This week, you\u2019ll gather materials from nature to make temporary land art, which stays outside and, by design, eventually breaks down. This exercise immerses you in the outdoors and encourages you to appreciate even the smallest patches of green.<\/p>\n
Making land art is accessible and easy, said Girija Kaimal, founder of the Health, Arts, Learning and Evaluation research lab at Drexel University. If you\u2019ve ever built a sand castle or a snowman, you\u2019ve done it.<\/p>\n
Research suggests that making art increases well-being<\/a> and confidence<\/a>, and reduces stress<\/a>. If you make art outside, said Megan Delaney, a professor of psychology at Monmouth University and principal investigator of the university\u2019s Ecopsychology \u201cTouch Grass\u201d Lab, you can double those benefits.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to do it.<\/p>\n First, find a spot that has a good amount of materials, whether that\u2019s a park, your backyard or a city block, said Austin Kleon, author of \u201cDon\u2019t Call It Art: 10 Ways to Create Like a Kid Again.\u201d<\/p>\n Then take stock, he said. What materials are available? Sticks, rocks, bark or leaves? For about 15 minutes, collect whatever catches your eye, he said. \u201cJust don\u2019t take living things.\u201d<\/p>\n You can keep it simple and gather several items in one category, Dr. Kaimal said. Even gray pebbles have variations in colors, textures and shapes, she added.<\/p>\n You can also do this project with another person, Dr. Kaimal explained. If you both bring materials from the areas around you, you can expand your \u201cpalette,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Assess what you\u2019ve collected. Then get creative, and \u201cstart moving stuff around,\u201d Kleon said.<\/p>\n You can make a flat design of leaves and twigs, such as a simple spiral pattern, or concentric circles with different materials, he said.<\/p>\n Or you can also make a 3D design, like a stack of rocks, Dr. Kaimal said.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t overthink it, Kleon said. Just savor being outside and away from your screens. \u201cTap into the fun of doing stuff for no good reason,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Activities such as stacking stones can be a form of meditation, because they allow us to feel relaxed and present, said Dr. Delaney, who likes to create \u201cnature mandalas<\/a>,\u201d geometric designs that are typically circular, with her students.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re done, admire your creation and then leave it to gradually diminish.<\/p>\n There are other ways that you can be creative without your phone. Visit a museum or an art gallery or sketch a scene outdoors.<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/25Well-Summer-Challenge-WK-4-03-articleLarge.png\")
Gather your materials.<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/25Well-Summer-Challenge-WK-4-02-articleLarge.png\")
Move stuff around.<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/25Well-Summer-Challenge-WK-4-articleLarge.png\")
Land art isn\u2019t your thing?<\/p>\n