Hand print Autumn trees

I love the Autumn/Fall season. There are so many fun holidays (Harvest festival, Halloween, Thanksgiving etc) but I simply enjoy the changes that the season brings. The weather gets cooler and the colours displayed by the trees are so beautiful. 

After going on an Autumnal walk with my daughter, we were inspired to paint our own tree, using a paint brush and our hands. It was a bit of a messy activity but, so much fun.

Who can play?

Children aged 1 year onwards would enjoy this activity. With younger children the activity is more about the process, where as with older children it will be about the process and the end result.

All activities depend on each individual child's age and stage of development. 

Safety:

To protect clothes, I recommend the use of an apron and newspaper on the floor/table.

Ensure your paint is non toxic and for younger children you could always substitute paint for yoghurt and food colouring.

I always keep wipes and a damp cloth close by, to clean up any paint spills, to prevent slipping.

What you need:

1. Newspaper for the floor/table (wherever you chose to do your painting)

2. Apron

3. Wipes and damp cloth

4. Paper

5. Cello tape to secure the paper to the floor/table

6. Red, brown, orange, yellow and green paint (Autumn colours)  

What we did:

Once we had put on our aprons and protected the floor with newspaper, Bee and I talked about the different coloured leaves that we noticed on our Autumnal walk. We discussed why we thought the leaves changed colour (due to the weather getting cooler and the leaves dying) and briefly touched on the effects that Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer have on us and our environment.

Our next job was to create our Autumn tree picture. We began by talking about the tree trunks and what they look like. Bee painted a thick brown line and then some twigs coming out of the top. I asked her did her tree have routes and she said yes, and painted two small curved lines at the bottom.

We then set out mixing our paints to make the colour orange and dark red. Using her finger, Bee very carefully made prints with the paint ontop of the tree, to represent leaves. She commented on the colours merging together to make new ones.

Bee really loved putting the red paint on one hand and the yellow on the other. she would then bring both hands together and mix the two colours to make orange. 

We talked  about the texture and properties of the paint when it was on our fingers and hands. This promoted Descriptive language such as slimy, wet and cold and sensory development. 

Once the activity had finished we washed our hands, cleaned the area and paint pots. When the painting has dried I plan to put it in a frame.

What we learn?

• Communication and language- Talk about what they are doing and what they see and feel. Learn new words such as trunk and photosynthesis.
• Physical development- Fine and large manipulative skills and coordination when rubbing the paint together on her hands, using the paint brush and her finger to make daub marks to represent leaves. Hand eye coordination. 
• Personal, social and emotional- Fun and enjoyment. Developing sensory skills. Self help skills afterwards when washing her hands and tidying up.
• Mathematics- Learning about spacial awareness and patterns. Counting how many fingers they can see on their hand prints.
• Understanding of the world- Change of state and talking about weather conditions and seasons. Developing an awareness of the world around them and their local environment. Learning about the anatomy of a tree.
• Literacy- Developing fine manipulative skills that are needed for holding writing tools. Mark making.
• Expressive arts and design- Learning different painting techniques. Creating patterns and designing. Painting a tree from memory. Exploring paint.

What next?

1. Place the Autumn tree in a frame and during Winter, Spring and Summer make another one.    Discuss the differences and changes that each season brings.

2. Make prints from real leaves. This can be done by painted the back side of a leaf and pressing it down on a piece of paper.

Ever changing fall collage

During our Autumn/Fall walk we collected lots of natural objects from our environment.

The idea was to use them to learn about Autumn, textures, colors etc and for creative purposes too. 

We made sticky pictures with them, which my daughter loved doing. However,  for an ongoing project, I created a tray with soil and the found objects. 

The beauty of this activity is that not only can you create pictures and patterns again and again but, the resources are free and readily available in your local environment. It also makes a welcome change from playing with all singing and dancing plastic toys.     

Who can play?

Children aged 3 years and above, according to their age and stage of development. 

Safety:

There is a risk of choking with this acivity, due to small objects. Constant adult supervision is highly recommended.

What do you need?

1 Tray

2 Soil

3 Natural objects such as, leaves, twigs, stones etc

4 Container to store objects

4 Picnic blanket or table if playing outside

What did we do?

To set up the invitation to play, I placed a picnic blanket on the grass, with a tray of soil and a container with our objects that we found on our Autumnal walk.

                    

Bee used the objects in many ways. At first she arranged them to make a face...

                   

... And then she practiced her sorting and classifying skills, as she separated the objects into groups.         

We enjoyed experimenting with the designs and practiced our creativity skills.

After the activity had finished, we brought the objects and the tray (minus the soil) inside, so that Bee had the opportunity to revisit the activity later in the afternoon.

What did we learn?

• Communication and language- Learning new words and talking through what they are doing.
• Physical development- Fine and large manipulative skills and coordination when picking up leaves etc and placing them on the tray.  
• Personal, social and emotional- Fun and enjoyment. Developing sensory skills. Making decisions when selecting which items to use in her masterpiece.
• Mathematics- Learning about space and measurement. Comparing and measuring leaves and talking about sizes. Counting objects, learning about patterns and spacial awareness. Classifying and grouping objects.
• Understanding of the world-  Change of state and talking about weather conditions and seasons. Developing an awareness of the world around them and their local environment. 
• Literacy- Developing fine manipulative skills that are needed for holding writing tools. The natural objects could also be arranged into letter formations. 
• Expressive arts and design- Creating patterns and designing their own picture with natural objects.

What could be done next?

1. As mentioned above, the activity can be recreated inside minus the soil

2. Using the found objects make pictures of autumnal animals

3. To encourage literacy skills, encourage your child to make letters with them.

4. Encourage sequencing skills, by asking your child to copy a sequence you have made for example, acorn, leaf, acorn, leaf.

