Painting Bones Nature Craft: Painting with a Twist
Create a unique and creative experience with this painting bones nature craft that transforms found objects into meaningful art kids will love.
This painting bones nature craft became a favorite for us during summer mountain trips to the middle of nowhere, where my boys love collecting old bleached bones and turning them into a creative project by painting them and hanging them with leather string.
This post contains affiliate links.
Perfect for outdoor exploration, art time or nature-based learning, this activity encourages creativity, curiosity and hands-on discovery using found materials.
Why You’ll Love This Painting Bones Nature Craft
- Nature-based creativity: Turn found bones into one-of-a-kind art pieces.
- Meaningful keepsakes: Create unique items from special outdoor finds.
- Open-ended design: Kids can paint patterns, colors or imaginative designs.
- Fine motor skill building: Painting detailed surfaces strengthens control and coordination.
- Outdoor exploration: Encourages curiosity and discovery in nature.
- Creative display: Finished pieces can be hung or showcased.
This painting bones nature craft blends creativity, exploration and hands-on learning into an activity kids will remember.
Painting with a Twist: Paint Bones
Every year, the family heads out to a Central Colorado ranch to spend a week or two.
It’s amazing to take the kids out of their typical comfort zone and drop them into a landscape that is so utterly different from the Midwest.
It’s not unusual to see cattle walking along the fence line.
The bellowing of these cows is unlike anything you’ve ever heard.
We absolutely love disappearing. There’s nothing like Colorado country!
Because it is such remote country, there’s a ridiculous amount of wildlife around us.
We often find deer bones or elk antlers as we head up into the hills.
To be honest, it’s an amazing excuse to talk to the kids about the circle of life and the fact that yes, animals do actually hunt other animals. It’s one thing to talk about it in a classroom.
It’s a completely different thing to have a child look around and wonder what it takes to actually survive out in the wilderness.
Every time my son finds a bone, they love trying to figure out what part of the body it belonged to, as well as the story of that animal. It’s not macabre. It’s just life!
So now we have all of these bones and we didn’t know what to do with them.
So what does a mom do???
She paints some of them with the kids. Ha!
We grabbed our paint kits and puffy paint (affiliate), threw down a protective layer on the outside deck and enjoyed painting the bones we had found.
There really are no rules for painting bones. (You didn’t think there would be, did you?)
We let the boys just follow their creativity.
Although I would recommend having them practice using the puffy paint before actually applying it.
We messed around with designs on our paper plates before the boys decided on what they wanted added.
My oldest son had found a jaw bone that he was fascinated with.
We decided to paint both sides… he could decide which one he liked better later.
We used one of the already existing holes to put leather necklace cord through it so we could hang it up later.
My other son found a more beat up bone. It didn’t have any natural holes so we tied the cord around either end.
Currently, both of their finished projects are hanging up in their rooms.
These painted bones are a wonderful reminder of our love of Colorado and of our trips.
I honestly hadn’t thought of it as a souvenir, but they definitely have turned into that.
Activities to Pair with Painting Bones
Here are activities that pair perfectly with this painting bones nature craft — a hands-on experience where kids explore texture, creativity and nature through art.
Related Sensory Activities
- Nature Hunt: Search for interesting bones and natural objects.
- Texture Exploration: Feel smooth, rough and curved surfaces before painting.
- Color Exploration: Experiment with how paint looks on natural materials.
Creative Extensions
- Pattern Painting: Add stripes, dots or color blocks.
- Nature Mobiles: Hang multiple painted bones together.
- Mixed Materials: Combine bones with sticks, feathers or beads.
These activities extend the craft while supporting creativity and early learning.
Fine Motor and Learning Activities
- Brush Control: Paint along curves and small details.
- Grip Strength: Hold and rotate bones while painting.
- Hand-Eye Coordination: Apply paint carefully to different areas.
- Design Planning: Choose colors and patterns before starting.
Gross Motor Activities
- Outdoor Collecting: Walk and explore to find materials.
- Standing Art Setup: Paint at a table or outdoor space.
- Reach and Rotate: Turn objects to paint all sides.
Play and Display Activities
- Hanging Art: Display creations using leather string.
- Outdoor Decor: Hang pieces in a natural space.
- Art Showcase: Create a collection of painted pieces.
These additions extend the painting bones nature craft while supporting fine motor development, gross motor movement and imaginative play.
Painting Bones Nature Craft
This painting bones nature craft is a creative and meaningful way to turn found objects into lasting art while encouraging exploration and imagination.
Materials You’ll Need
- Collected bones (Make sure they are completely clean of debris first. – To sterilize animal bones, soak them in a mixture of half 3% hydrogen peroxide and half water for 24 hours. This will kill bacteria and whiten them. Then air dry. )
- Paint
- Paintbrushes
- Leather string
- Optional beads or natural materials
How to Make Painting Bones Nature Craft
Step 1: Collect and clean bones found outdoors.
Step 2: Set up a painting area with supplies.
Step 3: Paint the bones with colors and designs.
Step 4: Let dry completely.
Step 5: Tie leather string to create hanging pieces. Add in optional beads or natural materials as additional decoration.
For more nature-inspired activities:The Ultimate Book of Scavenger Hunts: 42 Outdoor Adventures to Conquer with Your Family
Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail: What Will You Find?Kids’ Outdoor Adventure Book: 448 Great Things to Do in Nature Before You Grow UpThe Nature Connection: An Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families, and Classrooms
More Nature Crafts and Activities for Kids
More nature crafts and activities offer hands-on, creative ways to explore the outdoors and inspire imaginative play.
Oh my! WOW, this is certainly unique! I love this – a fantastic creative and colorful way to talk about and embrace the circle of life!!
When you really get out into the wilderness, your perspective definitely changes. And you come across so many bones, that it’s hard not to have them just become part of the landscape and nothing out of the ordinary. But tell that to the kids when they bring in their bones for show and tell. Ha!
You might be a cooler mom than me…..I would make them put the bones back. Too gross for me. 🙂 But Thanks for sharing on Family Joy Blog Link-up. Please come back and join us again!
The bones look so cool. I even didn’t know that those are bones without watching closely. Kids look enjoying the painting time. Thank you for sharing at Family Fun Friday.
That’s got to be the most creative painting idea I’ve seen in a while! The last time I looked, I still had some bones in my glove compartment. (Don’t ask — I’m really not sure HOW that seemed like a good idea at the time. But in my defense, they were well weathered and dried out and I think we were going to try to figure out what they might’ve belonged to.)
LOL! We definitely collect bones… we find them all of the time hiking around. And my kids do LOVE their painted bones… it’s completely normal from their perspective 🙂