Maleny Eco-Art: Songbirds of Maleny | An Enriching Day Out
Join us in the beautiful Sunshine Coast Hinterland for an immersive journey combining outdoor exploration and a premium mixed media craft workshop!
Discover how to craft your own unique bird mobile by blending paper clay and rice paper techniques, creative painting, and careful binding.
Bring your friends, family, or homeschool group together for a memorable, hands-on day of creative discovery in nature!
How Your Day Looks:
10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Bird Discovery & Forest Walk (Self-Guided / Independent)
Start your morning at your own pace at the stunning Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve.
Before heading into the rainforest walk, make sure to visit their fantastic interactive educational center! The kids will love the bird chart display where they can press buttons to hear the real songs of local birds.
The reserve also boasts a magnificent lookout offering breathtaking, panoramic views of the iconic Glass House Mountains—the perfect spot for a group photo!
(Please note: This morning session is an independent activity to get the kids into the nature spirit and gather inspiration; your workshop host will join you for the afternoon session!).
12 pm – 1 pm: Travel & Transition
Head over to our beautiful afternoon location at Lake Baroon (about a 15-minute scenic drive).
1 pm – 3:30 pm: Mixed-Media Bird Mobile Workshop (Hosted Session)
Your clay and craft instructor welcomes the group by the lake! Inspired by the birds seen and heard in the morning, children will dive into a complete creative process:
- 3D Sculpting: Shaping sweet little birds using lightweight, tactile Paper Clay.
- Surface Design: Learning delicate decoupage effects using Rice Paper.
- Fibre Arts & Weaving: An introduction to basic weaving, knotting, and assembling their clay pieces, beads, and twine into a perfectly balanced hanging mobile to take home.
Afternoon Tea Break (15 mins):
We will take a short break during the workshop to stretch and recharge.
️Food & Drinks Note: There is a lovely café located at Mary Cairncross Reserve. However, to keep things smooth and stay on track with our timing before the workshop, we highly recommend bringing a packed sandwich/lunch for the kids. Of course, it’s completely up to you (BYO / Self-snack)!
Skills your group will learn:
3D Clay Sculpting & Form Development:
Mastering hand-eye coordination to transform a block of paper clay into a three-dimensional bird.
Precision Decoupage: Discovering the art of applying delicate rice paper smoothly onto curved clay surfaces for unique textures.
Introduction to Weaving: Understanding structural framework, tension, and knots to suspend the mobile.
Artistic Problem-Solving & Balance: Experimenting with weight distribution and basic principles of physics so the mobile hangs perfectly.
Fine Motor Skills: A fantastic workout for fine motor development through kneading, threading fine beads, and weaving twine.
Good to Know: Location: Mary Cairncross Reserve (Morning) & Lake Baroon, Maleny (Afternoon).
Rain or Shine (All-Weather): Nature is our studio! The afternoon workshop is designed to be held outdoors at Lake Baroon. However, we have excellent sheltered options nearby, ensuring the creative fun goes on even if it rains.
What to Bring for the Art Session: Please bring an art apron for the kids, as things might get a little messy! Also, don’t forget to bring a cardboard box (like a shoebox) for each child to safely transport their creations home, as the clay mobiles won’t be fully dry by the end of the workshop.
Parental Supervision: To ensure every young artist gets the support they need, children under 8 years old must be accompanied by an adult to help them with the sculpting and weaving activities.
Travel time: Only a scenic 1h30m drive from Brisbane!
All materials included: High-quality paper clay, rice paper, tools, beads, and weaving materials are fully provided.
Private Group:
Ready to book a stress-free day? Click the custum private booking link to secure your date, and I will handle individual payment links for each parent in your group directly from this page.