Autumn/Fall sticky pictures

During our Autumn/Fall nature walk, we collected some interesting natural items that we plan to use during our craft projects this month. One activity we had in mind was to create pictures using the objects, paper and glue. 

Not only were the resources in this activity free and readily available but, were interesting and created lots of discussion too.

                        

Who can play?

As with all activities it depends on your child's age and stage of development however, I would recommend it for children aged 2 years onwards.

Safety:

Due to smaller children exploring objects with their mouths there is a risk of choking due to small objects. Younger children will also want to put the glue in their mouth too so, I would recommend adult supervision at all times. 

What do you need?

1. Paper

2. Glue

3. Natural objects that have been collected on your nature walk.

3. Apron to protect clothing.

What did we do?

To set up the activity, I placed the leaves, acorns etc in a container on the table and a protective mat. As soon as Bee saw the natural objects she said "we collected them the other day!" I invited her to place glue on the paper and arrange the items as she wished. 

Bee loved squeezing the glue bottle and making swirls and patterns with the runny glue. She then selected her items and placed them on the glue.

                          

We talked about the texture, shape and size of objects and developed spacial awareness and creativity when arranging the items on the paper. Bee even made a face out of some leaves, acorns and a twig.

                       

What did we learn?

• Communication and language- Talk about what they are doing and what they see and feel.
• Physical development- Fine and large manipulative skills and coordination when picking up leaves etc and placing them onto the paper. Squeezing the glue from the bottle and hand-eye coordination skills.
• Personal, social and emotional- Fun and enjoyment. Developing sensory skills. Making decisions as to what items they would like to use and pride from finished product.
• Mathematics- Comparing and measuring leaves and talking about sizes. Counting objects that you place on the paper. Learning about spacial awareness and patterns
• Understanding of the world- Change of state and talking about weather conditions and seasons. Developing an awareness of the world around them and their local environment. 
• Literacy- Developing fine manipulative skills that are needed for holding writing tools and an opportunity to make letters out of the natural objects.
• Expressive arts and design- Creating patterns and designing pictures with the glue and natural objects.

What next

1. The finished products can be displayed on the wall, for a fall decoration. This will give your child a sense of pride and make them feel important and like they are valued.

2. Take a photograph of the picture because, as time goes by items may fall off and this way you will have a copy of it forever.

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Autumn/fall nature walk

What could be more fun than going on a nature walk, to learn about the effects of Fall/Autumn and collect treasures along the way?! 

My daughter loves picking up twigs, leaves and stones all year round, she says that they are her special gift. We collect them all in a large vase near the front door, from time to time she likes to revisit the vase and make patterns with the natural objects inside. Playing with the natural objects inspired me to take her on a little Autumnal walk. 

Our aim for this activity was to discuss the changes that Autumn brings and collect natural items to explore and create future masterpiece's with.

                      

Who can play?

Children of all ages would love this activity. Obviously the level of involvement will be different for each child as it depends on their age and stage of development. 

Safety:

This activity is a great opportunity to learn road safety rules.

Be aware of what your child is picking up, especially if it is near an area where dogs go to the bathroom.

You will need constant adult supervision when your child is handling the found objects, as they could potentially be dangerous or cause a choking risk to small children.

What do you need?

1. Depending on the climate of the country, you will need sensible clothing and shoes

2. Stroller for babies and younger children (in case they become tired during the walk)

3. Clipboard, paper and pencil (attached with string, so that you do not lose it)

4. Basket or bag to collect the objects you find

5. Camera

6. Magnifying glass or binoculars 

Things to do on your walk

Babies: Go for a walk with your baby in the stroller and stop for a while to point out the leaves on the trees and floor. Just being out in the fresh air can also have a big impact on your babies overall development. 

Toddlers: Talk about the different colored leaves that they see. Count the leaves and encourage your child to pick them up and place them in a bag/basket. This not only encourages mathematical skills, but physical too. Discuss temperatures and weather conditions, for example is it hot, cold, windy etc.

Pre-schoolers and Kindergarten/reception: Talk about the changes that happen in Autumn for example, it gets cooler and darker earlier in the evenings. Discuss the changes in the colour of leaves and why they fall to the ground. Compare the leaves that they find and discuss their shape, size and what type of tree they have come from. 

Observe wildlife, such as squirrels harvesting nuts for winter or the different birdlife that Autumn brings.

This age group will also enjoy taking photos of what they find with a camera. My daughter Bee, enjoyed drawing a picture of a tree and an acorn on the clipboard, whilst we were on our exploration.

                         

What can be learnt?

• Communication and language- Listening to and following instructions
• Physical development- Fine and large manipulative skills and coordination when picking up leaves etc and acing them in the basket. 
• Personal, social and emotional- Making relationships. Fun and enjoyment. Developing sensory skills. Making decisions as to what items they would like to collect.
• Mathematics- Learning about capacity concepts. Comparing and measuring leaves and talking about sizes. Counting objects that you collect.
• Understanding of the world- Learning road safety. Change of state and talking about weather conditions and seasons. Developing an awareness of the world around them and their local environment. 
• Literacy- Developing fine manipulative skills that are needed for holding writing tools and an opportunity to write on the clipboard the names of the objects that they find.
• Expressive arts and design- Looking at patterns and designs in the environment.

What next?

Display your natural items in a bowl to encourage future discussions regarding Autumn. If you found man made items whilst on your walk, talk about litter and the importance of placing it in the bin/trash.

There are so many ways that you can play and be creative with the items you have found. Here are a few ideas:

1. Maths concepts could be encouraged by making sequences with acorns and leaves. 

Making patterns with natural objects. This can also be done by using them as counting resources.

2. Autumn/fall sticky pictures

3. Leaf printing

4. Bark rubbing trees