, like white pine needles tied into a point, or an old flower head. Let them experiment and see what works best for them!
Once you’ve made the inks, supply some paper and let your child draw, write, and try out different utensils.
A note about using food for projects:
I know that food insecurity is a real thing, especially right now, and using food for projects is an idea that comes from a place of privilege. If using frozen or fresh berries is an impossible suggestion at this time, please feel free to modify this activity in any way that works for your family (mud and charcoal are some alternatives).