Natural Intelligence: Free Tutorials

Free tutorials and essays to support curious, capable children. Learn to make paint from flowers, grow a garden from cuttings, and create strategies for introducing screens and AI.

Natural intelligence is the mind's way of growing: through wonder, exploration, and story.

Supported by a SEPA award from the National Institutes of Health.

Enid Baxter Ryce 4/4/22 Enid Baxter Ryce 4/4/22

Aluminum Foil Sculpture

Sculpting with aluminum foil is easy and a class favorite.

Enid Baxter Ryce 1/30/22 Enid Baxter Ryce 1/30/22

Landforms

A fun STEAM sculpture project that meets NGSS DCI and VAPA standards for second grade.

Enid Baxter Ryce 1/1/22 Enid Baxter Ryce 1/1/22

A Plant Color Library

A library of color derived from plant pigments for the Huntington Botanical Gardens.

Enid Baxter Ryce 12/21/21 Enid Baxter Ryce 12/21/21

Rain-ting

Experiment with how water affects color by painting on wet paper and leaving it out in the rain.

Enid Baxter Ryce 12/17/21 Enid Baxter Ryce 12/17/21

Hammering Plants to Create Color

Hammering plants is fun! And beautiful.

Enid Baxter Ryce 11/1/21 Enid Baxter Ryce 11/1/21

Paper Flowers (for big groups!)

Making paper flowers with big groups, including small children. Wonderful for el Dia del los Muertos festivals.

Enid Baxter Ryce 10/15/21 Enid Baxter Ryce 10/15/21

Clay Pumpkin Lanterns Part 1

A fun, simple Halloween clay decoration!

Enid Baxter Ryce 10/15/21 Enid Baxter Ryce 10/15/21

Simple Cell Phone Stop Motion

Simple outdoor stop-motion.

Enid Baxter Ryce 10/15/21 Enid Baxter Ryce 10/15/21

Chalk Sundials

Make sundials using chalk and your body!

Enid Baxter Ryce 9/15/21 Enid Baxter Ryce 9/15/21

Blind Contour

Blind Contour drawing supports perception and social-emotional learning.

Enid Baxter Ryce 9/7/21 Enid Baxter Ryce 9/7/21

Drawing Faces

How to draw facial proportions.