Pine cones can be a great source of inspiration for craft and art projects. Use goggle eyes to transform a cone into a pet, a monster, or an owl. Wrap the cone in tinsel and glitter and have a sparkly Christmas decoration. The seeds can be glued onto a paper and a hedgehog or bird may emerge.
Cones can also provide inspiration for packing things or planning a city. This is the exciting bit about using biomimicry in the classroom; the learning can easily be transformed into creating things. The problems may require a child to look at functions and explore deeper purposes, which is not easy, but it is so much more fun and engaging than simple learning. There are special sequences that are frequently found in nature called the Fibonacci sequence, after an Italian mathematician (he did not discover the sequence; instead, it had been part of Hindu-Arabic mathematics for centuries.
Link to the booklet on TpT – Teachers Pay Teachers
These are Fibonacci numbers; each number is the sum of the previous two numbers.
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987. . .
Or
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987. . .
Use glitter glue pens and see if your cones are arranged in spirals corresponding to Fibonacci numbers. Sometimes the number may not be an actual Fibonacci number, but often they are close to the Fibonacci sequence.
Why is it useful to arrange seeds in spirals?
Patterning seeds in spirals of Fibonacci numbers helps pack as many seeds as possible on a cone.
How can you use this?
Perhaps you can pack things in a spiral pattern using the Fibonacci sequence to save space. Big things like solar panels or houses. . . or small things like snack chip bags. . .
Frequently Asked Questions
What is biomimicry?
Biomimicry is the practice of looking to nature for solutions, then applying what we learn to design and problem-solving. Instead of inventing from scratch, it means studying how plants, animals, and ecosystems have already solved a challenge — like staying cool, collecting water, or absorbing carbon — and adapting that strategy for human use.
How does biomimicry help address climate change?
Nature has been adapting to extreme conditions for billions of years, so many organisms already hold working solutions to problems we now face at a larger scale — cooling buildings without electricity (termite mounds), collecting water in drought (the Namib beetle), protecting coastlines from storms (mangrove roots), and capturing carbon (corals, forests, kelp). Biomimicry means studying those solutions and applying the same principles to human design.
How can children get involved in biomimicry?
Children don’t need special training to think like a biomimicrist — just curiosity and a habit of asking “how does nature solve this?” Simple ways to start include a backyard scavenger hunt for nature’s patterns, a “design-an-animal” challenge for a changing climate, or building a small model (like a passive-cooling structure or a water collector) inspired by something they’ve observed outdoors.
Is biomimicry only for scientists and engineers?
No — biomimicry is as much a mindset as a profession. Anyone can practice it by observing nature closely and asking design questions. Professional biomimicry practitioners apply it in architecture, materials science, and engineering, but the same core skill — careful observation followed by “what if we built it that way?” — is exactly what this post’s classroom and family activities are designed to build in children.
Åsa Jomård
In 2015, Åsa completed a course in Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Methodology at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. With over 10 years of experience exploring nature for inspiration and as a former member of Ben, Biomimicry Education Network, she brings both academic background and creative teaching experience to her work. Her materials seamlessly integrate stories, nature observations, and design challenges, making them perfect for inquiry-led learning in early primary contexts.
AI was used as a Thinking Partner.